Dedication to my patients is helping me roll with the punches

Nurse Sarah Van Oosten loves her husband’s family dearly, and recently traveled to the Netherlands to share a relaxing vacation with them. But those best-laid plans almost went off the rails when she discovered a sore (curse those tight shoes) at the base of her big toe had become badly inflamed and swollen, and Sarah was forced to exercise her nursing instinct.

What would you do if you needed to take some time off work due to a mental illness? Would you be honest with your employer and co-workers, knowing you may be perceived differently? Would you lie, saying you were in a car accident or had a physical illness, and take the chance that you may be found out? Stigma is alive and well in the world of mental illness, though you may be surprised about what happens when you simply tell the truth.

The use of self-disclosure in the nurse-client relationship is widely accepted if done in an appropriate and professional manner. Personally, I feel it helps build rapport and can help the client feel understood, allowing him or her to open up more fully.