NurseWeek News

Accentuate the Positive
Build on your strengths - and those of the profession

By Barbara Brown, Ed.D., RN, FAAN, Mountain West Editor
January 23, 2003

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