Choosing the right attitude
Article Outline
BRENDA C. ULMER
The classic novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens begins, “Whether or not I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”1 The end of one year and the beginning of the next is a good time to contemplate if you will be the hero of your own life or a hero in the life of someone else. One way to be a hero in nursing and in your personal life is to develop a “can do” attitude. The attitude a person has often determines whether he or she is successful. The attitude we all have about perioperative nursing helps attract others into the profession and ensures that the confidence our patients have in us continues.
Displaying a positive attitude about our profession and ourselves will become increasingly important as the nursing shortage continues. A recent article in JAMA projects that by the year 2020, the supply of RNs will fall 20% below requirements.2 We must work to attract and keep good men and women in nursing in general and perioperative nursing in particular. Leading by example is one of the best ways I can think of to do this.
We often are an example to others whether we know it or not. Why not consistently display the “can do” attitude that frequently is the hallmark of a perioperative nurse? Make a promise to yourself today and throughout the new year to make that attitude your own.
DEALING WITH CHANGE
One of the greatest honors ever bestowed on me by my peers resulted from events that I was totally unaware of at the time. The occasion was just after the opening of the new hospital where I was director of surgical services. This opening was the culmination of four long, hard years of work by many dedicated people. A total replacement facility was built from blueprints to bricks and mortar. Nothing from the old facility was moved to the new one. Every table, instrument, and trash can for the new hospital had to be ordered, organized, and assembled. As if that were not enough, we were adding a neurosurgery service, as well as new surgeons from every specialty. Those who have been through this process understand the magnitude of the task we undertook.
As the building progressed, we encountered numerous trials and tribulations, but we faced our challenges and worked to overcome them as a team. We helped each other, and the strengths each of us brought to the team made it stronger than any of us were individually.
The opening of the new hospital was celebrated publicly, and we celebrated among ourselves. We actually moved patients one day and ran a surgery schedule the next day. That is something I do not recommend if you can avoid it.
After the move, we worked to establish new routines and get the bugs out of the system. The three head nurses on my team presented me with a gift for my new office after the opening. They gave me a name plaque for my desk—the kind that is two-sided. One side had my name and “Director/Surgical Services.” The other side of the plaque had the date and their names. In quotes beneath their names was the phrase, “I can do that.”
They told me that during the good, as well as the trying, times of the previous four years, they frequently had heard me utter those words. They said it had become my mantra. They told me that my willingness to do whatever needed to be done had inspired them to do the same. Until that moment, I had not realized that I even had such a mantra, but I had three excellent witnesses to the fact.
I was deeply touched by their gift, and it inspires me to this day. The plaque is in my office still; whenever I feel overwhelmed or tired, glancing at it brings an instant smile and the knowledge that I can indeed achieve whatever I set my mind to achieve through teamwork and determination. Believing in ourselves and working together for the good of the whole will help us succeed, in spite of overwhelming odds.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE
I am reminded of the story of a 10-year-old boy who decided he wanted to take judo lessons, even though he had lost his left arm in a car accident. Children often think they are invincible and have no limitations, so the boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy tried very hard and did well, so he began to question the judo master after several months because he had learned only one move. The master reassured the boy that he would never need to know any other judo moves. The boy did not understand, but he believed in himself and his teacher so he continued to train.
Months later, the judo master took the boy to his first tournament. With the guidance of the judo master, he won the first two matches easily. The third match was harder, but when his opponent finally charged, the boy used his one move to win the match. The boy was amazed to find himself in the finals. In the finals, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced, and the boy appeared to be out of his league. The referee was concerned that the boy might be hurt so he called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the judo master said, “No—Let him continue.”
