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REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE: ARE WE REALLY LISTENING?Getting involved by Kathy Thurston with Karen S. Hill
In the first installment of this column, Karen Hill, vice president and nurse executive at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, stated that future “Reflections on practice” columns would be co-authored with various staff members from her hospital “to promote active listening by me and nurses in similar administrative roles.” For this installment, Hill asked Kathy Thurston, chairperson of Central Baptist’s Magnet Nurse Champions team, to write the column. Thurston is a staff nurse with more than 30 years’ experience. When I was growing up in eastern Kentucky, my options after high school seemed limited to nursing, teaching, secretary/receptionist work or marriage. With support from my family, I decided that nursing would be a good fit for me. I came to Central Baptist Hospital (CBH) in August 1970 with a diploma from Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. The diploma program prepared me to function as a staff nurse in multiple areas throughout the hospital, and I was immediately hired as the only nurse in a five-bed intensive care unit. Technicians comprised the rest of the staff. How things have changed! Now, with the emphasis on patient safety and staffing, this would never happen, thank goodness! My association with Central Baptist Hospital has continued since that time—as a staff nurse, patient, physician RN extender and visitor. Nursing has been a wonderful, fulfilling profession that has allowed me to mold my career to meet personal obligations and has offered me many opportunities to grow. Central Baptist Hospital is a 371-bed, acute/tertiary care center with programs in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, medical-surgical care, and women’s and children’s services. Of the 2,374 employees, 938 are nurses. In October 2005, Central Baptist received Magnet accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. One of my most rewarding and recent experiences as a Central Baptist nurse has been serving as chairperson for the Magnet Nurse Champions. The Magnet Nurse Champions, a team of 50-plus staff nurses, meets monthly. Our mission is to validate and support our Magnet environment and commitment to excellence in nursing practice. I was elected by my peers to chair this committee of energetic, dedicated and caring nurses. The experience has given me so many opportunities that it is difficult to identify the most memorable or fulfilling. One memory is that of being asked by Karen Hill, our nurse executive, to attend Magnet Recognition ceremonies in Miami in 2006. As a staff-nurse representative of our hospital, I was so proud to come back and tell my colleagues how programs at Central Baptist compared to those of other Magnet facilities. We don’t always recognize how lucky we are. Four staff nurses attended, and we all felt special. The trip was a highlight of my career—from the limo ride at the airport to the pride I felt when Central Baptist’s achievement was announced. Another memory of my involvement with Magnet Champions is meeting and sharing stories of caring with Jean Watson, RN, PhD, FAAN, when she came to CBH on three occasions. Most staff nurses do not meet a nursing theorist during their career. Nursing theory was not taught in my diploma program, but I have grown to appreciate the importance of knowing that structure is behind our nursing practice at CBH. We have tried to implement caring theory throughout all departments, and this has reaped benefits for employees as well as patients. I am honored to be a part of this network and to be able to pass along caring stories to my peers and others at every opportunity. As chairperson of Magnet Nurse Champions, I was invited to share caring memories and activities from CBH in 2006, when the International Caritas Consortium was held at our hospital. Nursing leaders such as Watson and Joanne Duffy, RN, PhD, FAAN, were there, and it was fantastic to relate our stories to their work and research! I have also served as a staff-nurse representative on our Nursing Research Council. As a result, I have a new appreciation for the knowledge I have gained about the research process and application of evidence to my nursing practice. It is gratifying to see patient outcomes improved through the work and support of this team and the leadership of nurses. These opportunities would have been rewarding experiences for any staff nurse. For me, the most important benefit has been the opportunity to validate and observe that Central Baptist Hospital has the 14 forces of Magnetism in place and is truly a caring facility. In my opinion, CBH’s emphasis on caring theory and its Magnet status are intertwined. I don’t know what the future holds for me at CBH, but I know these experiences will certainly guide my future. I also know I will never be the same after having served in a leadership role among my peers. My outlook and approach to practice have changed as a result. What challenges are there for you and other nurses at your facility? I continually remind everyone to make sure that staff nurses are invited to the table and involved in the process. RNL Kathy Thurston, RN, CCRN, is a staff nurse at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Karen S. Hill, RN, MSN, CNAA, FACHE, is vice president and nurse executive at Central Baptist Hospital. |
