Most of us spend the majority of our awake-and-alert time at work. The way a person feels about her or his work also affects perceived quality of life. "Positive psychology," a branch of psychology that studies the emotions and traits that allow people to thrive, has found that when people are happy at work, the organization benefits. Happy employees are productive and creative, make good decisions, and work well with others. They are healthier than unhappy employees and less likely to miss work. Patient care outcomes improve in a variety of ways.1
But what leads to happiness at work? How do you know if you're in the right position? The first step is to think about your own circumstances and to be that honest with yourself. Sometimes we deny our circumstances, because if we admit "This is a toxic work environment" or "I am bored to tears with the repetitive nature of the work I've been doing for 20 years," it might mean "I need to make a change." Even though it's a fact of life, change is difficult.
KEY QUESTIONS
Four questions based on positive psychology can guide your thinking on this issue.
Does my work use my strengths and talents? People are happiest when they use their strengths in the important areas-personal, work, community, and spiritual aspects-of their lives.2
Sometimes unhappiness at work comes from a poor fit: a person's job does not reflect her or his nature. A couple of years ago I saw this strikingly illustrated. I was speaking with employees in a behavioral-health facility that employed therapy dogs. One dog handler told me about Mattie, a border collie that was brought into an eating disorder group session. As a border collie, she instinctively kept trying to herd the patients and move them in a specific direction. Her anxiety-and the patients'-escalated when she was unsuccessful at "working" them. She just couldn't comfortably relate to this group. But when another therapy dog, a golden retriever named Bojangles, came into the same group, everything changed. He approached each person and sat, waiting patiently to be petted and scratched. His loving nature was perfect for the group. Mattie is an effective therapy dog, but she needs work that fits her nature and personality.
How does the story of Mattie and Bojangles relate to us? Almost every nurse has known a "problem" employee who was transferred to another unit instead of matched to a job that fit her or his talents and temperament. For example, if interpersonal communication is one of your strengths, you might excel at a job requiring a lot contact with people, but be less happy, and less effective, as an operating room nurse. Matched to the right job, a problem employee can become a top performer.
What are your strengths? Once you know, you can ask yourself the following:
* Do my strengths fit my work?
* How do I use these strengths in my work?
* How can I use these strengths in new and different ways?
One source to consult is the Web site Authentic Happiness (http://www.authentichappiness.com). The site allows you to complete questionnaires online and free of charge, though you do have to register. The questionnaires can give you remarkable insight into yourself.
To what degree am I engaged in and by my work? One factor related to happiness in our work is the degree to which we immerse ourselves in it- suddenly it's the end of the shift and we wonder where the hours went. Csikszentmihalyi has studied this concept and termed it "flow."3 In most instances the times when we experience flow tend to be shorter in duration; it is difficult to sustain over long periods.
Flow occurs when we are challenged to use our skills in a demanding way that pulls the best from us. It occurs only when we are facing a highly challenging situation that requires the best we have to offer. Achieving flow may be more difficult as we become more skilled and experienced. When a task is no longer as demanding, boredom may replace challenge.
Many factors disrupt a sense of flow in a workplace. Interruptions, such as e-mail and noise, and multitasking destroy flow because it breaks the focus of the one activity. In a recent study of clinical nurses, it was found that in one hour, a nurse worked in eight locations, changed locations 22 times, and talked to 15 people about 22 subjects; only one-third of the time was spent caring for patients.4 Since this type of work environment is common in nursing, it's a challenge for nurses to find flow, but not impossible. Some strategies focus on reducing interruptions and noise levels and increasing contact time with patients, but these changes require the participation of both staff and managers.
Does my work have meaning? Meaningful work can be described as that which makes a favorable difference to others and contributes in a favorable way to our world. Although nursing inherently has this quality, there may be other issues. In every job there are requirements that may take a great deal of time, energy, and focus and yet feel meaningless. Excessive paperwork, duplicative efforts, or extensive processes to meet regulatory demands are a few examples. These activities can cause staff members to feel pressured and frustrated because they distract from the primary duties.
Ask yourself if such tasks have begun to outweigh the meaningful ones in your work. As Thompson and colleagues found of a nurse in their study, do you spend "more time nursing the system than nursing patients"?4 If the answer is yes, it may be time to look for another opportunity. Although some of these distractions are present in any work setting, it is disheartening to continue to work if we no longer believe it is meaningful. The Approaches to Happiness questionnaire (see http://www.authentichappiness.com) can assess your levels of engagement, meaning, and pleasure.
Do I find pleasure and joy in my work? Many philosophers and scholars have believed that work is inherently joyful, according to my own research for a doctoral dissertation in 2002. How often do you experience joy through your work? Even work that is difficult or painful can bring joy. Do you enjoy what you do? Do you work with people whom you trust and respect? Are you recognized and valued for your work?
Pleasure is often described as more fleeting and superficial than joy. But finding pleasure in one's work is also important. Is the environment pleasant, organized, and clean? Do you have the equipment and resources to do a good job? Do you have fun with colleagues at work? Consider leaving an environment that is abusive or spiritually demoralizing.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Once you have examined these questions you may decide that you are exactly where you need to be. If, however, you decide that it is time for a change, the next question is, "Where do I go from here?"
If you have worked mostly in hospitals, consider another practice setting. Does anything else pique your interest? If so, try it. If you have worked as a clinical nurse for many years, for example, try being an educator or manager. Talk with others in comparable positions to learn what might be needed to move into these jobs. Maybe it's time to go back to school for another degree or certificate. If you're open to relocating, consider travel nursing. There are many possibilities, and if your next move isn't all you hoped for, stay long enough to develop skills and gain experience. Then move on.
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