Nurse Blog

Giving Presentations

                                                               

Many courses and job interviews now often require nurses to give presentations to demonstrate research or knowledge of a specific subject. For many this is an ordeal to be endured rather than enjoyed. It is easy to get overanxious at the prospect of standing up to speak in front of an audience even if it is people you know.

However the biggest block to giving a successful presentation is attitude. If you think that you can’t, and that you never will be able to, then you won’t. Giving effective presentations is something that anyone can learn to do. You can learn by going on courses or reading books, but there is no substitute for getting out there and actually doing it. If you dislike speaking in public then try and take every opportunity to do it – by speaking up in meetings, giving presentations to colleagues etc. Be positive and accept setbacks as being part of the learning process.

Here are some guidelines to help your presentation go well: -

· Know how long you are expected to speak for. If it is a short presentation lasting only fifteen minutes then you are not going to have time to make more than two or three main points. Don’t make the mistake of anxiously preparing a lot more material. You will end up having to present it so fast that your audience won’t be able to keep up and will switch off.

· Make sure that your presentation has a definite structure or format.

· Keep it simple – begin with a brief summary of the topic and explain why it is of interest.

· If it is research that you have done yourself explain what you were trying to find out and why before explaining what you actually did and found.

· Use diagrams and examples to illustrate the main points that you are making.

· If using an overhead projector or flip chart just write out a set of headings and bullet points. Don’t make the mistake of trying to write out everything you are going to say. Use the bullet points as a prompt and talk your way through each of the different points.

· Speak clearly and try to make eye contact with one or two people in the audience.

·Use simple words and keep sentences brief.

· Avoid ums and errs and other verbal punctuation like ‘sort of,’ ‘like,’ ‘right,’ or ‘OK’ etc.

· If you are likely to be asked questions try to guess what you might be asked and prepare your answers in advance. If you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer then say so honestly. Offer to find out the information and ask the questioner for contact details.

Remember that all aspects of your appearance come under scrutiny during your presentation including posture, body language, and use of voice and facial expressions. Whatever you say and show it will be you, yourself who will remain as the focus of the audiences attention. Dress smartly, but in clothes that you are comfortable in.

Don’t try to pretend that you are someone you are not. If you are usually the quiet serious type don’t try to give a humorous presentation – you will probably come across as false and will not gain the trust of your audience. Try instead to project an image of calm and respect for others. However if you are naturally extrovert and outrageous you may be able to get away with using humour and shock tactics.

Prior to your presentation there is no substitute for rehearsal. You can practice in front of a mirror or perhaps a willing friend. You should run through your speech at least three times, making improvements as you go.

Try not to have sheets of paper from which you read out your whole speech – this can lead to a very uninspiring performance. If you need to support your talks with notes (you can’t manage just using the points on the transparencies as prompts) then use small cards which can be held unobtrusively.

The opening of your talk is important, not only because it is the first thing that you say, but also because it establishes your subject and your rapport with the audience. It will also help build your confidence so rehearse it a few extra times. The ending on the other hand, is the last impression that you make, so try and make it memorable. This is the time to remind them of what you meant them to hear in the middle.

            

Finally remember that the keywords for effective presentations are practise and preparation. To conquer the art of giving successful presentations you have to practise. Force yourself onto the platform to gain experience and confidence – but always, always make the time and effort for the preparation.

Once you have succeeded in giving effective presentations you will find that your views are more often heard and your opinion more often sought. This is simply because you are known as an effective communicator – and you never know – you may even enjoy it!

Recommended Reading:

Presentations for Dummies by Malcolm Kushner

High Impact Presentations by Lee Bowman

Three Ways to Make a Good Impression at Interview…

1. Be well prepared. Try and find out who everyone is on the panel and what their position is. If this information isn’t on the letter inviting you to interview, call to ask. A hospital’s website or a web search on names and functions might give you some information on their background.

