September 3rd, 2008 by 
Donna
As the president of the NJ Chapter of the National Speakers Association (www.nsaspeaker.org), I was recently asked to speak at a local Kiwanis International club meeting. I suggested speaking on the popular topic of public speaking but the event host said the members didn’t do any public speaking and asked if I would speak about nursing. I was happy to oblige.
During my 15-minute presentation, I told the audience a little about my nursing career and then addressed the current nursing shortage, which has been widely publicized. I informed the group about current trends such as more men coming into nursing and all the “second careerists” coming into the profession from other occupations. I mentioned the fact that most schools of nursing had long waiting lists and underscored that nursing was a great profession with many diverse opportunities. I ended by discussing nurse to patient ratios, what more RNs in the hospital mean to patient care and outcomes, and encouraged audience members to ask their primary care providers as well as hospital administrators when they or their loved ones are hospitalized (beforehand if possible), what the ratios are in that facility. I advised them of recommended ratios so they would know what is ideal. This was, of course, a way to help them advocate for themselves and their loved ones, to underscore the vital role that nurses play in the healthcare setting, and to promote the profession. The more informed consumers of healthcare are about the shortage and ideal staffing ratios, the better it is for them and nurses!
While my original intention when accepting the speaking engagement was not to directly promote nursing (I am always at least “indirectly” promoting nursing) the experience reminded me of one of my ethical obligations as a nurse as outlined in the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses, to serve the broader community, including being a public health advocate and promoting the profession in public venues. If you’ve never read the ANA Code of Ethics or haven’t read the current edition, it’s worth checking out at http://nursingworld.org/mods/mod580/cecdefull.htm. It is a wonderful reminder of the role and responsibilities that come with being a nurse.
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August 11th, 2008 by Donna
I was recently speaking with a meeting planner (someone who orchestrates conferences and conventions for a client) and she said she wanted me to speak to a group of hospital managers, all ‘former’ nurses. “Former nurses?” I echoed. “Yes,” she said. “They no longer do bedside nursing.” I swallowed hard and gave her my spiel about how nurses play many different roles in healthcare and that the title ‘nurse’ belongs to both the managers and the front line staff. “Oh, OK” she said. Later in the conversation she stated, “You’re perfect for this group because you’re a former nurse.” I felt like I was getting nowhere. I quickly interjected that I, too, am still very much a nurse in my current role - still a healer, a teacher, and nurturer. I underscored that nurses do many different things in many different ways. Again, she said, “Oh, OK.”
After 30 years in nursing, I’m used to defending the profession, clarifying our role, explaining what nurses really do, etc. At times it is frustrating and tiresome but hopefully some of it will sink in somewhere along the way. Perhaps if nurses continue to work to get more visible and vocal in the community, in the media, in government, and in business, we can work collectively to underscore the broad scope of nursing, the true nature of what we do, and how we are changing the world in small and large ways everyday - each in our own way.
On a related topic, read Celebrate the Diversity of Nursing
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April 5th, 2008 by Donna
The March 24 issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine lists Registered Nurse as one of 31 of the best careers for the future. This list was compiled based on job satisfaction, training difficulty, prestige, job market outlook, and pay. Others on the list include dentist, pharmacist, occupational therapist, editor, ghost writer, and investment banker. Each of the 31 professionals was given a ‘grade’ for job market outlook ranging from ‘A’ to ‘C.’ RN was given an ‘A.’ You can read the article at http://www.usnews.com/features/business/best-careers/best-careers-2008.html
The online article also refers to an article from last December which spotlighted the 12 “Ahead-of-the-Curve Careers.” In the healthcare category they specifically mention health coach, healthcare informatics specialist, and patient advocate - all great non-traditional opportunities for nurses.
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April 2nd, 2008 by Donna
With continuous cut-backs in education budgets, many school nurse positions are being eliminated, putting our nation’s children at serious risk. Part of the problem is the considerable misunderstanding of what school nurses do and the value they bring to the community, the educational system, and the healthcare system. There is considerable evidence to support the fact that fewer school nurses has resulted in deaths, serious complications, and a decreased quality of life amongst the children they serve. See a comprehensive article from a 2005 edition of US News and World Report http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-13-school-nurses_x.htm. Be sure to also click on the links on the right side of the article page.
