At the beginning of every new year, I go through the process of selecting a word that would symbolize something that could make us better as a Nursing Department. I ask students, faculty and staff for suggestions. Then with prayer and contemplation, I pick a word that I think will best serve us. The word for this year is “resilience.”
During the first faculty meeting in January, I asked every nurse educator what would it take for them to be more resilient. Some said: to sleep more, eat better, become more organized and not to procrastinate. All of which will build better resilience. None of us realized that our resilience would be tested in ways it had never been challenged before.
As multiple global disasters started to unfold, our word of the year was embraced by others. This included Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. The organization defined the word as: able to adapt well is the face of adversity, trauma, or significant sources of stress; able to tolerate disturbances without collapsing and giving up; to rebuild when necessary; and to improve when possible.
Your resilience has been tested in the past. School has been a significant source of stress. For some of our graduates tonight, this stress was when Harrison College closed abruptly in October 2018. Students suffered panic and grief as they were partially through their associate degree. Options for enrolling in another nursing program were confusing and overwhelming.
Then one by one some students selected a small Catholic College referred to as The Woods. Blending students from different programs is not easy for anyone. The word last year was “harmony.” As students worked together in clinical practice, they learned to establish trust and build relationships.
While in school many nursing students have felt a sense of impending doom. “How on Earth will I get that paper completed on time?” “I can’t believe that there is another test on Wednesday.” “What do you mean, more ATI practice questions? Haven’t done all of them already!”
Balancing family, work and school was a constant struggle and yes there was some collapsing with tears in faculty offices, tears in the hallway and tears in my office…however no one gave up from reaching their goal.
Now comes the stress of actually being the nurse. This “charge” is also about the expectations we have for you as we welcome you into this profession.
“Resilience” is also about taking care of yourself in mind, body and spirit.
In mind – continue to learn every day; ask for help when you need it; find a few good mentors; and join a professional nursing organization that supports your special interest are in nursing.
In body – do all the things that we tell our patients; get enough sleep; eat good food; and exercise. (For many of us the COVID-19 has included 19 more pounds during this pandemic).
In spirit – find joy in activities outside of healthcare; and be gentle with your own expectation for yourself as a nurse.
Nursing is a contact profession. We care for people at the most vulnerable and intimate moments of their lives. We are there with a young couple at the birth of their first child, and with the grandfather when he takes his last breath in an isolation unit without his family there to comfort.
We also know that your spirit will be tested through attending to human suffering, victims of violence and abuse, and the despair of grieving families.
In speaking with a recent nursing graduate, I asked the nurse if we had prepared our student for practice. The nurse said, “We talked about how to deal with the death of a patient. We never talked about how to cope with the death of six patients in one 12-hour shift.
An important skill is to learn to let go…
During that first year of practice, you will find yourself worrying about the decisions you made, the actions you did or did not take and your patient’s changing condition and if they lived or died. Never be afraid to care and be emotionally invested, however, you will need to make peace with the meaning of life and the significance of death as you more deeply define your own values.
Another immense challenge will be your ability to work well with others in times of stress. In the long run, it is all about your relationships, your emotional intelligence, your ability to understand others and how well you cope. Your reputation is built not only by your skills but your attitude. Chose to react with kindness and civility.
Now we come to the last part of the definition: Rebuild when necessary and improve when possible.
Humans like the consistency of routine. It helps us feel safe and secure. As we all know now, we are encountering a historic time of rapid change. Access to healthcare through telehealth, a shift to prevention first and drive through diagnostic tests are a few indications.
We are relying on you to be the next leaders and change agents. By being the nurses who integrate new evidence-based practice into daily patient care, who reforms health policy and who advocates for social justice. You will need to grow into this role by listening to those around you, assessing healthcare systems and offering creative solutions. You are our best hope for a better future.
One of my favorite quotes of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin is: “We cannot do our work if we stay in the nest.” It is time for you to leave this nest, we have every confidence that you are ready to do your work. We have grown to love and appreciate you as unique individuals. Your time at the Woods and this experience is now part of your identity. We are proud that we could share this journey together. Your resilience will be tested in ways I have not imagined, and you will survive and adapt. Never has there been a time when you were more needed by the nursing profession. With our sincere love and caring – may God bless you and keep you safe – now and forever.
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