Make sure that your knowledge of yourself is up to scratch too – are you really clear on what you do and don’t like and how and where you like to work? Each member of the panel will be interested in a different aspect of you – thorough self-knowledge will allow you to answer confidently and consistently.

2. Make an Entrance. First impressions count and the way you meet and greet the interview panel will influence the rest of the interview.  Your interview begins the moment you open the door. Take a deep breath and enter the room at a reasonable pace – don’t rush because it will make you look flustered. Likewise don’t walk too slowly because you will look like you lack enthusiasm. Look your interviewers in the eye and smile.

3. Stay Calm. It can be difficult to control your nerves in an interview situation, but if you give way to your fears you may find that your brain shuts down and you can’t give effective answers. Remember that you wouldn’t have got this far if you weren’t suitable for the position. In many nursing interviews one panel member will ask a block of questions from their area of interest and then the conversation will move on to the next panel member. Don’t rush into answers as this can be counter-productive. If you need to give yourself a bit of time after being asked a question paraphrase it aloud to ensure you understand it fully. The time you take to clarify and repeat a question can help you get your brain into gear. Don’t use this technique too many times though – you’ll be in danger of sounding like a parrot!

Seeking Security...

"The more you seek security, the less of it you will have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security."

                                                                                                            Brian Tracy

Redundancy Interviews

Many nurses faced with the prospect of redundancy are having to go through the ordeal of interviews to justify why they should keep their jobs. The 'redundancy interviews' are being held to decide which posts should remain and which should go.

The RCN are warning that the NHS cash crisis is showing no sign of slowing down and that there are as many as 18,000 nursing posts at risk across England.

In the redundancy interviews staff will be scored on different criteria including sickness absence, qualifications, performance, knowledge and skills, and willingness to adapt to change. I some cases the nurses line manager would be interviewed in order to help measure a person's worth.

The RCN is urging nurses to sign up to their Keep Nurses Working Keep Patients Safe’ campaign, which will result in a petitition being handed in at 10 Downing Street in the autumn. An interesting article on selection of staff for redundancy can be found here.

On the Write Lines...

Writing for publication is an excellent way for nurses to share information and good practice. It also looks good on your CV.

Seeing your name in print for the first time is an exhilarating experience. But many people do not have the confidence to believe that their work is good enough to be published. Too many people dream about it but never actually do anything about it.

If you would like to have work published consider what type of article you could submit. Would it be a clinical article or one that just gives your view on a particular subject? Study different magazines to see which ones publish the sort of article you can offer. Try and look at several recent magazines to give you an idea of the length and style of articles published – i.e. are some articles in a more academic style and others more light reading? Which style of writing are you most comfortable with? Would your article be more appropriate for a specialist publication or one that appeals to nurses in general such as Nursing Standard or Nursing Times?

Before starting your article ask for the journal’s ‘guide for contributors’ which will give guidelines on style, presentation and referencing for that particular journal. Next study some recent copies of the magazine and consider ways in which your article will be different from those already published. Will your article be adding new knowledge to a speciality or does it have an unusual perspective on an old subject?

Don’t make the mistake of submitting work completed as part of a study course - it is unlikely that it will be the right format or word length for the publication. It will also be obvious that it is an academic piece of work rather than a practice or patient orientated article.

Consider the word length of your article and try to keep within the limit given in your target publications guidelines. Clinical articles are generally at least 2500 words long and include descriptions of practice, original research or a debate. Opinion pieces and general articles will be much shorter.

The most important part of any article is its opening paragraph – especially the first sentence. If you can gain your reader’s interest at the start they will be left feeling that this topic is worth exploring. Always use plain English which is not only easier to read but also is far more likely to hold the reader’s interest. Clinical terminology is welcome, but avoid jargon, repetition and clichés.

Plan the structure of your article under broad section headings to start with; this will help you to establish a rough word length for each section of your article.  Then pace it so that the facts are spread through it evenly. Make sure that your material is presented in a logical order and discard anything that is not relevant.

