We take them for granted.

Every day.

We don’t think about it.

Until it’s gone.

Remember the mundane.

Celebrate the things you can do

And the people around you.

There is beauty in routine

And value in ordinary.

I hope you have a leader around you that leads by example – letting his or her light shine brightly, encouraging you to do the same. If you do, congratulations. You are likely part of a “bright spot” in the workplace, understanding your value and bringing further value to your work site.

People gravitate towards bright spots. They also pull toward others that amplify their own lights.

If you are one of the many who are working in the shadows, beneath a manager or leader who reserves the light for himself or herself, leaving all others in the dreary clouds, know that you can change your environment. You can be the leading bright spot. In actuality, one of three things will happen. (1) You will shine and realize the environment is not meant for you, leaving it for another environment. (2) You will spark a change, causing others to shine brightly, as well, completely altering the environment as a change agent. Or (3) You will shine and someone will remove you from that environment because you “don’t fit” or “aren’t part of the team.”

You have permission to shine. The choice is yours.

You can download and print this card.

I wanted to cheer up a friend who has been frequenting the hospital lately…you know, because she just can’t get enough of that enjoyable hospital time. I made her a card.

Chances are, you have someone in your life who isn’t quite feeling 100%, so I’m sharing the card with you, too. Download, print, write a personal note, and brighten someone’s day.

You might be a little less than enthused for today or the week ahead. Some encouragement: Go, go! [claps] You can do it! Keep on, keeping on!

There’s no turning back, so you might as well hold your head up, put your shoulders back, and move forward. The only way out is through. Have a great week!

Whether you are a nurse or a nursing student, you need to take advantage of Lippincott NursingCenter.com’s nearly 50 nursing journals that are currently free during Nurses Week only. That means you have today and tomorrow to view the journals and download them. What are you waiting for? This is an amazing offer. Happy Nurses Week!

Article: Lee, R. (2012). Family homelessness viewed through the lens of health and human rights. Advances in Nursing Science, 35(2): E47-E59.

The Big Idea: This ethnographic study focuses on the viewpoints of health, human rights, and dignity as perceived by 12 Appalachian mothers, raising children in an urban family homeless shelter.

Survey Says!: Three themes emerged through this study: “enduring threatening lifeways before coming to the shelter…struggling to earn the respect of self and others…[and] remaining emotionally and spiritually strong while facing challenges of shelter living and an uncertain future” (p. E55-E56).

Quotable: “More than 600 000 American families, including some 1.5 million children, will experience homelessness in any given year [reference]. During the period from 2007 to 2009, there was a 30% increase in the numbers of families who were homeless [reference]. These numbers do not include the additional families precariously housed and living in doubled-up situations or in substandard housing.” (p. E47).

“According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s 2011 figures, the average minimum wage worker in most states would have to work 102 hours each week to be able to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at the fair market housing rate [reference]. The fact that many individuals and families experiencing homelessness actually do work was confirmed by the US Conference of Mayors [reference], who found that between 15% and 25% of the urban homeless population are in fact employed (p. E48).

“Article 25 of this declaration [Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948] speaks to human rights at their most basic level: ‘Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control’ (Article 25, 1)” (p. E50).

So What?: This article has a wealth of information within it. I found myself wanting to quote the entire article. It discusses the health impact homelessness has on women and children. Homelessness is an extremely stressful situation for mothers and their children. Everyone deserves the right to dignity in health care; nurses can play a major role in culturally competent and empathetic care.

Thousands of people place their lives in the hands of pilots and flight crews daily; the large majority arrive safely and soundly at their destinations. When an airplane crashes, it is breaking news and numerous organizations get involved to learn from the crash-causing errors to ensure they are prevented in the future. With nearly 100,000 people dying annually from preventable medical errors – the equivalent of one, full aircraft crashing every single day – hundreds of health care systems are turning to the airline industry’s safety methods and processes.

