Hate consulting

RE: Hate consulting

cutthroat_ethel — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 18:06:22 GMT

Hey,

It's not that I struggle with the consults themselves, I'm happy with vaccinations, anal glands, nail clips, pre/post op etc... I don't doubt I own ability or knowledge and I'm comfortable with my strengths/weaknesses (happy to refer a client to a colleague with better knowledge on behaviour, or small furries for example) , it's just not the part of nursing I enjoy. Which obviously doesn't help much!!

I guess what I'm struggling with is, if I find consults difficult due to my anxiety and it's also not enjoyable for me on a GOOD mental health day, is this something I want to keep doing? It's upsetting as I LOVE my colleagues, l love my practice and don't want to leave... But if me not doing consults doesn't work for them, I'm still going to have to move on.

RE: Hate consulting

Jessica Atkins — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 23:04:45 GMT

This may not be the answer, but I have a different angle to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet - but do you think that there is anything that you an do to help you enjoy consulting more? I have worked with nurses who didn't really like consulting, (I love it) and they told me that they felt better about it having sat in on some of mine, or done some role plays.
Things that I find really useful going into a consult are:
-Read the patient hx in advance so you know what to prepare for
- If there is anything that you aren't sure of - don't be afraid to say so. Something like ' I want to be 100% sure I am giving you the right information, so can you excuse me while I discuss this with a colleague / could I call you later with an answer to that question? I find that if you are confident in your lack of knowledge, clients seem to trust you more than if you try and fumble through something, which helps buit great rapport.
- Don't be afraid to tell clients you dont have time to address everything today. I often say to clients 'I am concerned about fluffys dental hygiene, and there is a bit to discuss in that. I would rather not have to rush you, and I am more concerned about discussing his ear infection today - so can we make an appointment for you to come back for an in depth dental chat?'

Or if there is a particular type of consult that bothers you the most - try and sit in on collegues or role play the appointments, or see if you can get some confidence up in what you consider the easier or more enjoyable consults in the short term.

All the best! x

RE: Hate consulting

cutthroat_ethel — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 07:58:12 GMT

Thank you for your advice, I have already spoken to my boss, who is amazing. She has agreed its OK to keep my consults 'light' at the moment and I do have an amazing colleague who will help me out with them when I'm feeling particularly bad. However, I don't feel like this is going to be something I can just 'fix', it's going to take a long time and honestly, it's difficult pushing myself to work on something I already don't enjoy (have always been a surgical nurse at heart, so love hiding in theatre.) This practice also has the worst clients I have ever seen in my many years in the profession. Constant unfair complaints, we've even had a few verbally abusive and physically threatening men. It's gotten to the point where I'm struggling to deal with even the nice ones for fear of them turning (which has also happened recently.) I just can't cope with it anymore

RE: Hate consulting

Sam Cross — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:05:51 GMT

Hi,
I can definitely relate to you!
Always pushed through with consults but they have been causing real bad anxiety lately and got to a point where I hate consulting.
I've actually decided to leave my current practice and go into a referral ward nurse position instead as this includes no consulting and still many aspects of nursing that I do enjoy.
I really hope that you find something that works for you but I would advise changing the current situation if you can!

RE: Hate consulting

Alison Clare Hickman — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 16:50:44 GMT

I didn't know exactly what 'social anxiety disorder' was so I looked it up.... is this you and how you feel? How awful it must be for you to have to push yourself into situations that make you so ill....

….intense anxiety or fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in a social or performance situation. People with social anxiety disorder may worry about acting or appearing visibly anxious (e.g., blushing, stumbling over words), or being viewed as stupid, awkward, or boring. As a result, they often avoid social or performance situations, and when a situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant anxiety and distress. Many people with social anxiety disorder also experience strong physical symptoms, such as a rapid heart rate, nausea, and sweating, and may experience full-blown attacks when confronting a feared situation.

Definitely speak to your boss about it - and see if there is any support available. I love consulting and I regularly swap with a colleague (at a practice I locum at) who hates them. It is really not worth getting so ill you crash.

On the other side of this - I do have a series of blogs I've written for the Consulting Nurse if you are interested? It starts at the basic level and (hopefully humorously) guides you through the maze of improving your communication skills...and includes how to deal with difficult clients as well. PM me with your email address and I'll be happy to send them to you if you want to have a dekko

https://adaa.org/sites/default/files/SocialAnxietyDisorder-brochure.pdf

RE: Hate consulting

Robyn — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:47:11 GMT

I'm so sorry you're going through this, you have all my sympathy!

Step one definitely sounds like it should be chatting with the bosses and seeing if your role can be adjusted. It sounds like the practice is a great fit for you otherwise and I know you say it may not be possible to change your role, but you really cannot continue on like this. If nothing else, it is worth making them aware of the situation and seeing what support they're able to offer. In my experience it depends on how sympathetic they are, but lots of bosses are willing to work together with you to see what can be done to help you.

Good luck, and let us know how everything is going!