Several thousand hospitals have achieved “Magnet” recognition, and while these are not perfect places to work in, they are easing the transition for new nurses. The magnet standards have improved working conditions, continuing education opportunities, and opportunities for nurses’ voices to be heard. This has raised the bar for all nurses. You may not realize that these things were not present until fairly recently. So take charge of your career and the opportunities available.

It is said that the first year of professional practice is the most difficult. Take advantage of all the assistance available to you, to ease your way. Attend as many continuing education programs as possible. If your hospital has a mentoring program, use it.  Or, at least, find 1-2 experienced nurses whom you trust for support and advice. Ask how they organize their day or what their secrets are for surviving the night shift.

You’ll be surprised by their answers–they are not what you think.

Some assignments seem impossible, and certain nurses, doctors or other staff may still “eat their young.” But remember,  for every person who makes it tough for you, there are 99 of us out here cheering you on–as our newest generation of the caring, professional nurses that we know you already are—and truly proficient, and even EXPERT (as Patricia Benner says), nurses you will one day be!

I learned at an early age—from a wonderful mentor—that the secret to dealing with destructive humor is this: “If you can get others to laugh with you, they won’t laugh at you!” My mentor gave me some magic tricks and a few joke books to get me started.

To this day, I try to use humor to encourage positive growth in myself as well as the patients whom I serve as a nurse. As nurses, we have incredible power to use humor to help a suffering patient or bedraggled co-worker. A smile, a joke, a funny story is a true “treat” when everything appears gloom and doom.

At work, you can provide “treats” of humor all year long. Look for clean jokes or riddle books. Keep a joke jar on your desk, or include a one-liner in your correspondences.

Or, if your employer allows creativity, consider wearing a creative hat or fun smock at work during the holidays. At Halloween, one dialysis center encouraged the staff and patients to come in costumes, and some were awarded for being the most creative! I’ve worked with many patients who have suggested that hospitals and medical centers should have theme days throughout the year–not just at Halloween! It’s a boost to their spirits, they say.

So think about how you can offer “treats” of humor at work–and share with us the outcome!

Happy Halloween!
Leslie Gibson
www.educationalconnection.com

It had the potential to be one of the most rewarding times of her life—being honored with the VNA Foundation’s Super Star in Community Nursing award. Thirty-plus news agencies swarmed to the story about Sally Lemke, a Chicago Cook County nurse practitioner making a difference in the public healthcare system. It seemed the media was ready to shed some positive light on the healthcare system, typically scrutinized for its failures.

But within three days, Lemke’s cloud-nine experience vanished. While receiving her first phone call requesting an interview about the Super Star award, Lemke was on her way to the Cook County offices to sign the paperwork to either take a layoff or accept a demotion.

Lemke declined the lower-paying job as a floor nurse, deciding to go somewhere where she would be respected while changing patients’ lives.

In this second part of RealityRN’s exclusive interview with Lemke, she candidly speaks about her experience in the spotlight and offers advice to new nurses about handling bureaucracy:

Describe your experience being in the public eye after being laid off and being offered a lower-paying/ranking job.

Sally Lemke: It was very strange having my “business” on the front page, literally. I was totally unprepared for the media onslaught and found the experience uncomfortable.

Did your publicity help the nursing profession?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to shift the spotlight to the contributions that community health nurses make and the harm done when they are cut from budgets (as was, and still is, the case with Cook County).

Putting a human face on the loss for the patients and community to see was helpful in making the public understand all the areas nurses make contributions. I think most people associate nursing with hospital-based work and aren’t aware of the full spectrum of our care. The media attention hopefully enlightened the public to the breadth of what nurses do and perhaps drew some nurses to a career in community health.

I also think that the publicity helped to highlight what most nurses know–that our health care system is faulty, inequitable, and unjust. And part of the problem stems from politicians and bureaucrats making decisions about who should receive health care services and how.

As a nurse practitioner, did you ever expect to face bureaucracy?

I think among the community health network of Chicagoland, it’s known that there are certain bureaucratic and organizational challenges inherent in the Cook County Bureau of Health system that nurses, physicians, and employees need to deal with. I knew that when I came on board with Cook County. But I truly believed in the mission of the Bureau of Health: that quality health care is a basic human right. And I felt up to the challenge of dealing with the system.
But the haphazard dismantling of this public health system with little regard for the true mission of the Bureau of Health has really saddened me. So many dedicated and talented people are gone and so many programs that were an efficient use of health care dollars were cut.

In the end, it is truly the patients who have lost out.

What’s your best advice for new nurses facing bureaucracy?

First, stick to your values and remember why you chose to become a nurse. Never compromise your values, especially when it comes to patient care.

Second, find a mentor. I have had many wonderful supportive mentors who have helped me navigate some of the bureaucratic messes I’ve worked in. They’ve helped me keep my perspective and stay confident.

And third, never underestimate your ability to make change. Polls say nurses are the most trusted of all professionals. That puts us in a credible position to be on the forefront of making improvements in how our patients are treated and how our health care systems are run.

Maybe it’s time you looked for a mentor, someone who shares similar goals and who will support you for the long haul of your nursing career.

Pioneer in the field of nurse mentoring and editor of The Mentor Connection in Nursing, Connie Vance, EDd, RN, FAAN, shares what a mentor relationship is and how to find a mentoring relationship that will work for you:

So how does a new nurse find a mentor?

