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REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE: ARE WE REALLY LISTENING?Be bold. Take a chance! by Leslie Combs, 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 Leslie Combs, quality core measure facilitator at Central Baptist, to write the column.
Many times in the course of my nursing career, I have been introduced as someone who used to be a nurse or as a “nurse in high heels.” Nursing is a profession that provides abundant opportunities to utilize our skills in various arenas. The flexibility and options of a nursing career are two characteristics of our profession that I appreciate most. Central Baptist Hospital and the nursing leadership team encourage transition within practice settings. I have often heard Karen Hill, our nurse executive, and Tish Hart, RN, MSN, who directs my department, encourage staff nurses to apply for open positions. Often, they help those who feel they’ve reached a plateau in their career find opportunities in other areas of practice. This flexibility is key to nursing retention and career satisfaction. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and contrary to the opinions of many, approximately three of every five nurses work in hospitals (Quan, 2007). Keeping hospital nurses satisfied with their career options is key to retention. During my career, I have had a variety of nursing roles, including cardiovascular nurse, rehabilitation nurse, postpartum nurse, utilization review nurse, diagnosis-related group (DRG) coordinator and case manager. More recently, I ventured down a different road and took the lead in a newly created position—quality core measure facilitator. I was excited about the new opportunity but apprehensive about charting a new course for the hospital and for me. As I started my new role, however, I began to feel more comfortable and learned that each of my previous positions had contributed to the skills required for the job. It seemed as though my whole career had been preparing me for this position. Skills I had previously acquired, such as assessment, medication safety and performance improvement, all contributed to my competence and comfort in my new responsibilities. Hospitals and nursing organizations often ascribe a variety of names and titles to the same role. I learned a long time ago that nursing is not about titles, but about career satisfaction and how I, as an individual, impact patients and their health. Health care has evolved at a rapid pace, opening numerous opportunities for nurses. These transitions can be exciting on a grand scale, but stressful and difficult when embarking on a career path that is uncharted and uncertain. Job expectations that are unclear and undefined contribute to stress. If the new role is nontraditional, as in my case, other members of the nursing staff may perpetuate the idea that the nurse assigned to that position has moved away from patient care. What I have found, however, is that patient care remains my focus just as much as when I had more traditional, direct-care responsibilities. I have a larger scope of influence than I enjoyed in my other positions, but I am still a nurse! I am now responsible for increasing compliance with core measure, evidence-based practices by educating nurses, physicians and other staff members in the latest recommendations. My job requires communication and networking, and I am able to use my creative energy to facilitate best-practice care for designated patient populations. In other words, I am still heavily involved in direct care through education of patients and family members. I feel a great sense of accomplishment in helping patients receive the highest quality, evidence-based care. As we journey through our nursing careers, there will be change. Openness to change provides opportunity to learn and grow. I encourage my fellow nurses to step outside their comfort zones and try new roles. Every job assignment I have performed has provided opportunity to become a stronger, more confident nurse, better prepared to touch more people’s lives than I ever thought possible. Be bold. The benefits are amazing! RNL Leslie Combs, RN, is a quality core measure facilitator at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Karen S. Hill, RN, MSN, CNAA, FACHE, is vice president and nurse executive at Central Baptist. Reference:
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