Proposed strategies to enhance the self-esteem of the student nurses

The proposed strategies to enhance the self-esteem of the student nurses

aims to guide and offer tips and knowledge on how to boost their self-esteem in

order to acquire a positive impact on their performance either academic

activities or RLE activities. It further helps them to achieve optimal knowledge

and deal with the factors that affects their self-esteem thus affecting their

performance at school with the use of the strategies proposed by the

researchers.

STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE STUDENT

NURSES

Self-esteem plays a big role in every student’s when it comes to their

performance either academic activities or extracurricular events. Self-esteem

has an impact on the development of every student in a way that they can

carry when they finish schooling and proceed to their career professions. That’s

why it is important for self-esteem of students to be assessed to determine how

can it be improved so these students can achieve an optimal learning thus

improving their performance level at school.

Self-esteem is related to academic performance in such a way that it is

linked with school success or failure. In an attempt to categorize self-esteem, it

has been classified as high and low self-esteem. Children with good school

performance have high self-esteem, trust their abilities, are self-effective, and

feel valuable. In some studies, poor school performance has been associated
with feelings of ineffectiveness, lack of expectations, and also with feelings of

failure and frustration. In line with this, the school context is a significant

variable for students’ self-esteem (Duraku et. Al, 2018).

On the other hand, self-esteem is someone’s perception of him/herself

and of how he/she is valued to achieve the proposed goals. Both motivation

and self-esteem are considered important in the teaching–learning process, and

they also improve academic performance by being influenced by the

environment or context in which they interact (Usan, et. Al, 2019).

Most of us knows the importance of self-esteem in a way that it affects

our personality, performance, and behavior at school. That’s why the

researchers included to their subproblems the possible strategies which can

help the student nurses enhance and practice to improve their self-esteem in

order to for them to achieve academic or other school related activities

successfully.

Below includes the proposed strategies in terms of the following area:

Academic and RLE. The proposed strategies are different in both variables as

the activities are different. It also includes guidelines, tips, and objectives.

Academic area

Academic area is a term used from the study which is defined as one of

the variables where it is one of the areas that self-esteem affects. The student’s

self-esteem towards their academic activities that includes examinations,

lectures, recitation, homework. Its all included on the academic area. The
researchers studied what is the impact of self-esteem on the performance of the

student nurses in this area.

Academic area usually refers to school settings as used in this study.

Specifically, it revolves around the school, teachers, and students of the

nursing departments from University of Luzon Dagupan city. In this area, the

researchers tried to determine what’s the impact of self-esteem and what are

the factors met by the student nurses that affect their performance in the

school. Below includes the proposed strategies specifically made for the

academic area which will help these student nurses where they can use these

tips and guides to enhance their self-esteem to achieve better and optimal

performance.

Strategy Guidelines

 The student nurses will learn from their mistakes. They should

understand that failure is not a definition of defeat. Failure is a process

to improve oneself in order to become successful. If they failed an exam,

quizzes, failed to participate or recite in the lecture, they should

remember that these failures indicates that they still have more room to

grow.

 The student nurses utilize the skills and abilities they’re good at and use

it to improve their performance. In this way, it will help the student

nurses be more comfortable which boost their self-esteem and improve

their performance. Like for example, reviewing for an upcoming exam. If

to study early in the morning to easily understand and analyze their

lessons.

 Be a positive thinker. The student nurses can be more efficient in this

area if they can practice to be a positive thinker or having a positive

attitude. It will help them to be more calm and able to adapt in a

situation like an upcoming exam, strict teacher, and fears. The thing is,

nursing course is not easy, life is our work, it is a delicate course. Being

able to practice a positive mindset will promote a good decision making

attitude, being calmer even in times of problems that are school related

and accepting criticism to help self improve.

 Always think that you are unique. This mindset alone will give you a

boost on your self-esteem because you know in yourself that you are

built different.

 Believe in yourself. As a student, be aware that failure will reach

everyone. But that does not mean you cannot do it. If you’re not

experiencing failure that means you’re still halfway to success. So, no

matter what happens believe in yourself. Believe that you can do

anything if you work harder than before.

Enhancing self-esteem tips

 Always remember, nobody is perfect.

 Be nice to yourself
  Focus on what you can change

 Do what make you happy without hurting other people

 Improve your self physically, emotionally, and mentally

 Take a break if things get rough, but don’t give up

 Be contented on every outcome and strive more to achieve the expected

outcome.

 Avoid comparing self to others

 Spend your time to those people who appreciates you

 Be happy.

