Renewing and sharing your passion

AORN Journal,  May, 2007  by Mary Jo W. Steiert

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As I begin my presidency, I encourage you to share your passion and illuminate our profession. This will be the theme of Congress 2008, and it shares a common thread with the theme of this year's National Nurses Week--Nursing: a Profession and a Passion. Rebecca Patton, RN, MSN, CNOR, president of the American Nurses Association and a perioperative nurse, stated, "This year's theme reflects the commitment to compassion and quality of care necessary to be a member of this proud community." (1)

Passion is defined as "a powerful emotion ... boundless enthusiasm ... the object of such enthusiasm." (2) Passion is the core of nursing practice. Our passion as nurses is to ensure that quality health care will be available for years to come and that the focus will always be on providing patients and their families with the best possible care. We have an obligation to maintain our clinical competence, increase our skills and knowledge base as technology advances, and remember the very important emotional connections we have with our patients, gaining their trust and confidence while they are in our care.

Nurse and author Deborah A. Parker, RN, MS, CNAA, BC, expressed it well:

   Throughout my nursing career
   from new graduate to experienced
   clinician, nurse educator, and finally
   nurse leader, my passion for the
   profession has rarely waned. It has
   been one of my long-standing
   beliefs that nurses are privileged to
   be entrusted with the care of individuals
   who are often at their most
   vulnerable. However, that privilege
   comes with enormous responsibility.
   We must be clinically competent,
   technologically savvy, emotionally
   connected, and physically
   able. (3(p28))

How do you express your passion for the nursing profession? Remember the enthusiasm, the spark, and desire you had to make a difference as you began your nursing career? Do you still exhibit those characteristics?

RENEWING PASSION

At a time when we are working long hours with challenging patients, it is important that we remember and refresh our passion and energy. Three key strategies for revitalizing professional passion identified in an article from Wyoming Nurse (4) include

* living with intentionality;

* identifying your passionate, transferable skills; and

* sharing your story.

Living with intentionality. Jean Watson, PhD, RN whose research on theory of caring examines living with intentionality (ie, focused awareness (5)), suggests that nurses should "honor nursing as the spiritual, spirit filled practice that it is and make an effort to 'see' who the spirit filled person is behind our patient or our colleague." (4)

Identifying your passionate, transferable skills. What brings you joy? What are the strengths in your practice that you can share with others? We all have a responsibility to teach and mentor others during our practice, not only demonstrating clinical competency but taking ownership of issues in our workplace. Finding evidence-based practice solutions, implementing them, and evaluating outcomes can generate positive results and renewed enthusiasm in nursing practice.

Sharing your story. Let others know what motivates you to be excited about your profession as a nurse. Tea and Toast for the Perioperative Nurse's Spirit (6) is an excellent source of stories told by nurses from their vast and different experiences. It illuminates our passion and should be shared with our patients and their families, colleagues, and our community.

SHARING PASSION

Over the years, we have continued to experience shortages of practicing nurses. What can you do as an individual to promote the positive attributes of our profession and of our specialty practice area? Do you speak proudly of our profession? Are you helpful to others who are interested in becoming involved in nursing? In this month of graduations, are you encouraging high school graduates to consider the nursing profession? Are you excited to hear that new graduate nurses or a new Periop 101 class will be starting on your unit?

Passion for our profession is contagious, and the opposite is true if you are not emotionally tied to what you are doing. My hope is that all of our members will renew their passion and spirit and work toward fulfillment of their dreams as we recognize our profession during Nurses Week, May 6 to 12. Think about why you became a nurse, be proud of the contributions you have made to the nursing profession, and realize what can be accomplished in the future by sharing your passion.

A BRIEF HISTORY

National Nurses Week (1)

In 1954, the first National Nurse Week was observed from Oct 11 to 15 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea.

In 1974, the International Council of Nurses proclaimed that May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday, would be International Nurse Day.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that May 6 would be National Recognition Day for Nurses in the United States.