Advocate for safe nursing staffing in your local schools whether you have school-age children or not. You’re advocating for your profession at the same time and creating awareness of the vital role nurses play in the school system including emergency management and preparedness, care and case management of children with chronic illness, health education for the students, faculty, parents, and community at large, and more. Learn more about what school nurses do at www.nasn.org and http://www.aft.org/healthcare/schoolnurses/. If you think school nursing is a cakewalk or a “dead-end job” as one nurse recently referred to it as, you are sorely misinformed.
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February 24th, 2008 by Donna
I was recently named one of “50 Best Women in Business” by NJBIZ magazine. As such I was invited to attend a networking reception for all honorees. Everyone was very friendly and most of us were making an effort to meet and speak with as many of the awardees as possible.
When people heard I was an RN they were very interested to hear more about what I do and about the nursing profession in general or to tell me about someone in their family who is a nurse. Some asked about the “shortage” assuming it existed because no one wanted to be a nurse anymore (see my previous post “Who wants to be a nurse?”). I, of course, set them straight.
Others asked me if I still work in nursing. I always love when someone asks me that so I can give them my spiel. Here’s what I say, “I am very much working in nursing as a speaker and writer. While many people think of nurses working only at the bedside in hospitals, we actually work in many different places doing many different things. I am still a healer, a teacher, and a nurturer in everything I do.” They take a minute to digest that and I add, “Health, wellness, and healing take place on many different levels. I have a very expanded view of who a nurse is and what a nurse does.” It gives them food for thought. It even gives some nurses food for thought.
Be ready to speak passionately and authoritatively about your profession when out in public even when just socializing with friends or neighbors. You have an opportunity to set the record straight and educate and inform people about the full scope of what nurses do. Arm yourself with facts about the profession such as those found on AACNs Nursing Fact Sheet. Here’s an article you may find helpful Talk About What You Do
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January 6th, 2008 by Donna
My blog has been quiet for the last few months as I put the finishing touches on my 2nd book The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses. The guide will be in print in a few months and is being published by the Gannett Healthcare Group, the company that publishes Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek magazines. Now I’m getting ready to write my 3rd book - a motivational book for the masses - not just for nurses. This is a long time dream of mine. And to think that I once believed I had no ability to write.
It’s amazing how self-limiting our own thoughts can be. It’s also amazing the things we discover about ourselves when we’re willing to step outside of our comfort zones like getting up in front of a group and speaking or submitting an article for publication or enrolling in classes. The world is such an exciting place when you get yourself out there and try new things, meet new people. Yes, it can be scary at first but it’s also exhilarating.
What have you dreamed of doing but are afraid to try? Would you be willing to let go of the outcome and just try for the experience of doing it? I guarantee you will grow from the experience and might just discover something that you’re good at or that you enjoy doing in the process.
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December 8th, 2007 by Donna
I was recently interviewed for a cable television program where I was supposed to be discussing my business and the nursing profession in general. Out of the blue the host asks me, “Why doesn’t anyone want to be a nurse?” The question threw me but as I composed myself, I realized that he must be assuming that because there is a well publicized nursing shortage, it must be for lack of people entering the profession. “On the contrary” I replied, “almost everyone wants to be a nurse today. Most schools of nursing have a 2-3 year waiting list to get in. Over 30, 000 qualified candidates were turned away last year.” The host was startled to hear this. I went on to tell him that more and more men are entering the profession and that many people are coming to nursing as 2nd and 3rd careers - many coming from the world of business, information technology (computers), and many other professions. Why then, he wanted to know, couldn’t the schools accommodate them. Because of a shortage of qualified instructors, classroom and clinical space, I advised him. Fortunately, all of these things are being addressed at the state and federal level but not fast enough.
Of course then we have to address the challenge of retention of new and experienced nurses - a subject for another post.
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November 15th, 2007 by Donna
I’m writing from Kansas City, MO while getting ready to deliver the keynote address at the National Student Nurses Association MidYear Career Planning Conference. The hotel is filled with over 1000 student nurses from all over the country. They are of varying ages and backgrounds. Some are right out of high school and others have had one or more previous careers. Each of them is filled with a mixture of fear, excitement, and anticipation. They are the future of nursing. I am so proud of them and so grateful to them for having the courage and the determination to walk the path of the healer.
To those of you who will encounter new graduate nurses in the workplace, through your professional associations, and even in your community in the near future, extend yourself to them. Welcome them into the profession with open arms. Help them, support them and encourage them. Thank them for choosing nursing and let them know that you’re there for them. Please read the article How to Welcome New Grads into the Fold.
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Advocating for Patients…and Nurses!