Being vulnerable can be scary or uncomfortable for many of us. However, stepping outside our comfort zone can lead to remarkable things. Dr. Brené Brown got the world talking about shame and vulnerability after her TEDxHouston Talk that took the world by storm in 2010. (Brown 2010) Since then, Dr. Brown has become a New York Times best-selling author and has changed the mindset of so many. How does her research impact what we do as pharmacy educators?
Vulnerability is defined as “open to attack or damage; capable of being physically or emotionally wounded”. (Merrian-Webster 2023) Students in the classroom must confront vulnerability when deciding to participate or raise their hand in class. (Bloom 2020) Learners on experiential rotations may grapple with telling someone that they do not know the answer to a question posed or are uncertain how to proceed with patient interaction. Without vulnerability, we can lead our learners to strive for perfectionism which can be detrimental. (Formica 2014, Schawbel 2022, Tippet 2023)
As pharmacists, we constantly grow and learn from our experiences and mistakes. This is because learning comes with practice. Discussing your errors and stumbling blocks, and how you evolved as a pharmacist based on these can set the stage for our learners to be more willing to speak up. (Cable 2022) Students are more trusting of and are more likely to have personal growth when learning from educators that show vulnerability. Trust is integral to learning and the feedback process. (Syrdal 2021)
On top of this, being vulnerable has been shown to allow us to build better relationships, have less conflict, and so on. We do not need to go from 0 to 60 with being vulnerable. Baby steps are just fine! Consider sharing, at the start of the semester, during a lecture, or at the start of a rotation, a mistake or “near miss” you made. We all have them and despite how hard it may seem to share this can be a tremendous opportunity to build relationships with learners. Another example is admitting when you do not know something off the top of your head or need to look further into a topic before providing an answer.
By being vulnerable (with boundaries, of course), we show our learners that we are invested in their learning. It teaches learners that it is OK and common to ask for help and that we cannot do it all on our own. Courage is born out of vulnerability. (Tippet 2023) Imagine if we all had a little more courage to stand up for the person facing injustices, or speaking when disparate care is provided. Creating a learning environment where vulnerability exists provides a foundation for our learners to be as courageous as possible.
If you have not read or watched anything by Dr. Brené Brown, I hope you are inclined to do so after reading this post. She has been transformative for me and several co-workers and friends in our personal and professional lives. Pharmacy colleagues and I have incorporated much of what she has learned through her research into the classroom and experiential learning (students and residents). Some of her work is incorporated into one of our P1 courses. One of my colleagues offers to buy a copy of one of her books for anyone in our P4 class who requests one.
My recommendations on where to get started with Brene Brown:
1. Take the Daring Leadership Assessment to find out how you rumble with Rumbling with “Vulnerability, Living into our Values, Braving Trust, and Learning to Rise”.
Available at: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/assessment/
2. Brown B. The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown | TEDxHouston. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0. Published October 6, 2010. Accessed April 30, 2023.
3. Brown B. Courage over comfort: Rumbling with shame, accountability, and failure at work. Brené Brown. https://brenebrown.com/articles/2018/03/13/courage-comfort-rumbling-shame-accountability-failure-work/. Published March 1, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2023.
4. Brown B. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. New York, US, NY: Baker & Taylor; 2012.
Reference
- Bloom TJ. The importance of vulnerability in pharmacy educators. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 2020;84(7). doi:10.5688/ajpe7939
- Brown B. The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown | TEDxHouston. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0. Published October 6, 2010. Accessed April 30, 2023.
- Brown B. Courage over comfort: Rumbling with shame, accountability, and failure at work. Brené Brown. https://brenebrown.com/articles/2018/03/13/courage-comfort-rumbling-shame-accountability-failure-work/. Published March 1, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2023.
- Cable D. How to build confidence about showing vulnerability. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/07/how-to-build-confidence-about-showing-vulnerability. Published July 14, 2022. Accessed April 30, 2023.
- Formica MJ. The perils of perfectionism. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/enlightened-living/201404/the-perils-perfectionism. Published April 23, 2014. Accessed April 30, 2023.
- Merrian-Webster. Vulnerable definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulnerable. Published April 23, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2023.
- Molloy E, Bearman M. Embracing the tension between vulnerability and credibility: ‘intellectual candour’ in Health Professions Education. Medical Education. 2018;53(1):32-41. doi:10.1111/medu.13649.
- Schawbel D, Brown B. Brene Brown: How vulnerability can make our lives better. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/04/21/brene-brown-how-vulnerability-can-make-our-lives-better/?sh=7c9e3e8536c7. Published October 12, 2022. Accessed April 30, 2023.
- Syrdal HA, Vander Schee BA, VanMeter RA, Woodroof PJ. The pedagogy of vulnerability and marketing education: Cultivating Self-expansion in a time of separation. Journal of Marketing Education. 2021;45(1):91-100. doi:10.1177/02734753211041743.
- Tippett K, Brown B. Brené Brown - the courage to be vulnerable. The On Being Project. https://onbeing.org/programs/brene-brown-the-courage-to-be-vulnerable-jan2015/. Published July 6, 2020. Accessed April 30, 2023.