Day 2: Adventures in Healthcare Leadership

I guess all I can say to start today off is wow!! It has been a very full but amazing day with an overwhelming amount of inspiration and knowledge.

Ok so starting the day off with a continental breakfast which I guess only downfall of traveling is it kinda messes your body up and as far as eating goes you kinda just make the best choice with options available. Oh and I guess going to bed at 1am due to my body being very messed up with time is taking a toll also but no complaints here because this is for sure the most incredible experience and I feel so honored to have the opportunity. 

So getting down to business. The first speakers name was Roger Nierenberg, author of The Music Paradigm: Leading by Listening and the Power of Attunement. It was the most amazing experience of the day sitting in the middle of an orchestra listening to some incredible music learning how leadership can make or break the performance. I have a whole new respect for musicians for sure. Some key points of learning would be:

-  Your view and experience differs greatly on where your seat lies. 

-  Not everybody's job is as glamorous or rewarding.

-  The beauty is found and experienced when everybody comes together. 

-  In order to achieve unity everybody needs to be completely attuned and in the present moment. 

-  It's not about the authority and power you have it's how you use it.

-  The leaders job is to offer a vision of what could be. 

-  Your actions need to follow your vision.

If you are interested in hearing the song it can be downloaded on Roger's website.

http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/musicparadigm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmusicparadigm.com%2Fmusic-cleveland-oh%2F&dm_redirected=true#2840

What I have written doesn't even begin to  describe the experience. 

Next speaker was the Rebirth of a Caring  Culture: From Distrust and Disunity to Compassion and Joy by Kathleen Van Wagoner, author of Advancing Professional Nurse Practice. 

Key notes were:

-  Stories bring forth the attributes that are important in our life. 

- Whatever you do support the journey. 

-  Values are the driving force that guide our life. 

-  Relationships are the drivers to improvement including your relationship with yourself. 

-  The key to sustaining any new vision is change. 

The last one that really stood out was Whole Systems Healing: Implications for well-being Leadership by Mary Jo Kreitzer author of Integrative Nursing. 

Book recommendations ...

Gentle Actions by: F. David Peat

Solving Tough Problems by: Adam Kahane

Nature Principles by Richard Louv

Check out a very inspirational story by a man named Matthew Sanford who is a disabled yoga instructor.

http://www.mindbodysolutions.org/content/matthew-sanford

"Once you grab hold of possibilities,

There aren't any limits. 

All you have to do is believe."

-  Kevin Bjorklund

Another website with some great info and a well being health assessment is:

http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/

Key points:

-  Fluctuations are the source of creativity. 

- Leadership is a behavior not a position. 

-  Leadership is what happens when people step forward to make a difference in issues they care about. 

-  Self awareness generates possibilities. 

- Mindfulness is being in the moment, non-judgementally.

-  When you are not practicing mindfulness you become reactive. 

-  Diversity is creativity. 

-  Suspend certainty and embrace uncertainty. 

-  Be willing to let go of the belief that you are right. 

-  We can't do for others what we are not already doing for ourselves. 

-  Health is in your hands. 

-  Nature heals. 

So it's been an extremely long day and even though this post doesn't begin to give you the experience personally it has some great resources and statements to get you thinking and learning with me. 

After I got to go for a walk and experience Lake Erie. 

So exhausted I leave you for the day with a little inspiration to fill your heart and knowledge to guide your journey. Three more days to go and more updates to come. 

New adventures in Healthcare Leadership

So today I got the opportunity to fly out to my first conference in healthcare. I mean I have done some local continuing education and seminars but nothing away from home. Just all the opportunities that have come forth in my life are so exciting for me. Ever since changing my life and not just with weight loss but with a combination of physical and mental changes. I have been able to care for patients the way I never was before and I have had a tremendous passion to help other healthcare workers take better care of themselves and experience the kind of joy, happiness and success I have been able to experience. I was elected last year to be the next leader for a council at the hospital I work at. I have taken on more and more responsibilities and gaining more and more confidence and just finding the opportunities keep heading my way. There is something to be said for feeling good about yourself because others notice. 

Today was a long day of flying but got an unexpected ride in a limo from the airport to the resorts and have already gotten to talk to a bunch of other healthcare workers with a similar passion. I probably seem like a kid in the candy store with all my excitement and being new to leadership have a lot to learn but so ready to dive right in and start making positive changes. 

The conference I am at this week is a relationship based care conference and even though I don't know what it involves yet, I do know it sounds pretty self explanatory. Creating better relationships across the system. So not just between healthcare workers and patients but also between other healthcare workers. Creating a better and friendlier environment overall which in the long run creates happier people and less mistakes. 

This conference is the International Relationship Based Care Symposium. It is located in Huron, OH at the Sawmill Creek Resort. 

http://chcm.com/2013-rbc-symposium/

Tomorrow starts the learning. Check back soon 

for updates.  

