ASBN Edition 49 : Page 6
President’s Message BreNdA Murphree, rN, BoArd preSideNT Your PATienTs TrusT You On my way to work one morning recently, I received a call letting me know school was cancelled for the day due to forecasted inclement weather – snow! Upon returning home, I checked my e-mail to discover “nonessential” personnel were excused for the day. I had to smile with the realization that I have passed from essential to nonessential; which means I can now enjoy snow days as much as school children. (I might add that my satisfaction was short-lived as I learned a few hours later that I am, indeed, still essential.) The weather throughout North America was extreme this winter, and there has been much conversation as to whether nurses should risk life and limb to get to work. Hospitals never close, and patients always need care--even more so in weather that causes accidents and injuries. Health care workers for the most part accept this and are faithful to get to work against all odds. While others enjoy a few unexpected days of downtime and rest, nurses must plan ahead to make arrangements to be on duty--even if it means staying at their workplace for a few days. Often, the nurses on duty stay and work additional shifts for those who are unable to come. While the newscasters urge people to stay home, we go to work. We have all worked these shifts shorthanded and can reminisce on the spirit of camaraderie that develops as we do what is needed to see that the patients are cared for as usual. Nurses are dependable and the public is aware of this attribute as evidenced by a December 2010 Gallup Poll in which nurses topped the list of professions Americans trust the most for the 11th year. Nurses have held this honor the last nine years in a row, interrupted only by firefighters in 2001. It appears we have set the bar for trustworthiness. The term “setting the bar” probably originated from track and field sports where the pole vaulter had the bar raised making the event more challenging. We recognize “setting the bar” as raising the accepted minimum standards higher in order to achieve excellence. Ralph Waldo Emerson expressed it this way, “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” Whatever field of nursing we choose, professional behavior will ensure we earn the trust that the American people have vested in nurses. We must continue to show integrity, honesty and accountability with our patients and peers. We will avoid resting on our laurels, an expression defined in the Cambridge idiom dictionary as being so satisfied with our achievements that we make no effort to improve. Thankfully, spring is here and winter weather is behind us. If not, when bad weather looms and the rest of the world is heading to the grocery store, you know that your patients trust that you will show up. They won’t be disappointed. 6 nursing exPo And ComPAssion AwArd CeLebrATion sATurdAY, APriL 30 th Metroplex Event Center
President’s Message
BreNdA Murphree, rN, BoArd preSideNT<br /> <br /> Your PATienTs TrusT You<br /> <br /> On my way to work one morning recently, I received a call letting me know school was cancelled for the day due to forecasted inclement weather – snow! Upon returning home, I checked my e-mail to discover “nonessential” personnel were excused for the day. I had to smile with the realization that I have passed from essential to nonessential; which means I can now enjoy snow days as much as school children. (I might add that my satisfaction was short-lived as I learned a few hours later that I am, indeed, still essential.)<br /> <br /> The weather throughout North America was extreme this winter, and there has been much conversation as to whether nurses should risk life and limb to get to work. Hospitals never close, and patients always need care--even more so in weather that causes accidents and injuries. Health care workers for the most part accept this and are faithful to get to work against all odds. While others enjoy a few unexpected days of downtime and rest, nurses must plan ahead to make arrangements to be on duty--even if it means staying at their workplace for a few days. Often, the nurses on duty stay and work additional shifts for those who are unable to come. While the newscasters urge people to stay home, we go to work. We have all worked these shifts shorthanded and can reminisce on the spirit of camaraderie that develops as we do what is needed to see that the patients are cared for as usual.<br /> <br /> Nurses are dependable and the public is aware of this attribute as evidenced by a December 2010 Gallup Poll in which nurses topped the list of professions Americans trust the most for the 11th year. Nurses have held this honor the last nine years in a row, interrupted only by firefighters in 2001. It appears we have set the bar for trustworthiness. The term “setting the bar” probably originated from track and field sports where the pole vaulter had the bar raised making the event more challenging. We recognize “setting the bar” as raising the accepted minimum standards higher in order to achieve excellence. Ralph Waldo Emerson expressed it this way, “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”<br /> <br /> Whatever field of nursing we choose, professional behavior will ensure we earn the trust that the American people have vested in nurses. We must continue to show integrity, honesty and accountability with our patients and peers. We will avoid resting on our laurels, an expression defined in the Cambridge idiom dictionary as being so satisfied with our achievements that we make no effort to improve.<br /> <br /> Thankfully, spring is here and winter weather is behind us. If not, when bad weather looms and the rest of the world is heading to the grocery store, you know that your patients trust that you will show up. They won’t be disappointed.
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