From dispensing medication, educating families, sitting and listening to concerns, making recommendations, nurses are always on the go. They are constantly assessing and predicting what others need before they know they need it. I always knew nurses were hard-working and essential but I did not truly appreciate the amount of work they do and the quality with which they care for their patients until I started studying to one day become a nurse. As a student, I aspire to find my voice and embody the essence of motherness to shape my journey and care for future patients.
What Motherness Means to Me
Motherness, to me, is not only caring for others but understanding when to step back and engage in introspection to develop healthy habits and healthy relationships. As a nursing student, I hope to use this concept to empathise and continue to acknowledge sensitive topics. Many individuals are at their most vulnerable moments when seeking healthcare and it can be very unpredictable causing anxiety and heightened emotions. It is important to remain professional and try to view the situation from different perspectives to set an example and de-escalate conflicts.
Grounded in Motherness
During this expedition, I was challenged to tie key factors in my life back to the 7 main parts of the essence. Initially, I looked at each distinguished aspect of my life like school, work, and friends as separate parts that came together to form balance. However, the exercise we completed and discussed as a group allowed me to realize that they are all grounded in motherness which composed a significant portion of my essence. My degree is ultimately leading me to a profession that is caring for others as discussed previously, however, my current job in education also touches on this nurturing aspect. Through my work, I strive to enhance children’s development at a critical time in their lives where they are learning and exploring the world, testing boundaries to establish opinions and beliefs for themselves. In the social aspect of my life, I have discovered that I should also be looking towards caring for myself and building essential relationships that will support the challenges I will face in the future, further emphasizing the motherness role in my life.
Knowing When to Step Back
Leading well is also acknowledging when it is time to step back and focus on self-care. Nurses have high rates of burnout and stress due to the nature of the job. As a student, there are many times I have felt overwhelmed and exhausted but continued to take on more responsibilities without delegating roles to those who I was leading. I have come to realize that delegation not only alleviates the pressure of deadlines but opens new perspectives which are essential to creating treatment plans with interdisciplinary support.
More than ‘Just a Nurse’
The final piece I want to reflect on in my leadership is the importance of recognizing accomplishments whether that be for others or for yourself. One of the most impactful moments in my education was during one of my first classes in my degree when one of my instructors who is an RN, mentioned that “many times we refer to ourselves as ‘just a nurse’” (Ruksys, P., Personal Communication, 2025). She emphasized that we downplay our role in the healthcare team despite the abundance of knowledge, practice, and skill we develop. In developing how I lead, I have learned that there is a delicate balance where confidence can build strength and also be a barrier to acquiring new knowledge.
Stepping Into a New Chapter
As I have developed my sense of leadership stepping into a new time in my life completing my first year of my nursing degree, I have had many doubts about my ability to provide direction and certainty to those I supervise. However, each experience has solidified confidence while simultaneously creating new challenges that have me adapting my current leadership strategies. I have drastically broadened my portfolio by proposing and creating new initiatives at my university with a goal to expand beyond the education setting to make a real community impact. In my childhood community, I have taken on a supervisor role in child education which will strengthen my understanding of pediatric development and behaviours. At my school, I have joined a committee that is run by faculty at the School of Nursing in order to observe those leading nursing research and work alongside them to propose and implement a variety of new ideas to accomplish goals in the department. This expedition has already allowed me to take a new perspective into prioritizing myself while taking on these opportunities to lead.
About The Author:
Kyleigh is a Canadian nursing student who also spends time working with children in education. Her creativity has led her to begin a few initiatives at her university that combines her passions and innovative ideas. In her free time she is constantly reading, travelling, or trying new foods. Her experience in leading large groups of volunteers and staff is why she joined this initiative to further develop her own leadership style. She is Currently an Explorer on the Women in Higher Education Expedition.
