“No One Listens Anyway”: The Silent Struggle Nurses Face
Aug 17, 2025
I used to believe no one wanted to hear what I had to say. My insights, my needs, my concerns—I convinced myself they didn’t matter. So, I stayed quiet while others spoke up and received the recognition and respect they deserved.
Many nurses today find themselves in that same place. They’re not speaking up, not because they don’t care, but because they’ve come to believe their voice doesn’t make a difference. And that belief is disheartening.
When you feel like no one is listening, it can chip away at your spirit. It leads to low morale, disengagement, and what we call Level 1 energy—the energy of the victim. At this level, you feel powerless. You withdraw. You think, “What’s the point? Nothing will change.”
And when you’re stuck there long enough, it truly can feel like a beat-down.
But here’s the truth: waiting for someone else to fix it rarely works. The shift begins with you.
Moving From Apathy to Action
If you are sick and tired of feeling like a victim, or perhaps you're at level 2 (anger), the first step is Level 3 energy—and while it can feel uncomfortable, it’s also empowering. At Level 3, you start recognizing that you do have a say in how you think and feel. You start seeing choices where before you only saw walls.
Here are three simple steps to begin shifting your energy:
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Ask yourself: What do I want?
This question often feels foreign because nurses are trained to prioritize others. But until you define what you want, you’ll always feel like a passenger in your own life. -
Ask: What can I do?
This shifts your perspective from helplessness to possibility. Instead of focusing on what you can’t change, you begin seeing what you can. -
Ask: What am I willing to take responsibility for?
This is where true empowerment starts. Responsibility doesn’t mean doing everything—it means owning your choices and taking aligned action for yourself.
These steps may feel awkward at first because they require a mindset shift. But with practice, they become the foundation for reclaiming your power as a nurse and as a leader.
The Invitation
If you’re ready to stop feeling invisible and start being heard, I invite you to join my free masterclass:
Nurses Leading Nurses: Reclaim Your Voice—How to Be Heard, Set Boundaries, Without Feeling Guilty.
In this class, I’ll guide you through the 7 Levels of Energy and show you how to shift your energy in real time—so you can move from silence and self-doubt to confidence and clarity.
Your voice matters. And it’s time you believed it, too.
