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How will we connect with each other in 2022? Will I be typing on keyboard like this? Not likely. —Carol Picard
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Colleagues: Imagine looking into the future: It’s November 2022, and we are celebrating the 100th birthday of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. What do you see? It will be quite a celebration, and I plan to be there! Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” At first blush, that may seem like a strange statement, but think about it for a while. We shape the future by what we dream, hope and plan. This is sustainability, and how we collaborate now will help determine that future. Knowledge will continue to be a signature element of the honor society—supporting researchers in creating new knowledge, finding new ways to get knowledge out to nurses in practice, using education to improve health. Staying connected is key to sustainability. The Honor Society of Nursing needs all of our members engaged at some level. If you are a new, young member, we need you. We need your vision, technological savvy and views on what it will take to change health care for the better. Could you create an electronic dialogue with your peers? How can we support you early in your career? Perhaps your chapter could sponsor conversations with leaders to discuss clinical issues such as safety research and practices. Recently, I heard a wonderful presentation by Patricia Ebright, RN, DNS, researcher and clinician at Indiana University School of Nursing. She is studying the complexity of nursing work, which includes gaining an understanding of system demands and challenges, as well as knowledge and thinking processes used by novice and expert nurses to keep patients safe. I am looking forward to reading her research—it is cutting-edge and so relevant for practice. She was speaking to a conference of nurse educators, and I was thinking of how compelling her work is for nurses in practice. It can serve as a stimulus for conversations on how to support everyone in the clinical environment. If you are a seasoned nursing expert, we need your wisdom. Do you have case studies, narratives of practice or strategies for developing leaders at the bedside? Could you consider serving as a speaker for your local chapter? Are you a researcher who would like to mentor others, perhaps at a distance? Your engagement is a key element of sustainability. Are you thinking about retirement? What would you like your legacy to be? Consider how you might help achieve sustainability for your local chapter’s grants or for Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing. We have many new Virginia Henderson fellows whose contributions allow us to expand our grants programs. What is your dream? Whenever I speak at an induction, I “call out” the dreams of inductees and personally invite them to have a plan for their career, beyond their immediate goals. Imagination is more important than knowledge—at every point in our careers. Do you dream of improving collaboration across disciplines? Research indicates that nurses’ perceptions of clinical situations can be quite different from those of other disciplines. One study by Makary and colleagues (2006) found that nurses and surgeons define collaboration quite differently. If you have developed collaborative strategies that work, we want to hear about them. Here is my dream for 2022: Nurses all over the world are engaged with the honor society to advance health. We have inducted 1 million members who live in every country in the world. Nurses come to Sigma Theta Tau International to be mentored; in turn, those nurses mentor newer members. Electronic linkages allow for knowledge access and collegial relationships to develop anywhere, anytime. More members serve on boards in their communities, regions and nations and for every major international health-related organization. Research begun with seed funds from the Honor Society of Nursing has advanced knowledge in many key areas. Honor society leaders have created new collaborative models of care with other professionals and encouraged dialogue and respect, thereby enhancing health, patient safety and well-being. Fund raising for research and leadership grants has increased tenfold as members understand that their contributions are linked to improved health outcomes at the global level. Let me know what your dreams are! RNL Best regards,
Carol Picard, RN, PhD Reference: Makay, M.A., Sexton, J.B., Freischlag, J.A., Holzmueller, C.G., Millman, E.A., Rowen, L., et al. (2006). Operating room teamwork among physicians and nurses: Teamwork in the eye of the beholder. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 202(5), 746-752. |
