Challenging the status quo
I am a mother of three boys and have been a registered nurse for 25 years. I have worked in almost every field of nursing from many years in the operating room as well as medicine and surgery, obstetrics, Emergency Department, Continuing Care and Homecare.
I have worked for Alberta Health Services (AHS) and its previous forms for that time and have tried my hand in the private sector as well. I loved working in education both for various colleges and universities and with AHS as a clinical educator. Recently did some time trying to get the idea of collaborative care out in our rural acute areas (CoACT) and now have landed in what is a direct relation to it: in Quality Improvement.
I am a healthcare rebel and pride myself for thinking outside the box. Why is status quo, status quo? Who said that we needed to do that? Just because we have done it that way the last (insert time frame here), doesn’t mean we have to continue with the madness. Challenge the status quo when you see there is a better way, or even if you don’t see it yet. If you want things to be better, things have to be different. If you want things to be different, they have to change.
I want to harness the change agent in us all for a better health system.
It's about time that our healthcare got back in to the people side of care. For way too long we have been focusing on tasks. Now don’t get me wrong – learning the best way to do tasks, procedures or treatments is extremely important in healthcare. We all want someone who is competent in starting that IV, treating that tumour, surgically removing you appendix or re-starting your heart!
But somewhere in the mix we lost the people side; something that we were skilled at years prior as our task ability was limited. Now with assisted technologies and advancements, best practices and research we have it nailed. It's time to focus back on including the patient's voice into our care.
They know what's happening to them. We need to listen. We need to hear what they are saying when they don’t feel right. We need to listen when they question us, when they offer information. Asking a simple, What matters to you? puts the control back in the hands of who have the most to gain and lose: the patients.
It's time to allow them to direct their care. They are the experts in their life. The quieter you become, the more you hear.
Being a registered nurse for so many years in so many areas of clinical work, I have had the privilege to share with many individuals the joys and sorrows of life. Those experiences combined with the personal experiences of family and friends have really shaped how I see the health continuum. So when asked what matters to me, I have to pull back on those experiences and reflect.
