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Time, Talent, Treasure

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From a young age, I always valued the concepts of time, talent, and treasure. These three qualities make or break a person’s life and I evaluated them within my own life in order to be successful and to be in a continuous state of growth.

  1. Time is such a valuable resource in the sense that you cannot get it back; it only keeps moving forward. Where you invest your time determines your future. I stated before in previous posts that my biggest fear is wasting my time on things that are unnecessary. Therefore, I make an effort to use my time for productive things, whether that is learning, growing my business, calling my grandmother, going to the gym, cooking a meal, or even watching a show I enjoy.. anything in moderation. I often make a to do list for every day and this helps me stay productive and make sure that I am making the most out of the time I have during the day. Atul Gawande wrote a great book on this topic, The Checklist Manifesto. I highly recommend!
  2. Talent. Talent is tricky because this is where your life purpose or passions come in. It is amazing to me how many people just settle because they don’t want to go out of their comfort zones, experience new things, and find why they are actually here on Earth. A talent isn’t just some child prodigy who wins America’s Got Talent. Talents are the unique qualities and interests that each person has. I enjoy people and helping people live healthier lives, therefore, I became a nurse. The stress and anxiety that comes with working in the hospital allows me to realize that I am not meant to stay in the hospital forever, at least not as my sole income. I also know that I have always loved acting and I am at a point in my life where I can actually pursue it professionally, alongside my nursing job. Talent is what keeps me motivated and reaching for me. As Ronnie Doss says, the comfort zone is the danger zone. It is dangerous to remain stagnant in life and never reaching for more.
  3. Treasure. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Look at your bank statements. Other than bills and living expenses, where do you spend the majority of your money? This reveals what your priorities are. Many times this money goes to food, alcohol, coffee, or toys. What about if much of it was invested, donated, given to others? It is important to be conscious where the excess is going and to monitor the outflow. Money is not inherently bad. So many great things can be done with proper funding. It is how money is used that can lead to trouble.

Where are you investing your time, talent, and treasure?

Until next shift,

Shania

A Glass Half Full

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“For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.” 
― C.S. Lewis

I sit here alone with my two dogs on a snowy afternoon. My alone time often brings on my anxiety as my mind is able to wander. I am stuck inside with a frozen tundra outside. My breakfast plans have been canceled. My husband was picked up to work at the hospital and will be remaining there for 1-2 days. So, I sit. The dogs start barking because they hear kids screaming outside. That is when I think of perspective.

When I was younger, snow days were the best. We got to get off school, enjoy the one time a year we could sled and build a snowman, while my parents were upset because the roads were icy. At that time, we were young and didn’t care because we got to play all day. As an adult, I observe the snow from afar and sit in my cozy home with my anxiety creeping in as I know I’ll be sleeping alone and forcing myself to keep busy. But that is all perspective. Why am I anxious that it is snowing as an adult when before it brought so much joy? How selfish it is of me to be experiencing these feelings when I am resting in a warm home on my day off. I can drink as much coffee as I want to. I can cuddle with my pups and watch as much Netflix as I want. Why does my mind immediately go to anxiety-provoking thoughts? It is all about perspective.

I choose to find the joy in everything. Those kids’ screams are so happy as they get to sled down the parking lot. I get to blast worship music and sing as loud as I want to (and not well) because my husband is not home. I can choose a chick-flick if I want to. I choose to enjoy the beauty of the white blanket of snow (and ice) that is out my window because I have no responsibilities today. I choose to see an unfortunate situation from a positive perspective. I choose to always see the glass half-full.

Until next shift,

Shania

I Owe You a Coffee

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The hospital has hired several new hospitalists during the past few months. One in particular really clicked with me. I introduced myself to her because she had several of my patients for the day, who required a lot of attention. I had to call her several times regarding discharge planning/issues, a change in antibiotics, and family concerns.

Typically, many doctors seem to get annoyed by patient/nurse concerns and don’t communicate with the nurses as much as we would like. At the end of the week, this hospitalist repeatedly thanked me for “making her first days easier” and for “telling her any issues/concerns so we can solve them.” She even offered to buy me a coffee sometime for her gratitude.

It is really nice to see true nurse-physician communication without feeling overpowered. She valued my opinion/suggestions, took her time to assess the nurse and patient needs, and treated me like we were on the same team (which we are).

Relationships like this are so important in healthcare, yet so minimal. It is so frustrating to be hesitant to call a doctor for a legitimate concern. It’s frustrating to sense that a physician feels like they have all of the power/intelligence. It is important to remember multi-disciplinary care and recognize that each member is on the same team to serve the patient.

Until next shift,

Shania

What is Magnet?

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According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, there are currently 523 hospitals out of 6,146 hospitals in the USA that have achieved Magnet recognition.

