You could feel the tension as staff flowed into the room. The nurse manager requested feedback on how to improve morale and the work environment in light of recent resignations and complaints. The nurse manager asked for candor from the staff on what might be improved or changed. There were a few constructive suggestions: "more frequent face-to-face communication" with the leadership; an online "Improvement" listserv where faculty and staff could post their ideas; and 2 focus groups, one of faculty and one of staff, to more specifically identify problems and possible interventions. Then Abbe, an 8-year veteran staff member unleashed in her usual fashion. She boldly announced her resignation and appointment to another institution that "offered considerably more compensation," and she stridently claimed that "the current leadership needed to be replaced" since "we are all overworked and underappreciated." No one spoke, including the manager, which seemed to fuel Abbe's tirade and accusations. I cautiously asked Abbe to be more specific about her complaints, which I enumerated. She shook her head and claimed that all "was futile, no need to be more specific, everyone knew what needed to be done." I leaned over to a colleague and discreetly asked, "Is she always like this or is this something new?" My colleague explained that Abbe was "just being authentic." Can a bully be authentic?
What is authenticity? Brown1 asserts that we chose to be authentic by consciously practicing 3 behaviors: courage, which includes emotional honesty and self-permission to be vulnerable; compassion through which we express both strength and struggle; and connection, which promotes a sense of belonging with others and relinquishes pretensions as we discover who we are.
Did Abbe meet the criteria for "authenticity? Did she exhibit courage? Some would conclude "yes" since she laid bare her viewpoint to the group. However, she had already resigned and would be gone before any problem resolution might occur. She had not made her viewpoint public until this meeting. Thus, the timing of the tirade diminished the level of courage. It is easy to critique with one foot out the door. There was no compassion in Abbe's remarks-none for her colleagues, the organization or herself. She did not describe her personal struggles to mediate the negative work environment; instead she blamed others, accused and humiliated the leadership and demeaned herself through her negative message and tone. Finally, Abbe's words and attitude did not rally the group nor promote a sense of connection that might have led to problem-solving. Her words and actions had not demonstrated authenticity.
Brown asserts that "Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives."1 Authenticity is an important practice for those who profess the holistic care philosophy. It is a personal characteristic developed out of continuous self-examination and self-care.
-Gloria F. Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCPP
Editor-in-Chief
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