#70 – Thrive in Training – Growth Mindset with Jenny Finnell, MSN, CRNA

Jenny Finnell, MSN, CRNA, the creator behind the CRNA School Prep Academy joins us today to talk about growth mindset.

Learning to develop a growth mindset is key to pushing beyond where you’re at currently to where you want to go.

Carol Dweck is a psychologist and the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research found that people generally work from two mindsets: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Dweck argues that intelligence is not fixed trait but something that can be developed and expanded with the right kind of training, effort and encouragement. Your IQ and certainly your SAT/ACT/GRE scores and even GPA are not the final word on your capacity, intelligence or potential. They’re merely snapshots of your performance at particular points in time on particular assessments. The way you see intelligence, challenges, obstacles, the success of others, the value of effort and your potential all relate to which mindset you work from. Her book, Mindset: the new psychology of success, is a worthy read for any one looking to master their craft and/or help others along the way. Whether you’re on the path to becoming an expert clinician, want to train the next generation of providers or even parent more effectively, Dweck’s work will show you the path.

Two Mindsets Chart. (2016). GLT Carol Dweck: Two Mindsets Chart and Compelling Questions. Guidline Leaders and Teams. Retrieved from https://guidingleadersandteams.com/resources-glt/carol-dweck-two-mindsets-chart-and-compelling-questions-glt/. Screen shot by author.

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc.. Retreived from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/44330/mindset-by-carol-s-dweck-phd/9780345472328/.

Jenny Finnell, MSN, CRNA runs the CRNA School Prep Academy, which is a mentoring and professional coaching community designed for those who want to pursue a career as a CRNA. Her team offers a blog, podcast and public & private forums as well as individualized coaching for every phase of preparing for anesthesia training. She’s active on Facebook & Instagram if you want to see what the CRNA School Prep Academy is all about or you can certainly cruise over to her website at CRNAschoolprepacademy.com. We’ll talk a little bit more about what she’s been up to with her company at the end of this show but first…

I’m so glad Jenny joined me to talk about growth mindset. Learning to develop a growth mindset is key to pushing beyond where you’re at currently to where you want to go. Whether you’re an experienced anesthesia provider, a current anesthesia resident or someone who’s on the path towards anesthesia training, understanding how to embrace a growth mindset and move beyond the limitations and shackles of a fixed mindset will help you actually thrive on the journey. If you don’t just want to survive anesthesia training – or worse, not even make it, but you actually want to thrive, you need to understand how to develop a growth mindset.

Resources:

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc.. Retreived from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/44330/mindset-by-carol-s-dweck-phd/9780345472328/

Jenny Finnell’s podcast: Growth Mindset & Why This Single Thing Can Allow Your Journey To Be Easier