Objectives

 To provide knowledge for the student nurses emphasizing the importance

of the self-esteem in their study specifically in academic area. Promoting

additional knowledge to deal with the problems they are dealing with in

relation to self-esteem.

 To promote positive attitude towards self. Improve and acquire various

positive behavioral mindset with the help of the tips and guidelines that

enhance self-esteem.

 To provide tips and guidelines which serves as a guide for the student

nurses to help them improve and enhance their self-esteem which can

promote a positive outcome of their performance on the academic area.

 To acquire and learn tips on how to deal with the factors that are mostly

met by the student nurses. Being familiar with the common factors on
 self-esteem that affects their performance in the academic area will help

the student nurses to adapt and develop coping skills that will not only

be used during their schooling but also in their future careers.

RLE area

Related learning experiences (RLE) is defined in this study as the area

where the student nurses perform various skills learned from the academic

area. It is the area where the student nurses participate in a reality situation in

an actual practice like hospital or community settings. RLE is where they can

assess if the student nurses can apply the skills they are learning from the

lectures, discussion, books, activities from the academic area. It involves a

glimpse of working as an actual nurse with real patients, real doctors, and

other personnel. RLE is part of the curriculum of the College of Nursing at

University of Luzon in Dagupan city.

RLE activities involves real time talking to an actual patient, providing

intervention and assessing a patient with a real condition, communicating with

other nurses from the station and physicians. Performing duties of an actual

nurse with the supervision of their clinical instructor. All the activities from the

RLE programs are like a practice for the student nurses so they will be

prepared for their future profession.

Clinical learning experience is indeed a hard experience for the nursing

students who need to perform their duties and responsibilities diligently and
competently in order to render quality service among the nursing students

(Candelasa, 2016).

With the mentioned activities that are done during the RLE. Self-esteem

is very crucial and plays a major role on how the student nurses operate in the

hospital or community area. Their skills like communicating to their clients or

to their fellow nurses, working as a professional, the exposure they are

experiencing despite being a student and placed on a professional work. All

these things, self-esteem really matters, it shows how the student nurses

persevere during failures, communicating to people they are not familiar with.

These things have a big impact on their selves physically, mentally, and

emotionally. Thus, if they have a poor self-esteem it may result to poor

performance outcomes specifically on the RLE area.

Strategy Guidelines

 The student nurses will learn how to communicate with their client

therapeutically and without any nervousness. As one of the major

problems met during RLE activities where the student nurses hesitate to

talk on clients who are also a professional especially if these clients are

also in the medical field. The student nurses will apply their learned

skills and principles during lectures to provide a better outcome of

providing care for their clients.

 The student nurses will work or improve their weaknesses on the RLE

area. Some student nurse’s problems during RLE sessions are being shy
 to communicate to their clients, fear of being in front of the Doctors and

nurses, scared to perform various skills and methods in front of their

clinical instructors or their clients. If this is the case, the student nurses

should strive more to improve and learn something out of their

weaknesses. If they are scared on the doctors, they should study before

their RLE session so they are prepared when they come to the hospitals.

If they are scared to performed skills and methods in front of their CI or

clients, they should practice their skills until they can do it well so they

can perform that specific skill comfortably.

 The student nurses will learn to coordinate and communicate with their

fellow classmates as future nurses it is very important to have a good

communication to your fellow workmates as they are a team in providing

care services for their client. One of the problems for the student nurses

in the RLE settings is when they are grouped with their classmates or

other student nurses, there is lacking of communication as they don’t

know each other well so they withdraw to coordinate and talk to there

classmate. The student nurses should learn how to coordinate with their

classmate to improve their socialization which is helpful when they are

already nurses as they will meet different people in the clinical setting.

 The student nurses must learn to focus on contributing for their

development not comparing themselves to other students. It’s not about

being super nurse or being better than the other nurses. Performance is

not relative to others it is relevant to you. How can you improve for
 yourself and for your clients? There will always be someone better than

you, faster than you, more knowledgeable than you, prettier than you.

Playing the one-up-manship game or treating work like a competition is a

slippery slope that doesn’t end well at the bottom. Be confident that

every day you perform to the best of your ability for that day.

Enhancing self-esteem tips

 Master effective communication.

 Speak clearly but not condescendingly

 Listen. Listen. Listen

 Be aware of non-verbal cues (on your part, and the person

you are speaking with)

 Acknowledge the person you are speaking with (this includes

acknowledging their feelings)

 Learn communication skills such as paraphrasing and

clarifying

 Ask questions & do not be afraid to admit when you do not

know something. You can always offer to find out.

 Work on your weakness.

 Acknowledge your strengths.

 Be prepared and be confident all the time.

 Push yourself to do something new/challenging.