In at the Deep End with :)PP... overcoming the fear of Public Speaking...sort of...

I was recently asked to speak to a group of 3rd year undergraduate nurses at UWS, Bankstown Campus. The purpose was to highlight alternative career pathway options to careers in acute settings- the focus was aged care. For anyone who knows me would be surprised...No indeed- shocked that I agreed!
Then comes the anxiety...me- the only CNE in SSWAHS, probably NSW- the planet?? ...who has managed to avoid almost any kind of public speaking in the past 4 years (in this role) and over 20years as a nurse! And NO....toastmasters although they have some really good tutorials and tips for novice speakers did not help me overcome that fear!

UPSIDE: I suppose the positive side of my rampant cowardice is it has allowed me to develop (out of necessity) a very resourceful element to my personality. It has also given me a great deal of empathy and sensitivity for the plight of other speakers, teachers and neophytes.

As Mark Twain is quoted.. Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to act in the face of it ....(or something like that).

So why now after 20years of relative silence (anyone who knows me should be rolling on the floor laughing now)...OK! You can stop now! I did say RELATIVE silence!
The reason was because it was literally now or never! The anxiety it evoked in me was intense and made me respond quickly to this email request and quickly press 'send'... in the knowledge tha once agreed...I was committed.

These soon-to-be-new-graduates and I were making history. 20 years ago 1989 I graduated from the same university...(the second group though the college system now the class of 2009 were graduates- the last to graduate from Bankstown Campus.

I attempted to attach a video that captures the moments/s, but will try to upload it later (...oops forgot....minus the copyrighted music... aha maybe that's why)...

Anyway in a nutshell...
Tentative start- checking out the environment (above) ...anxiety building up...(but I only choked 3 times according to the neice)- On reflection- those were the times when I got focussed on the technology- (will I never learn!?) and when they were talking- (Vicki reassured me they were probably engaging in something I had discussed...and not laughing at me as I suspected- lucky for them the lights were dimmed and I couldn't see who it was...).

In the end I enjoying it so much I was nagging them in the end...."move over the other side of the room... com'on move over there! You are making history!...congratulations class of 89...oops..

er...sorry....I meant class of 2009".. (no I didn't...It's all about me!)click... click...

They eventually get into the swing of it and recognise the significance...members of the audience start bringing their cameras down to me at the lectern...I continue taking photos...with their cameras then mine....then time for questions and the Oscar awards- more photos! These are some of the students who made enquiries about the new graduate program in community health....clearly a discerning bunch and deserving of an Oscar for best nurse!

I loooved it!!!! I'm now available for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs....Egads! They've created a monster!!
Cognitive dissonance...embarrassment vs elation (if I didn't love it so much I'd be completly mortified!).

Next Post: The Launch