Learning to make the best out of difficult or painful experiences is a learned skill. When I began my journey of self-introspection I quickly realized there was a lot I needed to work on and it was not so obvious before that. This process has further been expedited by the abundant amount of personal time I have been having lately. This pandemic has brought a lot of things to light and I'm genuinely grateful for it, for maybe some of the lessons I am learning would have been surpassed by other non-productive activities. I had highlighted in a previous blogpost titled self-introspection(https://lilylovelong.blogspot.com/2019/10/self-introspection.html), that I am relearning the art of mindfulness which is very essential. It's illuminating some aspects of my life that I have to put more effort into. For instance, when was the last time you expressed gratitude.To be clear this is not the thank you for receiving a gift from your partner but rather thank you for a deed, thank you for someone's time, thank you for an opportunity, thank you for a listening ear, thank you for showing up when in need, thank you for their efforts that facilitated you to excel in a particular task. Expressing gratitude is not only limited to being expressed verbally but also through actions. When was the last time you expressed gratitude to your employer or your employer made you feel appreciated. We have become such an individualistic society full of desire for instant gratification that we forget these humanistic approaches.
Like many people, going to work especially recently in this healthcare industry has been a struggle. Nowadays, I feel like I am doomed if I do and doomed if I do not. For instance, did you know that most health workers are now experiencing a looming fear for pay cuts on their menial salary despite the government recommendation that health workers need to be comfortable to continue providing care? The saddest part is that this has already started in most places. In some organizations, the communication about it is coming too late. Firstly, I do acknowledge that pay cuts are better than people getting fired. However, I would wish to know is it just health workers on the ground, or is it even happening with hospital administrators in these organizations? Secondly, are the concerned parties involved in the decision making? Again whenever organizations are successful how many of them appreciate their staff for facilitating the success of their programs.
For a successful symbiotic relationship to exist within organizations, analysis of an article presented on "The Ethics of ‘Withholding Effort’ in the workplace" states that employees should not withhold effort because- It is theft from their employer.
- It causes harm to their fellow colleagues.
- Employees owe it to their employer to always be productive.
Follow this link and subscribe for a more in-depth analysis of this https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract20178112. Employers are also mandated to play their part in enhancing increased staff satisfaction while experiencing shortages. Some of the recommendations from this journal article include;
- Effective communication
- Monetary recognition
- Increased collaboration.
Follow this link for more information https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20180522-10.
Despite all this not always taking place, I am choosing to be grateful for the little things. Here are my top four.
I. Veracity
“Anyone can lead when the plan is working. The best lead when the plan falls apart.” Robin Sharma
This season is teaching me a lot about examining institutional HR policies both my current employers, previous employers, and prospective employers. By doing so it is providing a clear understanding of what really matters in different organizations and in this way it bears truths of what their core values, principles are while handling their employees.
2. The bigger picture
"All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small." Lao Tzu
This season has taught me to appreciate always looking at a situation and seeing it from a broader perspective. Do not just look at things at face value, take time to explore the situation at hand. I am learning that not everything is bad and simultaneously not every situation is perfect.
3. Patience
"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting." Joyce MeyerI am re-learning the art of being patient with myself, patient with processes around me, and patience with my friends and colleagues.
4. Being a scholar
Today I write as a proud nurse, a nurse who is happy to see the great strides our profession is taking. A journey that began with a young lady observing the massive death rate among soldiers and asking herself, "What can I do differently to improve their outcomes?" A lady who made inquisitiveness a thrill and led the way for others who followed her dream. Happy nurses week colleagues I am proud of all that you do in your practice. With such a great trendsetter we should not tire of working towards making great improvements in this profession. We have come a long way and we have a long way to go. Steve Jobs once said “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
I wish I could have had a sitdown with you earlier but I was not wise enough to give you sage advice then. I still am not yet there but the little I have learned I wish to share. In this new journey you will cry, laugh, get frustrated but how you react to it all makes the greatest difference.
You may have joined the profession accidentally you may have always wished to be a nurse like I did or it was a predetermined choice for you. If nothing keep this in mind;
Those people you interact with daily can offer great motivation or ruin your career path. Care enough about that and be discerning of anyone who will hinder you from attaining your goals. You can learn from all around you but choose what is appropriate for your path. take the time to learn your fellow colleagues, those in leadership, the supervisors, and the managers identify their strengths and weaknesses. Create harmonious work relationships with them. However, this will not apply to all and it is okay. You will achieve more from investing in people than in investing in processes.
A lack of empathy may break you. No school will ever teach you how to deal with the grief you experience when you lose a newborn because of a preventable cause or when someone dies without their close family saying goodbye because of travel restrictions. You will be insulted for actually doing your job and for standing your ground. It will hurt but the good deeds will always outweigh the bad. You can only do so much as a human being. Give your best for that is all you can do. When it gets overwhelming seek counseling services. It is okay to get help. Be unapologetic about caring for yourself first and more so for caring for the vulnerable.
As I wrote on a previous blogpost" Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." Helen Keller. You can not do it all. You need everyone around you no matter how small their role you assume is. In this profession its all about collaboration. Always appreciate this and you will achieve a lot in a day's work.
"Don't work 8 hours for a company then go home and not work on your own goals. You're not tired, you're uninspired." Anonymus