Looking back while moving ahead

The purpose of this blog has been and always will be to stimulate scholarly dialogue. To that end, topics have fallen into two main categories: controversial and inspirational. Locating controversial topics is never much of a challenge. From the tinderbox that is the Middle East to the British aligning with the Chinese to form an energy bank that could move the world off the petrodollar and destabilize the economy of the United States to the never-ending political cycle that continues to reveal the lack of honesty and integrity in most of our political leaders, who can’t answer a simple yes-or-no question, to issues that affect us more directly, such as implementation of the Affordable Care Act, controversy abounds.

Inspirational topics are a little harder to come by these days—or so it seems. It’s not that inspiration isn’t all around us. It’s just harder to discern above the constant din of bad and scary news. About the time I was ready to give into temptation and pick easy, low-hanging controversy for this post, I was reminded that inspiration can often be found by reflecting on the past, this time prompted by a letter I received:

Pamela Holland, student in the Department of
Nursing at California State University San
Bernardino, is president of Coyote Nurses,
the school's student nursing organization.

“My name is Pamela Holland, and I am honored to say I was chosen as a recipient of the Dion Scholarship for Nursing Informatics. [Awarded by the Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association.] Before continuing with my letter, I want to first send a big ‘Thank you!’ your way. Beyond the general help the scholarship money provides in paying for my education, I consider it a great honor to be recognized. After reading a bit about you and your company, Decision Critical, I have to say I got a bit excited about the changes you are influencing within the healthcare field.

“As a current nursing student, I see a need for education on a daily basis—not only in hospital policy, but also in best-practice methods, in general. It pains me to see that, in an age where technology is in everyone’s hands, nurses are still performing their duties based on old information. I know that there are a lot of moving parts in getting policies changed, but I envision some sort of auto-update and training on evidence-based care of our patients, rather than relying on the nursing educator to decide what policies to act on and to initiate change. I know it’s a little more complicated, but this is certainly an idea I wish to explore further as I gain more education and familiarity within the healthcare setting.

“As I’m sure you can tell, I am very much excited about the role technology plays in the (proper) care of our patients and look forward to the role it will play in future healthcare. I only hope I am as successful in influencing change as you have been. Again, thank you so much for this amazing honor.”

Looking back

I can honestly say that, had it not been for others who saw qualities I did not see in myself and who nurtured those qualities intellectually, emotionally, and financially, I would not have had the amazing nursing journey I have had, nor would I have been as well positioned to give back to a profession that has given me so much. During my tenure as a firefighter and paramedic, we used to have a saying, “As soon as you give a guy a white shirt, he becomes management and forgets where he came from.”

When the opportunity presents itself, pay it
forward, even if it means looking back.

— Vladans/iStock/Thinkstock

A special thank you to this student for reminding me why I support nursing education and that doing so keeps me in touch with where I came from. As Pamela has demonstrated to me, inspiration can be found in those who will follow us in this honored profession. Despite the controversies of the day, we must not lose sight of that.

Upon receipt of Pamela’s letter, I was compelled to respond to her with the same advice I share with you: Remain actively engaged in your professional organizations, because they are as important to your professional growth as you are to the growth of the profession. When the opportunity presents itself, pay it forward, even if it means looking back. Never forget where you came from.

P.S. Attention, Constituent Services Department: I think we have a future member here!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those the promote products or services will not be posted.