First, you’ll need to pursue a relationship in which there’s some shared goals, shared styles of working, a commitment to the profession, and a shared vision of where you’re heading.

You’ve also got to make yourself mentorable– as someone who is willing to work, passionate, and committed. For a new nurse, this means asking to be exposed to many experiences, volunteering, asking for feedback, and following up with questions about how you are doing. Mentorable nurses often keep a journal and regularly reflect on their practices. They are also the ones who have a “Can I help?” mentality. If they have extra time, they volunteer to deal with a difficult patient or help out a co-nurse who is swamped.

Mentorable nurses take their profession seriously and go above what’s expected.

What can’t a mentor do for the new nurse?

The mentor can’t make the protégée receive the gifts of mentorship. A mentor may offer a ton of encouragement, but the protégée ultimately decides what to grab onto. The protégée has to be receptive—has to follow the opportunities the mentor opens up to him/her.

At its core, what’s mentoring really all about?

The mentor connection is a human connection. It’s a professional as well as personal relationship in which there’s reciprocity of sharing, learning, and growing. As we all know, when you’re in a good relationship, everyone gets something out of it.

It’s also a historical, psychological, and developmental model. In a way, it’s very much like parent-to-child, teacher-to-student relationships – it’s a way of learning and growing in life. When we watch other people whom we admire, we imitate them.

How similar are preceptor relationships and mentoring relationships?

A preceptor is like a coach or a guide for a specific goal or role, and usually with a time limit. Mentoring includes precepting, but is less about the current position and more about the career.

Mentors are there for the long haul and to help the new nurse see the big picture.

Is mentoring prevalent?

Mentoring in nursing is more of an underground thing. The word is not in our language, in our literature, or in our lecture halls. However, the leaders in our field all claim that along the way they had had some type of mentor. These mentors are not only nurses but are hospital administrators and doctors.

Studies actually show that 85 percent of leaders can name their mentors and over 90 percent say they are doing the same thing for people coming behind them. So there’s really a “generational” aspect to this. Leaders grow leaders. That’s the way it works.

Why does this work so well?

Protégées will not make as many mistakes, will have doors opened to them, and will have clearly cited goals. It’s easier to make it in life and in your profession. Of course, you can make it in life without mentors—but it’s harder.

The outcome of being mentored is success and satisfaction. Now, how you define success and satisfaction, that’s something else. But no question about it, people who have these kinds of deep relationships have an advantage.

RealityRN senior advisory board member and nursing professor Cecelia Gatson Grindel, PhD, RN, CMSRN, FAAN, talks straight about the benefits of a mentor, what to look for in a mentor, and how to go about finding one:

What is a mentor relationship?
Dr. Grindel: It is a relationship between a seasoned nurse and a new nurse, built to support each other in a variety of ways.

What are the benefits for a new nurse?
New RNs can gather confidence about their practice. Often times they are a little overwhelmed with their new setting. They can use the mentor as a springboard for bouncing ideas about the practice. They also learn how to problem solve, not only in relation to clinical practice but also in regard to relationships within the organization.

Mentors can help mentees learn how to communicate and represent themselves well as well as set career goals.

How does it benefit the mentor?
Mentors usually find great satisfaction watching someone they’ve mentored grow in their career. It’s why I get involved with people who have a lot of potential but just need a little boost along the way.

Should mentees look within or outside the institution they’re working in for a mentor?
You should look at least outside the unit. Often a new nurse gets placed with a preceptor (sometimes the term “mentor” is used). But a mentoring relationship is not necessarily a forced relationship, and the relationship with a preceptor generally does not build into a mentor/mentee relationship. And if the mentor/mentee relationship happens on the unit, the exchange is limited by the fact that the preceptor must report the mentee’s progress to the nurse manager. This suggestion of authority can limit frank discussions that the mentee would like to have with the mentor.

Can you give an example?
Say a mentee has difficulty with one of the other staff members or with a nurse manager. She can’t talk about that with her mentor if they both work for the same person. Also, when you both work on the same unit, people tend to talk. How can you have a confidential relationship about building your career and practice if you can’t talk openly?

A student of mine went to work in the D.C. area. One time she wrote to tell me about a nurse who criticized her for a clinical decision she made. She specifically asked me if she made the correct choice, and I affirmed that she had. In that situation, she couldn’t ask anybody else in her unit. She needed to work out how she was going to handle it outside of work.

So how does a new nurse find a mentor?
Your mentor could be in the hospital that you’re working at. Most nurses know other nurses outside their institution, a friend they can call on and build a relationship with. That’s the most elemental mentor/mentee relationship. You may also consider contacting a professor from college or nursing school (one with clinical practice experience)—they also make great mentors.

What makes a strong mentor?
They have strong clinical skills, though they don’t have to perfectly align with the mentee’s clinical skills. For example, the student I was just telling you about works in ICU. I never did, but I’ve worked in med-surg so I could relate to what she was talking about. I know enough about the content.

A strong mentor is also open to dialogue—not merely telling a mentee what to do. Mentees need someone who will listen, someone they can bounce ideas off of, and someone they communicate freely with about anything and everything.

A mentor can give you perspective; they can help you improve your skills; and they can help you gain confidence. But in the end, they can’t do your hard work for you. Your mentor should stay in the background—you’re the front person. And, remember, when you shine, you’re going to get the glory for it.