Are you a Dumpster Debbie?
Guest Article by Danielle Watson
Outside of the unofficial profession of Mother, I can’t think of any job that attracts more people who naturally care about others the way nursing does. Although all nurses share the common thread of being natural caregivers, beyond that they are as varied as the scrubs they wear…or are they?
I know there are male nurses out there, but I’m about to speak a language that will only be intelligible to the female nurses out there, so please excuse us gentlemen.
Ladies, no matter what brought you to the field of nursing or what your career plans are for the future, if you carry a handbag, you’ll want to read on.
Did you know that what you spend your energy trying to conceal from your family, your patients, and yourself, your handbag reveals?
Now before you ask yourself, “what kind of new age baloney is this?” Let me share with you that I trained as an anthropologist. I went to school to study why people believe they do what they do as well as how to extrapolate information from objects, the same way you went to school to study how to help people overcome the ailments that life throws at them and how to diagnose symptoms.
I’ve combined my training in archaeology and cultural anthropology with a little woman’s intuition to create a fun and informative process, called the Purse Process™, that will forever change the way you treat yourself and create a ripple effect throughout your life and your work. The Purse Process™ will help you take better care of yourself, your family, and your patients.
Really? Yes, really.
The contents of your bag is like a collection of buried treasures left behind by a lost civilization…just waiting to be discovered by someone who can interpret their meaning. My research has led me to develop several different archetypes or Pursonalities™that are represented by different handbags and their contents.
As a nurse, I’m betting that you have more than your fair share of the archetype I call “Dumpster Debbie” in you. Now before you get offended by being assigned to a group called Dumpster Debbie, give me a couple of sentences to explain. I promise I’m not calling you dumpy, or ugly, or bad in any way.
Each of my archetypes has both positive and negative aspects. Debbie is so named because her giving nature has caused her to become the “dumping ground” for other people’s issues. Now, there’s nothing wrong with listening to other people’s problems with compassion, but when people start to use you as an outlet for their pain and frustration, leaving your feeling beat down at the end of the day, it’s really tough to keep up the enthusiasm that attracted you to this profession in the first place.
Debbie’s superpower is that she can hold love and compassion for the lost, long after the rest of the world has given up. The way Debbie listens without judgement can be a healing balm to the soul of those who have given up hope for themselves or their belief in the goodness of the world.The challenge for Debbie is the difficult balancing act she must perform between compassionate witness to pain and punching bag.
Want a hint on how you can identify if you are a Dumpster Debbie? Debbie often carries around a handbag that she doesn’t really love but was gifted to her by someone she does.
Would you believe me if I told you I can tell if you are a Dumpster Debbie just by looking at your purse? Actually, it’s not just your handbag that will give you away. I can look at anything, from something as personal and intimate as your purse to something as seemingly impersonal as your scrubs or choice.
The aspects of your Pursonality™ that show up in your purse also show up in your work, in your relationships, and in your health. When you know your type it becomes easier to manage the pitfalls of and use the superpowers to give yourself, your family, and your patients the best possible care.
If you identify with Debbie, you’ll want to look at setting up some boundaries. One way to do this is to practice saying no while looking in the mirror. Ask yourself a question and then answer it by looking into your own eyes and saying no. Start with things that are easy to say no to and then work your way up to saying no to things that feel more difficult.
Don’t identify with Debbie? Maybe one of my other Pursonality™ Profiles would give your more insight into your natural gifts and challenges. Maybe knowing your type would help you to understand why you can’t always relate to other nurses? If you’d like to learn more about the Purse Process Profiles™, including Dumpster Debbie, opt-in here. Or, email me directly with your personal questions, Danielle.Watson@Outlook.com.
-Danielle A. Watson
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