Last week I was working with a nurse who provided me with the words to describe and what I thought about PA students or students in general. She was talking about brand new PAs out of school or residence, but I think it easily applies to a broader spectrum. Her three categories could apply to anyone in any setting and give you a strong grasp of how to handle them and how much progress they can make. (This even applies to me, man I hate to admit that)
Anyway she put people into three categories.
Underconfident – These are the people who are so scared to screw anything up that they won’t do anything. In her words, “you want to hug them and tell them it’s gonna be ok.”
Overconfident – These are people who think leadership is a title. My name tag says Dr. on it, so I get to belittle you and tell you what to do. My white coat has PA-C embroidered on it, so I’m in charge. “I had a new PA once order a bolus of fluid on a patient in heart failure because their blood pressure was low. I asked if they wanted me to give the bolus in light of the patient’s issues, and they responded, “I ordered it, didn’t I.” I called the supervising PA, who agreed with me and canceled the order.”
Confident in themselves and willing to learn
This is where you (and I) want to be. We don’t want to hide behind the title. Leadership comes from character, not from a title. You want to be confident in your skills – in the things that you know, but you should also understand you can’t possibly know it all, and you can learn from almost anyone.
I train nurses, scrub techs, PAs, and residents in the operating room, and these three categories they are exactly how I see people. Keep. In mind, the underconfident people are just as difficult to train as the overconfident ones.
We had a new nurse come to the hospital who had no training in the specialty I was working with her in. After our case, I went to her manager and told her that I would take this nurse in any surgery. Why? Because she knew what she was doing. She was comfortable in her own skin. She was comfortable with her own skills, and she knew she didn’t know the particulars of the case we were doing. She was open to learning them, and because of her own confidence, she could learn quickly.
I rarely do general surgery at my hospital. Before I scrub, I explain to the scrub tech that it’s up to them to get me through the case. I can physically perform the skills, but I need them to teach me what needs to get done. If I were to push them out-of-the-way and look down my nose at them, a gallbladder would take us four hours instead of an hour. I know I need their help. That doesn’t mean I give up my role, or I’m not confident. It just means in this setting, they know the case better than I do.
Which of these categories do you fall into? Are you a know it all who can’t be taught? Are you too shy and afraid to make a mistake so you never raise your hand, or like most of us, do you move between all three depending on the setting? I’m working toward being right in the middle a greater percentage of the time.
My monthly print newsletter, Physician Assistant Exam Scholars, is designed to teach you to be comfortable in your own skin. To help you be confident and humble at the same time. It is designed to teach you the skills and tactics you can use in multiple settings to help you get to where you want to go.
Check it out here.
Physician Assistant Exam Scholars Newsletter
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