Bring it On
Five years ago Fran Loring, RN was a new department head on Merritt 3 Surgical. The medical center community was in the midst of “benchmarking,”-- a tremendously stressful process of measuring productivity and comparing our results to national standards. New reports on unit progress were required every day. Nursing leaders were being asked to find a way to meet the benchmark with their staffing. The results could potentially affect every staff person’s schedule.
Everyone knew that there would be new decisions coming soon regarding staffing. Thursday’s staff meeting was packed. Fran, once again, went through all of the information comparing the unit’s staffing to the national standards. The room was quiet and very solemn. When she finished and she asked if there were any questions.
A nurse said, “I have something to say.”
“Ok,” Fran said, bracing herself. She had no idea what to expect but knew this nurse had a reputation for speaking her mind.
“We are a unit that has been really shoved around without having a lot to say. You are the sixth department head we’ve had in four years. Now morale is improving, and it looks like we finally got a department head who’s going to stay for awhile and now this. And you know what I say?”
Fran held her breath.
She said, “Bring it on!”
The staff meeting erupted in applause, as the whole staff endorsed what this informal leader had proclaimed.
The Moral of the Story:
· One person’s battle is another person’s challenge.
· Leading does not mean doing it; sometimes it means getting out of the way.
· You find inspiration where you least expect it.
· How you see it, defines the challenge.
· Fall seven times, stand up eight. |
