Diane - Maximizing Strengths and Weaknesses

Diane -







Mom would tell me stories about her work as a nurse, so I always knew that was what I wanted to do. In junior high I started working as a nursing assistant, right beside her and working together created a special bond between us. I’ve been a nurse for 40 years now.

Back when I was in junior high there were more nursing assistant opportunities than there are now, so it was easier for people to “try on” a nursing career and experience different levels of nursing. The nursing education is different now and it’s hard for people to sense what it’s really going to be like until they graduate and start working. I think some are disappointed when they actually become nurses.

The tragedy is the art of nursing is almost lost. As Chief of Nursing, I strive to help young nurses experience the heart of it. If they have the technical skills but don’t seem to grasp the caring aspect, I match them with someone who has the skills and the heart. It takes careful assessment of each person’s strengths and weaknesses. But if I take the time up front to carefully coordinate our mentorships, one person’s strengths support the other’s weaknesses so together they are a strong team.

Young nurses have an advantage when they come to our organization. I staff very well, so my nurses are not run ragged. That means they can actually spend time with patients; to talk with them and find out what it is they need for support. We can all start IVs and take patients to X-ray and yes, the patients all need that. But nursing is the love of making experience better for the patient. The students that come here see our staff model compassionate behavior, and they learn from our examples.

My nurses also have the permission to say, “I can’t do that right now because I need to spend time with my patient.” They ask for help when they need it. I’ve encouraged my nurse leaders to allow staff to be honest with them. I had one nurse come to me and say, “You know, I’m really frustrated. All I do is lift and pull and tug. Can we please get some nursing assistants or orderlies to help me with the physical part?” I told her that was not in our model at the moment, but let’s talk about it and figure out what that would look like and what it would cost. So we did. We worked up a proposal and it took about six months but now we have nursing assistance, side by side with the nurses. It’s more of a team nursing approach where two or three people are caring for the same patient.

Early in my career the expectations for nurses were very different than the model I have created for my nurses.“I encourage nurses to enjoy their mission, because that is what it is. To fight when they need to, but not go into the world fighting.” Nurses were not at liberty to say, “I can’t do everything.” Back then, we had to stand up when the physician came in the nursing station. Many nurses in other organizations still work under that model. I learned that model has its failings. I’m a person who loves change, so I could easily let go of the old ideas when I realized what worked yesterday isn’t necessarily what will work today.

One of the best things I ever did for myself was to take a Human Effectiveness course. It gave me permission to be who I am. Everyone has weaknesses, so in order to compensate we need to find ways to help each other to improve those weaknesses. I’ve passed the skills learned in that course to the nurses on my staff. They have permission to make decisions. A boss once who told me, “Don’t be afraid to make a decision. There’s no decision you can make that I can’t undo.” I tell my nurse leaders the same; don’t be afraid – go forward.

One of the things I’ve always struggled with is putting the organization before the individual. I’ve had to learn that I can’t always please the nurses. Even though I want to fix everyone’s problems, the way one person wants things to be is not always in the best interest of everyone else. I do what I can, because I want them to be happy in their work, but I have to think about the organization as a whole and that has been a definite struggle for me.

I believe in rewarding people by allowing them to take education courses. I have fairly strong resources that I allocate every year for growth. Every RN is entitled to four days of paid education leave and they can use it however they wish. I also provide three or four retreats every year for my staff. The retreats allow staff to feel validated, refreshed and rewarded.

I try to touch my nurses everyday the way I try to touch patients and the way I want them to touch patients. I will make rounds several times a day for my staff. I look into their eyes and I’m not afraid to say, “It looks like you’re struggling.” Then, if they want one, I’ll give them a hug. If it’s something major we’ll have the grief counselor come in. I’ll buy them pizza every once in awhile, if that’s what they need. It affirms them and relieves the tension from within, so they can focus on caring for the patient. I encourage nurses to enjoy their mission, because that is what it is. And I encourage them to fight when they need to, but not go into the world fighting.

Power Strategies: Affirmation, Rewards, Self-Care
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