Once you have planned and written your article revision is essential. The best plan is to put it aside for a few days and forget about it. When you go back to it you will look at it with a fresh outlook and you should revise it carefully, altering and cutting where necessary. Check for spelling mistakes, grammatical faults and lack of clarity. You know what you want to say but have you expressed it as clearly as possible? Ask yourself whether the work can be improved in any way and whether it meets your original objective. Revise until you are satisfied that it is written as well as you can do it.

Good presentation is essential and can make an editor look on your work more favourably. Use good quality paper and always type your work or get someone else to type it for you. Make sure that the text is well spaced and the pages numbered. Enclose an explanatory covering letter and attach a cover sheet to the article – it enhances the appearance and protects the first page. Always keep a copy of any work that you send out, either a hard copy or on disc. Email your article if this is acceptable to your target publication.

It is important for nurses to share information and good practice in order to improve patient care and for professional development. Writing articles for publication is a good way of achieving this. Apart from the sense of achievement that publication brings it also looks good on your CV.

Having work published shows that you are motivated and committed to your work as well as advancing your practice and your professional thinking. It may be quite a daunting task to start with but by following these basic guidelines and getting those first words down on paper everyone has a chance of seeing their work published. And once you have seen your work in print for the first time you will have the satisfaction and encouragement to continue - knowing that you are sharing your own good practice with the widest and most appropriate audience.

Be optimistic...

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.

Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

                                                                               Helen Keller

Polish up your maths...

As the competition for nursing jobs becomes tougher so do the tests to ascertain the best candidates for the jobs. Media coverage last week was critical after a third of nurses due to graduate from Canterbury Christ Church University next month failed a simple English and maths test introduced as part of a local trust's selection process. Read more about it in this Telegraph article.

Recommended reading:

Drug Calculations for Nurses: A Step-by-step Approach by Robert Lapham

Medications & Maths for Nurses  by Jane Rice

Improve Your Body Language...

Sit up straight now…

Being aware of your body language can be crucial – especially at interviews. What does your body language say about you? Well first impressions matter – research in the US suggests that you can tell in as little as 15 seconds how people will fare in an interview. Just like when you meet someone for the first time you probably judge them and form an impression pretty quickly – probably before you’ve even spoken to them – and so interviewers will do the same. Follow these tips to make the most of your body language at interview:

1. Making an entrance. Walk at a consistent medium pace. Don’t rush or change gear as this will give the impression that you lack confidence. Likewise don’t walk too slowly because this will convey that you have plenty of time and are not really interested in the job.

2. The Handshake. Try to match the pressure you receive and keep your hand vertical. Always avoid making too hard or too weak a grip. If you allow your palm to face down it is a sign of dominance and control, while an upward facing palm is a sign of weakness. Let them decide when the handshake ends.

3. Smile. When you smile at someone they will usually smile back so creating a positive effect for both of you. Studies have shown that smiling regularly results in encounters running more smoothly and producing more positive outcomes.

4. Seating arrangements. In many interview situations you will be sitting directly opposite the interviewer which keeps things very serious and formal. If you can, angle your chair, or even yourself, slightly.

5. Your arms. Don’t fold your arms because it gives a negative impression and suggests that you are putting up a barrier. Sit with your elbows on the arms of the chair or pointing outwards. Keeping them tight to your side shows that you are nervous.

6. Movement and gestures. Confident people adopt simple gestures. Making excessive or jerky hand movements suggests that you are nervous and lack confidence. Try and mirror the body language of the interviewer which will make them feel more in tune with you.

7. The exit. When it’s time to go pack up your things calmly, shake hands and thank them, then turn and walk out at a steady pace. People always watch you from behind as you leave so just adjust the back of your clothing as you are exiting. Just as you are about to leave the room, turn and smile.

Recommended Reading:

The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease.

Body Language: Make the Most of Your Professional and Personal Life by Learning to Read and Use the Body's Secret Signals by Susan Quilliam

Visible Thought: The New Psychology of Body Language by official Big Brother psychologist Geoffrey Beattie.