Building Creative Confidence During Clinicals By Jessica Mukavetz
I am a second-career nursing student , back in school after 10 years in the workforce . In my former career , I led a team of five members in their daily tasks , provided feedback in one-on-one meetings , and held team meetings to discuss long-term projects . These managerial efforts mattered little without committed colleagues and a functional team . When I started my role as Team Lead in 2017 , there were six of us who performed the same job in the same department , but we weren ’ t a team . We didn ’ t work together on goals or share a vision of our roles , responsibilities , and job duties . Before we could start working together as a team , we needed to trust each other and trust ourselves . To build trust across the team , my manager introduced us to a concept called creative confidence .
What Is Creative Confidence ? Coined by brothers Tom Kelley and David Kelley in their book of the same name , Creative Confidence : Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All ( 2013 ), creative confidence is the belief that we can create change in the world around us .
“ At its core , creative confidence is about believing in your ability to create change in the world around you . It is the conviction that you can achieve what you set out to do . We think this self-assurance , this belief in your creative capacity , lies at the heart of innovation . Creative confidence is like a muscle ― it can be strengthened and nurtured through effort and experience .” ( p . 17 )
Author and manager Julie Zhuo is one of my favorite writers on leadership . She clearly explained the facets of creative confidence on her blog , The Year of the Looking Glass . Zhuo ( 2016 ) wrote about the qualities that a person with creative confidence will possess :
● They will remain stable despite the shifting winds of momentum . They remain calm under pressure and stress . They recompose themselves after a distraction and concentrate on their priorities .
● They take a rigorous approach to their work . They brainstorm all possible options . They put careful thought into their work and prepare for multiple outcomes .
● They are crystal-clear on what they are trying to accomplish . They focus on the task at hand . They explain the goal or outcome of their task , including what they are doing , how , and why .
● They admit when they don ’ t yet have the answer , but they can describe a clear plan to get to the answer . They know it ’ s okay to say , “ I don ’ t know .” They cultivate connections and resources around them so that they can quickly find the answer .
I appreciate that Zhuo takes a big , abstract concept and breaks it down into skills that you can learn and practice . As a nursing student , you can apply these skills in the clinical setting .
How Does Creative Confidence Apply to Nursing ? Prior to learning about this concept , I didn ’ t consider myself a creative adult because I associated creativity with art . I was artistically creative as a kid . I played with crafts at home and entered art contests at school , but those artistic hobbies fell to the wayside once I started college and my first full-time job . A few years into my career , I missed being creative and thinking of myself as a creative person .
Nursing is known for evidence-based practice that follows the scientific method . As students , we study medical terminology , pathophysiology , pharmacology , and other science-based subjects . We learn sterile technique , Florence Nightingale ’ s environmental theory , and process-based clinical skills , such as IV catheter insertion , wound care , and infection prevention . That may not seem creative ; however , we apply these tested and proven practices to our patients who are diverse individuals with cultural backgrounds and life experiences that are not tested or proven . Human connection , communication , and trust don ’ t follow the scientific method . They require creativity .
How Do I Learn Creative Confidence ? The Kelleys ’ concept made me realize that I was creative in my life and my job , even if I wasn ’ t holding a paintbrush . My manager hosted a series of creative confidence workshops with my team . We borrowed creativity-building activities from David Kelley ’ s IDEO U ( 2018 ), an online school for professional growth and development , such as the Really Bad Ideas Brainstorm that suggests the following :
1 . Pick a challenge ( e . g ., hosting a holiday party ). 2 . Get the group started by throwing out ridiculous ideas . 3 . Build on the ideas of others ( e . g ., “ To build on Jessie ’ s idea ,
I thought of ...”). 4 . Reflect as a group : How did it feel ? How did the energy on your team shift during the activity ?
The IDEO U workbook affirms that laughter is the best medicine , and the Really Bad Ideas Brainstorm “ can loosen up the room and invite people to feel safe and step outside of their comfort zones ” ( p . 2 ). As a result , you build trust in your own ideas and the ideas of others .
In the Foundation of Holistic Nursing Practice , a course at Ursuline College , our class did a similar creativity-building activity called , “ The Art of Careful Assessment .” In a presentation ( 2022 ), Bachelor of Art graduate Paige Fellows encouraged us to see the world through new eyes by observing artwork :
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