LETTER SUBMISSION
E-mail
letters to the editor to Jim Mattson. |
TO THE EDITORIn response to “Let’s help them stay in nursing,”
As a mama to a beautiful little toddler in a high-stress world and a full-time senior nursing student in a relatively new pre-RN baccalaureate program, there are many challenges to endure. Mentoring is critical in both academic and clinical settings. One of my greatest mentors is my French mom—a remarkable person and cardiology nurse—who helped redirect my academic interest from foreign language education to nursing. I have always believed that, although nurses may have the tendency to eat their young, I am not an entree. Jen Harvey As a new graduate, I feel I receive little guidance or support from my colleagues and daily struggle with thoughts of “Did I make the right decision?” and “Is nursing really for me?” It was refreshing to read that even an experienced nurse pursuing a PhD valued the leadership and direction she obtained from a mentor. Being a new learner is difficult enough at the best of times, but even more so when you are alone. I can say with honesty that I haven’t found my mentor yet, but I have hope. Thank you for such a wonderful article. Caroline Pease, RN, BScN I enjoyed “Let’s help them stay in nursing” and would like to comment on treatment of nursing students. I am a part-time educator who also works in the world of clinical administration where the buzz is all about culture change, mentoring and staff empowerment. Although these ideals are a long way from being fully realized, we are putting policies and programs into place and doing so with conviction. Our goal is to support employees, encourage their full participation in organizational and personal goals, and help them realize that their contributions are valuable. The ultimate goal, of course, is successful recruitment and more importantly, retention. Education is also long overdue for a similar culture change. Instead of mentoring students and supporting them as they tentatively try their new skills in unfamiliar settings, the talk is about “weeding them out” and putting them on “clinical warning.” We rarely utilize adult education techniques that emphasize individuality, past experiences and values as a basis for learning. We teach to the test more than any other discipline. After all, our success and prestige as a program is based solely on our NCLEX passing rate. Many students leave nursing programs already frustrated about the overwhelming rigidity and then enter the world of “real” practice where they find it is little better, plus they’re working nights. Nursing education needs to embrace the culture of change and begin truly supporting students as they take their fledgling steps into our world. First impressions are hard to shake. As most nurses will tell you, their first impressions in school stayed with them and helped mold their overall view—good or bad—of the profession. Anonymous In response to “Uncommon journey” (Fourth Quarter 2005): I was energized by the article about President Carol Picard. Like many nurses, her road to leadership took many turns and included making time for her family. I identify with her belief that our own stories are intertwined with our choices and that what changes one personally also changes one’s practice. I chose nursing after being very ill as a child with a cardiac anomaly, and spending extended stays at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. After becoming critically ill a few years ago and being out of work, I refocused on my nursing education. A graduate of a diploma school, I will graduate with my BSN this May and hope to obtain my master’s. My focus is now turning toward research. Thank you for this wonderful article. It truly was an inspiration! Catherine M. McPhee, RN
On page 23 of the Fourth Quarter 2005 issue, the nurse is taking the child’s blood pressure through his shirtsleeve. One of the first things we teach new students is to not take a BP over clothing. I think all information published by an organization that emphasizes nursing scholarship, including pictures, should be accurate. Thank you. Sandra O’Hedy, RN, MSN In response to “From the CEO” (Fourth Quarter 2005): I am writing to let you know how much I enjoyed Nancy Dickenson-Hazard’s column in the Fourth Quarter issue. I have thought many times about going to a psychic to learn the future but realized I hold my future in my own hands. Nancy’s daughter and her friend have learned this at a very young age. Ten years from now, it will be interesting to see if their “Top 20” remain the same! Barbara Chamberlain, MSN, APRN, BC,
CCRN, WCC In response to “COMING: To a hospital
near you” Congratulations to Tami Merryman and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for developing realistic solutions to the frustrations and challenges encountered by the bedside nurse. I was a charge nurse on subacute and critical-care units. I came to the profession filled with passion and dedication. After 10 years of what felt like “death by a thousand cuts,” I left bedside nursing forever. As stated in the speech, I lived in a “world of broken systems, wasted energy and desperately frustrating situations.” I am happy to see that some nurse leaders are finally looking at the real issues rather than piling on more meaningless paperwork or studying some aspect of the AD nurse versus the BSN nurse for the 10,000th time. Elisabeth Cudney Keen, RN, BSN |