This collision of aviation and health care safety met an ironic twist last week as I traveled to New Orleans to attend the Oncology Nursing Society‘s 37th Annual Congress. I sat down in my window seat, still listening to my audio book, and an off-shift pilot sat right next to me, a cup of coffee and newspaper in hand. I planned to listen to my audio book, and I thought my nestled ear buds might be a clue to others, but my pilot seat-mate had other plans.

[Smiles largely] Business or pleasure?

[Removes ear buds.] A little of both. I’m an oncology nurse, and I’m on my way to a conference in New Orleans.

Ah! New Orleans! [Pauses; leans closer] So, oncology. That’s…what?…

[Quickly.] Cancer. I’m a cancer nurse.

Right. That’s what I thought. Do you want to read part of the paper? I’m finished with this section. [Offers a folded paper to me.]

No thanks. I’m good. [Puts up iPad and ear buds as the flight crew requests. Looks out window.]

So, when are you supposed to start having that colonoscopy thing? I’ll be 56 in a few months.

Before we left the tarmac I explained screening recommendations, debunked a few myths, and relieved concerns about embarrassment. Less than 30 minutes later we landed at our connection city. Our parting words included my strong encouragement for him to see his provider for a colonoscopy and his thanks and promise to do so.

Within one minute of him finding out I am an oncology nurse, we were discussing colonoscopies. I certainly didn’t mind; I was glad I could share. It’s my job and my passion, and the conversation reiterated how much people trust nurses – even those not in uniform. I am glad he felt safe with me. It’s a responsibility and honor I cherish.

Ever feel like the sky is falling? The world is crashing all around you and even upon you?

"Umbrella" by Joni Watson

I do on occasion. Thankfully, I have umbrella people in my life. They have a gift. Simply being in their presence, the rain ceases; it is much brighter and warmer beneath the canopy of their encouragement, knowledge, and reason. They don’t have just any figurative umbrella – you know the cheapolla ones you have to shake to open, the wires poke out of the fabric, and one gust of wind turns the umbrella into a rain collector. Oh no. They have the gigantic umbrellas – the ones that fly open at the touch of a button, so quickly you have to do an AED-shock-check (e.g. You’re clear. I’m clear. Everyone is clear.). Their umbrellas nearly envelop the top half of your body and seem to last year after year without wear. I have no idea how they do it, but they do. Like I said, it is a gift.

I hope you have some umbrella people in your life. If not, find them; hang on to them; never let them out of your life. With so many, you can go from one to the next without feeling the storm. Funny thing – umbrella people don’t just hold up the umbrella for you, somehow they pass it on to you. Umbrella people beget umbrella people.

UCSD Health System just released its ninth Nursing Research News You Can Use video, this time on cancer survivorship. Don’t have time to read three recent journal articles on this hot-topic? No worries. You can watch it. So watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScvNDFw4RXs

Watch all the Nursing Research News You Can Use videos. Congrats to the UCSD Evidence-Based Practice YouTube Project Team!

That’s just the nature of nursing.

“Nature versus nurture” is an intriguing biopsychosocial discussion. Are we are who we are – physically and behaviorally – because of nature; is it detailed in our genetic code? Or are we are who we are because of nurture; is it our experiences that shape us? Most say both.

I heard the comment, “That’s just the nature of nursing,” a few weeks ago. The commenter was referring to a negative characteristic of nursing. I wasn’t an active participant in the conversation and didn’t think much of the sentence until I finished my task and was alone with the comment, its ghostly echo crescendoing rather than fading.

I paused.

Is it actually the “nature” of nursing? Are there inherent characteristics of nursing and nurses that are unchangeable, coded into our profession and professionals? Or is it nurture? Have we shaped the culture of nursing and nurses, and in turn, been changed just as much by that nurtured culture? It’s likely both. Yes, some things are inherent in the nursing profession. However, I think more often than not, we have already nurtured our profession into what it is and isn’t and have the opportunity to do the same now and in the future.

What do you think?