How does a nurse become change architect? I often wonder that myself.
As a young nurse, I found myself in the operating room where my nursing professor told me, “Great intellect and talent was wasted.” In those days, in that place, the belief was: “We fix the problem and stitch them up.” Yikes!
To me, the work was more than that. It was the work of the soul—spiritual work. In that place, we cared for people who were vulnerable. They needed our support, compassion, and tender care. In this place, I came to believe that the human spirit is capable of incredible things.
When I became nurse leader, my primary purpose was to create and facilitate trusting relationships, bring people together in community, and, frankly, get out of the nurses’ way. Much to their surprise, they always had what they needed to be successful, they just needed to remember!
From there, I was able to create, develop, and implement a culture and change strategy for a national health care organization. With all the complexity involved in this enterprise of healing, I again came to realize that strong relationships and committed people can change anything.
As I reflect on the past, live the present, and look to the future, I see the connectivity in everything I’ve done. My work is about creating opportunities for people to gather, to talk about what matters most to them, and to facilitate conversations where they find the answers they need. Now as I guide people and organizations through times of great change, I am ever more committed to gather people in conversations where change can emerge.
I look forward to that next conversation with you!
