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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
Paula's Attitude Adjustment
Accept nothing less than a good day.
Y
ou know those books full of advice on positive thinking,
karma and the secret to getting what you want? Don't you
hate those? Me too. I read a couple of them earlier this
year, to get a good laugh and report back that the authors were
nutcases just trying to make a buck off the desperate. I mean,
nothing is going to control the crap that we so often have to deal
with in the OR, and as you know, this has made me very
cynical about the majority of everything over the years.
Then something interesting happened: The advice
worked.
A behavioral experiment
I wanted to know if I could control the kind of day I
was going to have. So I decided to arrive at work
with the attitude that I was going to have a good
day in spite of whatever the higher-ups threw at
me. And I can report that after 7 months I have
had more good days than bad. I've enjoyed
doing what I do more than I have over the past
30 years. Stressful situations seem more manage-
able and I feel better than I have in a long time. It's
bizarre, but it worked.
Do I still have difficult days? Yes, of course. Can I con-
trol my colleagues' behavior? Unfortunately, no. Am I still rolling my eyes,
shooting icy glances or spiking sarcastic remarks at those who deserve
it? Yes. I'm still Paula, not St. Pollyanna the Stepford Wife.
What I can tell you is that a change in attitude is a change for the
better. I go to work every day now thinking that it's going to be a good
B E H I N D C L O S E D D O O R S
Paula Watkins, RN, CNOR