Soon after the match started again, the boy's opponent made a critical mistake—he lost concentration and dropped his guard. The boy used his move and pinned his opponent. He won the match and the tournament. As the boy and the master went over each move in the match, the boy summoned the courage to ask the master, “How is it that I won the tournament when I have only one move?” The master replied, “You won for two reasons. First, you have almost mastered one of the most difficult moves in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your Emphasizing a team's strengths minimizes individual weaknesses and leads to excellence. opponent to grab your left arm.”3
Knowing when and how to turn a weakness into a success can make a critical difference. We have many clichés in our society for doing just that (eg, take lemons and make lemonade; every cloud has a silver lining; see the invisible, do the impossible). Many of you probably could add to the list, but the message is the same—if you believe you will succeed and are willing to use your strengths and work hard, you can succeed. Not everyone has the same strengths or the same weaknesses. It is by emphasizing the strengths within a group or a team that individual weaknesses are minimized and the way for achieving excellence is paved.
LETTING GO OF MYTHS
In the Fall 2000 Nurses in Business, Industry, and Consulting Newsletter, newsletter editor Carolyn L. Twomey, RN, tells of how letting go of some popular myths can increase the chances for individual and group success. These myths include the following.4”
Myth one. Fixing weaknesses in a person will make the person stronger. If the boy in the story had elected to use an artificial arm and learn all the judo moves, would he have achieved the same level of success? If we try to “fix” weak members of a group, will the group be better, or is it more likely that the group will succeed if each member is allowed to contribute based on his or her individual strength?
Lately, I have seen a television advertisement that shows a chicken swimming in a pond. It is funny to watch this commercial, but, at the same time, I am certain that swimming will never be where a chicken excels.
Myth two. Let the strengths take care of themselves. If a person excels at something, the strength will develop naturally. The boy succeeded at his one judo move because he practiced the move to the point of mastery. Our strengths are like muscles; they only become strong when we use them. It is the same with a skill or a talent. Letting it lie dormant or unused results in a lesser skill or talent. The old adage, “If you don't use it, you lose it,” often is true.
Myth three. Success is the opposite of failure. Looking at failure can give misleading clues about what to emphasize in improving performance. Twomey makes the point that studying why people leave a job cannot tell managers why other people may stay. There often are degrees of success and degrees of failure. AORN currently is conducting a governance study to determine what we as an organization can do to ensure our continued success. We are including all facets of our membership to try to determine why people may leave AORN, as well as what factors entice people to remain members of the organization.5
Myth four. People can do anything they put their minds to. If at first you do not succeed, try, try again. Twomey states that these clichés are part of the power of positive thinking. Positive thinking is a good thing, and a person should pursue his or her heart's desire, but letting go of this myth suggests that we also should be realistic. Chickens will never be good swimmers. The chicken would be better served by choosing another career path.
Letting go of these myths allows us to identify and develop individual and group strengths. When each person on a team is encouraged to grow in an area where he or she has strength or talent, group synergy can develop. Years ago when I started to work in the OR, we all had to rotate through every service. During these rotations, I learned what I liked and disliked, but I also learned what I was good at. As time went on, the things I liked and had a talent for became my greatest strengths. As we begin a new year, a new century, and a new millennium in 2001, we must make it our business to play on our individual and collective strengths to move AORN forward. It is my strong desire that we see a time in our future when every nurse who practices in the perioperative arena will want to be a part of AORN. Together, we can make this happen. Have wonderful holidays and a fantastic new year.
NOTES
- . David Copperfield . Hertsfordshire, United Kingdom: Wordsworth Classics; 1992;
- . “Implications of an aging registered nurse workforce,” . JAMA . June 14, 2000;283:2948–2954
- “Weakness or strength,” Afterhours Inspirational Stories . Available from http://www.inspirationalstories.com Accessed April 1998
- . “Let me tell you a story,” . Nurses in Business, Industry and Consulting Newsletter . Fall 2000;7:
- . “Preserving the legacy,” . AORN Journal . August 2000;72:173–175
PII: S0001-2092(06)61901-7
doi:10.1016/S0001-2092(06)61901-7
© 2000 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.
