We Are One!
Whenever I have the opportunity to meet a nurse from another country, I always wonder what nursing is like in their homeland. From a number of such international encounters, I found that nurses have the same frustrations no matter where they are in the world. Nurses are frustrated that they cannot speak their mind without risking getting into trouble. They are frustrated by being overworked and having too much to do with very little support.
I’m not sure if nurses all over the world have the same concerns about our practice because of it being a female dominated profession or because of the culture. Those drawn to nursing are care givers and with that personality we tend to take care of everybody…except ourselves! This is neither healthy nor helpful. How can the patients get the most benefit from your expertise in providing care if you don’t take care yourself? If you’re too busy giving to everyone else instead of also giving to yourself, you are limiting the effect you have on everyone’s life.
Having common problems means that we have an opportunity to learn from each other. There may be something that works in one facility that would be able to help those in another facility. It is time for nurses to communicate with each other, not from a position of complaining but from a position of problem solving. I truly believe that nurses have the answers to all of the problems in health care. So, let’s start thinking of solutions.
The good news is that we can change the culture of nursing and we can improve our profession. By giving to ourselves and focusing on solutions rather than the problems, we have the best chance of being successful in caring for everyone.
How are you being part of the solution? Who can you collaborate with to come up with ways to improve the nursing profession and actually get your great ideas implemented?
There’s a place and time to start. The time is now and the place is with yourself and problem solving with others.
