I am continuing a series for our newsletter to include a leadership topic along with passing along news in the nursing community. This series we are focusing on our Be-Attitudes, those attitudes we need to cultivate to win business and life. I wanted to focus on the positive in nursing and leadership. Subscribe to receive notification when our newsletter comes out. We publish twice a month.
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vigilance as “the quality and state of being wakeful and alert.” How does this apply to our career? I’m glad you asked. But first, I have a couple of questions. When was the last time you took a pulse check on your career? Are you where you want to be or have you become stagnant? As a business owner, are continuing to meet the needs of your customers or have they changed? Are you staying alert to the changing needs of your customers?
Regulations change. Prices on raw materials increase as inflation rises. What once made since, no longer is necessary. I was thinking about the Sears catalog. I remember every year in the fall, we would get in the mail this massive catalog with pictures of tools, clothes, and more importantly, toys. My sister and I would circle the items that we wanted for Christmas. I remember picking out the Barbie Dream House. Now, we pick out items online. We no longer wait for a paper book to come in the mail.
To stay ahead of the curve and to be ready when change comes to the marketplace, we must remain vigilant. Computers were once the size of rooms and now they fit into our pocket. Information is now a click away and we no longer rely on printed encyclopedias to learn about Tanzania. (This was something I looked up once in the encyclopedia as a child because the name was fun to say. Did you know Tanzania exports many crops such as cashews, rice, and bananas? Fun fact).
Martin Luther King, Jr has been quoted as saying, “Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.” How are you adjusting to innovative ideas in the marketplace? What is the next innovation on the horizon?
Have you heard of Anita Dorr? She was a registered nurse in the 1960s who noticed that it took nurses too long to gather equipment during a medical emergency. With her fellow nurses, she developed the prototype for the first crash cart. She was a pioneer. Although unable to patent her idea, she did go on to be one of the founder members of the Emergency Nurses Association. See more information here: https://www.rivier.edu/academics/blog-posts/5-medical-innovators-who-changed-nursing/
You can be the next nurse innovator. It takes staying vigilant.
Nursing News
Nursing is experiencing changes that have awakened a new sense of urgency among nursing professionals. Issues such as inadequate staffing, increased workplace, stagnant wages, and increased scrutiny into practice issues have transformed the perception of nursing in society. These changes in our profession have nurses asking the question, “Is there more? Can I do something else and still be a nurse?” The answer is yes. This may be a time of transition for you in your career. I have met nurses who had to leave the bedside due to chronic illness, life circumstances, or just needing a change of pace. Do you want to explore how you can use your nursing skills in a new way to create change in the world? Explore your options.
On another note, there has been talk in the nursing community about the “war on nursing”. Nurses are being criminally prosecuted for medical errors, perceived standard of care breeches, and more. We have moved beyond civil complaints to prosecutors charging nurses for things such as neglect during wound care, another patient attacked and killed a patient, not following the plan of care resulting in the choking death of a resident, and failure to document and provide care resulting in a resident’s injury. There are more stories like this in the media. Although the nurses in these cases may have some liability, it is often part of a larger picture, which is often tied to external factors such as patient to nurse ratios, lack of adequate supplies, or other factors. I have not done extensive research into these issues, which is for someone else to do. I can, however, shed light on a growing phenomenon that is causing nurses to take a pause and consider if this is worth it. I would say yes, but as a nurse, you need to remain vigilant. Know your nurse practice act. Review it periodically. Join your professional organization so you can keep apprised of practice issues such as changing legislation or new regulations. Stay current by attending continuing education sessions and reading journal articles.
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