We are in it together

I believe in reaching out to others around you. I remember in nursing school they asked everybody why they wanted to be a nurse. Of course almost everybody stated they wanted to help others and to the instructors that was not an acceptable answer since well I guess it was the only answer. I mean I understand they wanted everybody to step out of the box a little and come up with a unique answer that was more personal.

But when it comes to life. I feel like we all have times when we really need the support of others. Times when we really need a little help getting back up after we have fallen down. I know I do and I think I am pretty strong. I don't think it matters how strong we are because we as humans will always have a weak moment. Life is definitely not about being perfect. Life is about striving for perfection and getting as close as you can.

So remember, when people around you are angry, sad, confused or whatever. People who don't have a smile to offer you. Those are the ones that need your love and support the most. I know we usually get angry and defensive when someone else is like that to us. But to be honest you have no idea what is going on in their life.

So lets share the love, support others, and smile. Think about how you would want others to act toward you and be that for them.

Getting Back in the Game

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."

-  Dale Carnegie

I Love My Job!! :)

This was my second attempt going back to work since hurting my back about 10 weeks ago and I am happy to say so far very successful. Obviously I am going to continue to have to be very careful and take very good care of myself to continue to make progress, but once again I have proven someone wrong that told me something couldn't be done. I have kind of also proven myself wrong since I did believe for a while that my life was going to be so horrible from here on out. Being that I am only 31 years old that sounded like a long life of misery. Of course that didn't last long and with lots of support around me I finally picked myself back up and decided to keep on pushing and finding hope. Belief that anything was possible. 

Now I know this is just another turning point in my life. Again I wouldn't take back any of my struggles and obstacles I have encountered. They have helped me grow. They have helped me find my path and purpose in life. I am so blessed to have come this far and experienced all the things I have. I have so many exciting things coming up that I know will change my life even more. Of course things will be different but that is what helps me continue my journey and to keep moving forward in my life. 

"Life is like riding a bike. To keep your balance, you must keep moving forward."

-  Albert Einstein

Being the patient

I have learned so much in my journey through this injury. Learned so much more about what our patients really need from us. A warm smile, a listening ear and hope. I have seen multiple doctors. My last orthopedic surgeon gave me my diagnosis and without even listening to my struggles said you will have this pain for the rest of your life, your athletic days have come to an end and there is absolutely nothing to do for you. As I cried in fear of what would become of me I asked for some sort of direction, I asked to be heard and supported in my journey to a different kind of life. Now finally seeing a pain management doctor that listened, sympathized and and gave me hope that there is something I can do to get back to my life and career took such a load off of me. It didn't all have to be this way but seeing how it shouldn't be made me think of the patients. I now more then ever understand what they need. And it's not creating a miracle. It's something much more simple. A holding hand, a kind heart, and just to be listened to and supported. This I will bring back with me, to help guide me in giving the best to each and every person I care for everyday. 

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Exploring the power of mantra

“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others.” 

-  Norman Vincent Peale

So I have tried using mantra in the past and sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn't. During the last couple months while recovering from a back injury and trying to find the strength inside to heal, manage pain and continuing moving forward anyway I can. Mantra has been very useful in helping me through this process. 

First lets take a step back. What does mantra mean? Well basically it is a repeated word or phrase. Now does this phrase have some sort of magical power? Well that completely depends on what you say, how you say it and how much you believe the words you are saying. 

Now when you state your mantra you are going to want to state it as an affirmation.  An affirmation is something declared to be true; a positive statement or judgement. So starting your mantra out as I am vs. I will means you are currently in this state of being vs. wishing you were. Now it doesn't matter at all if you are really not but stating it in a way that says you are, will give you a greater chance of really being and believing you are how you want to be. 

Ok so lets get down to the details. Your mantra will probably depend on what is going on in your life, your struggles, and the way you aspire to be. 

Start of by taking in a couple deep breaths. Nice and slow, relaxed. Then move on to stating "I am" while breathing in. Then stating your positive word while breathing out. Examples are strong, powerful, motivated, happy, healed, peaceful, healthy, loved, determined etc. it's a positive powerful word stated in the present tense. You can even choose a couple words. This morning for my mantra I used: 

I am strong

I am loved

I am healed

I used this to help me in my journey. Me telling myself I am strong helps give me the strength I need to conquer any challenge I am faced with. Me telling myself I am loved. Reminds me that I am supported and loved by myself and others around me. Then I am healed helps me develop a connection with myself and send healing thoughts and vibes through my body to help my body heal and recover. 

The one thing I do know is it can't hurt. It's hard to think negative thoughts when your mind is too busy stating something positive. 

Did you try it? How did it make you feel?