Throughout my career thus far, I have had the opportunity to work in very diverse communities and countries where my goal was to improve some aspect of it before I left.
I share this with you because you may think that this is easier said than done. However, I am here to share with you ways you can make an impact that are easier than you think.
- I would bring the latest edition of a journal, usually it was the Journal of Emergency Nursing or the Air Surface and Transport Nurses Association publication and read it while at work.
- Not only did nurses want to know what I was reading, but I also shared with them facts from the articles I read that were relevant to the community I was working in.
- I would always leave the journals in the break room and would find nurses reading them on their break.
- I would watch a nurse performing a skill then I would ask questions about their technique as if I wanted to learn more. Then, I would share a different approach to performing the skill that the nurse could use then share with others.
- I would talk about conferences I was planning to attend or present at and so many nurses never saw the benefit from it. There was always the mentality of, well work isn’t going to pay for it, so why should I go?
- I have paid out of pocket for so many nursing conferences, just so I could network with others and be inspired by the work that nurses are doing and be able to share their experiences with my colleagues.
My call to action for us all is to remember that we can change the world, once step at a time. We MUST be proactive as it pertains to delivery of care. In addition, we need to stop working in silos and gatekeep. What benefit is it to keep information that could potentially help others?
I know that nurses are burned out, but I am here to tell you that we were burned out WAY before the pandemic so that really isn’t a good excuse. Unfortunately, the pandemic did exacerabte conditions for many nurses, but collectively, wwe can change the world. One voice, One initiative, One community, at a time.
#adventureswithnursejamla