The ANCC originally developed the Magnet Recognition Program after noticing a nursing shortage and the need to obtain and retain nurses. Magnet status is the highest of honors for a healthcare facility, however only 8.5% of US hospitals have achieved this status.

The ANCC developed “14 Forces of Magnetism” and later the “5 Magnet Components” that each Magnet hospital must represent:

  1. Transformational leadership- nurses leading nurses in guiding the organization where it needs to go, not just where it wants to go.
  2. Structural Empowerment- Nurses creating an environment conducive to the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
  3. Exemplary Professional Practice- Nurses working interprofessionally to practice the highest quality of care.
  4. New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements- Nurses having an attitude of continuous learning and research.
  5. Empirical Outcomes- Structures are in place to ensure the best outcomes; nurses can view the difference their work has made.

Magnet hospitals are shown to have greater patient and employee satisfaction, a higher quality of care, higher retention rates, higher salaries, and the optimal professionalism.

The “Pathway to Excellence” typically takes about 7-10 years and is validating with a site visit.

https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/application-process/

Until next shift,

Shania

Vulnerability: A Year of Reflection

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“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” – Brene Brown

This is not one of my typical nursing posts, but the emotions behind this picture are what sparked my blogging initiative.

Last year (2019) was the worst year of my family’s life. Almost exactly one year ago from today, my parents announced a very unexpected divorce, after a seemingly happy 21 years of marriage. They gave us the news the night of my 22nd birthday. The next week, my dad moved out, I got my first apartment, my mom moved out with my sisters, my sister was in an abusive relationship… all sorts of disfunction.

I started my blog November 2019 and began seeing a psychologist to help with my emotional well-being, along with my love/passion for writing.

Today we celebrated my 23rd birthday with my family back together and this picture showcases the first time everyone looks/is genuinely happy. I had to document this moment for my own emotional well-being, and to provide a written documentation (if it’s not charted, it wasn’t done) of the day where things actually felt okay after so many months of not being okay.

I keep staring at this picture because it reminds me of how far we have come from that night, and brings me hope of all of the goodness that is to come.

Today I am being vulnerable, courageous, and releasing all control.

Until next shift,

Shania

COVID Update: Are we really heroes?

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Over the past couple of months, the world was forced to adapt to a new normal. Businesses were shut down, jobs were lost, jobs were deemed essential or nonessential, healthcare workers became heroes, and people appreciated the importance of science. There are two extremes: those who believe the coronavirus is a government-created fake to steal our rights, and those who remain isolated in his or her home. People either wear masks or continue to hang out in public crowds. Hospitals are either overwhelmed and under-resourced, or nearing shut down as revenue has dropped so drastically.

I have been affected by the latter. The rural organization that I am apart of recently furloughed and laid off several hundred workers due to a continued low census/revenue. We have tested several hundred individuals with a majority of them either negative, or positive with mild symptoms and instructed to remain isolated at home. I have yet to have any known exposure, nor have I cared for a true COVID-19 patient. I consider myself very fortunate and lucky. We have at most one positive COVID patient in the hospital per week. Census remains to be so low that many nurses are put on stand-by or cost-containment at least once per week. The so-called heroes are unable to work or make money. Many essential workers are given hazard pay, however at an organization where the usual salaries are difficult to come by, we are eliminating positions and praying that we continue to have a job as a new week begins.

So, am I really a hero? The Oxford dictionary defines a hero as someone who is idolized, shows courage, and noble qualities. By this definition, nurses and other healthcare personnel can be considered heroes. However, I do not search to go into harm’s way. I wear my cloth mask, adhere to crisis guidelines, educate the public (who many do not listen), and #stayathome despite the world starting to reopen. I go to work every shift with the mission to practice compassionate, evidence-based care while providing for the specific needs of each patient and family. And my reward? The personal satisfaction of helping others and the risk of getting called off on the next shift.

I absolutely love my profession, my hospital, my coworkers, and my patients, however I do not consider myself to be a hero. My mission is to educate, treat, and inspire people to do good and to remain healthy. My wish is that this pandemic has encouraged others to never take life for granted. I hope that the day we…

  • Hug our friends/family
  • Visit our grandparents
  • Be a support in the hospital
  • Go to a restaurant
  • Return to the theater
  • Shake someone’s hand
  • Go shopping
  • Fly on an airplane
  • Talk to our spouse and children…

Remember the year that these things were not safe and appreciate every moment.

Closing thoughts: This pandemic will not end until there is a miracle drug or vaccine. Even with the city opening up, please continue to social distance, maintain respiratory etiquette, wash your hands, wear a face mask, and be sensitive to others’ emotions.

Until next shift,

Shania

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615-856-8181
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