Conflict Resolution

Today we didn't discuss conflict resolution, we actually talked about the future of nursing. The conversation regarding diversity was a good one for me. I had never thought about the need to have cultural diversity in employees. I can see how experiencing patients with different cultural backgrounds is beneficial and can help us be better nurses but I never really thought about how coworkers of different ethnicity could benefit my practice.  The conversation regarding the lack of voice that nurses have and the need for greater education was interesting as well. I'm not quite sure how nurses change the way they are viewed from a leadership standpoint but it is something to keep in mind when trying to institute change.

Motivation

I actually don't remember discussing motivation last week but I thought our guest speaker was great. Her story of how she got where she is can be somewhat motivating and gives hope for what can be attained as a manager. She had a fantastic and cheerful personality that is contagious. She seemed genuinely sold on the key concepts and philosiphies that IHC stands for and was excited to represent her employer in a positive manner. This type of personality is difficult to find and even harder to teach. It is something that usually comes naturally and she has it. No wonder she is in the position she is in today. She probably deserves every bit of success she has achieved. Self motivation is key as a manager because if you can't motivate yourself then nobody else probably will do it. As a manager you have to have enough motivation to push yourselves and those you manage. a lot of the managerial process really is just helping others to be excited about their job and motivated to do better.

Quality

I am so lost on these hournal entries and can't remember which week we discussed quality or if we ever have addressed the subject completely. We have however discussed leadership qualities and the importance of being thorough. Quality comes in many facets including the quality of our work, quality of our relationships at home and work, and the quality of the organization we choose to work for and people we associate with. These are all things that are important to keep in mind moving forward in our careers. Creating an aura of quality in our life will allow us to create more meaningful experiences for ourselves as well as those we manage and or lead.

Risk Management

This class was good for helping me to understand the role of risk managers. There are a lot of items that I never had any idea fall under the role of risk managers. Risk managers responsibilities include preparing for the safety of patients, employees, and hospital visitors. They also have to prepare to minimize risk for the company as well. This is one heck of a balancing act. Not sure I would want to have the job of a risk manager but it is good to have some basic knowledge and experience in this field if I ever end up in management. There are a lot of issues that I need to keep in mind in order to minimize risk and legal liability. I felt the information was good but I do have to say that the presentation was a little dry. The presenter seemed super nice and considerate of others but not a very dynamic personality.

Future of Nursing Reflective Journal

Today was a good class. Obviously answering the question what did you expect is jsut crazy because given the way things go in class I never know what to expect. I did get some good information regarding the requriements and benefits of being an educator and doing travel nursing. I also enjoyed the conversation about what the future of nursing is going to be. We are constantly taught in nursing school to use critical thinking but for some reason nurses only tend to critically think when dealing with patients, their families, and other health care workers. We are terrible at using critical thinking skills to change our future. Instead of adapting to changes and looking for ways to make our future better we tend to complain about what is owed to us and why we deserve more. Now is the time to determine what we want our future to be like and start moving in that direction. You have to create a plan and then work to implement it. It will almost never be easy but in the end if you reach your goals it will be owrth it.