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Nurses are looking for excellence in management and
in their nursing leaders who give top priority to nursing
issues. As we review the nursing unionization activities
around the country, it is clear that big gains are being
reported in wages and staff nurse influence in the workplace.
Hospitals are attempting to improve conditions in an
attempt to reverse the national nursing shortage, but
they say they are being squeezed financially. Aren't
we all facing this economic downturn?
The workforce today is changing so rapidly that the
increased shortage of nurses and diminishing numbers
in acute care are truly crises. Some lessons can be
learned from out-of-hospital nursing, where nurses feel
their decision-making counts and where they are valued
as significant players on the health care team by patients,
families and physicians. They have a level of autonomy
in their daily work environments that many hospital
nurses feel is lacking.
Hospital managers who listen to nurses, giving them
more power in the workplace and making them feel respected
are the ones who demonstrate characteristics of excellence
in leadership.
Look for these nurses and nominate them for NURSEWEEK's
Nursing Excellence Awards. Nurses who practice clinical
excellence and show collaborative relationships with
all health care disciplines in a team-based system to
improve patient care deserve your nomination. Detail
the actions your nominees take that distinguish them
as excellent in a chosen category. Nominate nurse leaders
who create a climate of trust that allows each nurse
to grow through creativity and innovation at all levels.
Be specific and include detailed examples of their contributions.
Maybe the nurse has volunteered to set up clinics in
Yucatan, Mexico, or helped provide care to the homeless.
One of last year's award recipients developed a program
to eliminate restraints for the mentally ill in her
practice setting as part of a patient safety program.
Look around you and recognize each other for the great
work being done in nursing.
Have a productive new year in nursing and let me know
how you are doing. Some of the things that help me are
to stay focused on the priority of what must be done
and to eliminate one unproductive activity. That does
not mean I give up personal fitness and relaxation activities,
such as my daily water aerobics, pool laps, golfing
and skiing. I do the most important things first, like
meeting deadlines and keeping up with correspondence.
Each person has some unpleasant situations and relationships
to deal with. If swept under the carpet, this can cause
more serious conflict than need be. And if you need
to develop collaborative teamwork, face an unpleasant
situation first so that you can get on with the fun
stuff. Keep learning. This year, I am attempting to
learn Spanish so that I am more culturally sensitive
to the community in which I live.
Reflect on all the positives nursing has given you
and remind yourself to acknowledge all the positive
contributions of colleagues in the NURSEWEEK Nursing
Excellence Awards for 2003.
Discuss this and other topics with your colleagues
at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage
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