The following speech was delivered at INS 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 18, 2015.
Good morning everyone, and welcome to INS 2015. It is my pleasure to join you this morning and share some thoughts about our wonderful organization-an organization that has enjoyed many successes because of the support and dedication of our unique and committed membership; an organization that believes in its mission, its values, its cause, and its purpose.
As I look around the room, I continue to be struck by the passion and commitment that exudes from each of you. It never seems to fade. The nursing landscape continues to change faster than any of us ever could have imagined, yet your resolve to continue the important work that you do only gets stronger. It is inspiring to me and one of the things that makes my job so exciting and rewarding.
It is our genuine hope that the work we do on your behalf is something that inspires you. Because the reciprocal of that is very true: we are inspired by the work that you do. We take our cues from you because no matter the circumstance, you never give up or give in. One of the attributes that best describes an infusion nurse is passion. You have a passion for the work you do and the patients you care for. You have a passion for learning and ensuring that you are the very best you can be. Part of that passion is who you are and a main reason why you chose nursing as your profession. But a big part of that passion is your unwillingness to accept the unacceptable. In times when it might be easier to settle, you refuse to do so. Your attendance at this meeting is a perfect example. You strive to learn more and to be more. We strive to do the same.
Noted author and lecturer Simon Sinek is leading a movement in which people are inspired by the work they do. His belief is that this can be accomplished and best be measured when individuals or organizations start with the premise of "WHY." He asks, "Why is it you do what you do? What is the purpose, cause, or belief that inspires you to do what you do?"
Mr Sinek has created a concept that he calls the golden circle. The golden circle consists of three separate components: WHAT, HOW, and WHY. He explains that WHATs are easy to identify. From an organizational standpoint, everyone is able to describe the products or services that they sell. The next layer of that circle is the HOW. It isn't as easy for everyone to identify, but some companies and people within those companies do understand HOW they do, WHAT they do. Lastly, Mr Sinek leads us to the inner circle, or the inspirational point: WHY. It is here where there is clear separation from those individuals and organizations that are true leaders. They can "clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do." So let me frame a question from INS' viewpoint: Why do we do what we do? For us, that answer is simple. We do it for you, our members. You help shape who we are and what we want to accomplish. You are our WHY.
A recent edition of INS Newsline spoke of the concept of WHY and our commitment to honor and support our WHY-our membership. It is important to us, and we believe in it. It helps to define who we are and what we would like to accomplish. It is our hope that we fit the mold that Mr Sinek explains when he says: "With a little discipline, any leader or organization can inspire others, both inside and outside their organization, to help advance their ideas and their vision. We can all learn to lead." And it is INS's fervent hope that you follow our lead not because you have to but because you want to.
INS is considered the leader and the voice of the infusion community. We happen to agree with that assessment. One of the reasons we have maintained that position is because we are never satisfied. We are not interested in maintaining the status quo. We are interested in dramatically moving the needle in ways that will advance our message, our mission, and our entire organization. We want to provide you with the information, education, and resources that you need in the formats that you want. This belief has become part of our mantra: "Infusion solutions, any way you want them. Every way you need them."
Our list of goals is dwarfed only by our commitment and desire to do great things. Since we were last together, INS has indeed accomplished great things. We have added podcasts to our menu of learning opportunities. This new resource brings you information quickly and efficiently, and its informal platform engages both the presenter and the audience. It has quickly become a very valuable resource. Several podcasts have already been recorded and are posted on our site with several more in the planning stages.
Our webinar programming continues to grow and offers information on the topics that our members have told us are important to them. More than 3100 people participated in a webinar in 2014. The Clinical Community Discussion Forum, which enables peer-to-peer problem solving, is one of our most used resources. It provides real-world solutions in real time. The value of this resource is evidenced by the increasing number of people who turn to it on a daily basis. The Forum has almost 700 registered users who participated in more than 150 separate discussions in 2014. In addition, more than 21 000 searches were conducted on the site as clinicians continued to go to INS for answers to their questions. All of these resources are housed in our online Knowledge Center, providing a one-stop source for our members.
Since we rolled out the Knowledge Center four years ago, we have constantly looked at ways to improve it to ensure that it continues to meet your needs. What we have heard from our members is a desire to add more learning assets while making the site easier to navigate. So, in keeping with our commitment to move the needle, we examined how best to accomplish this. After much research and discussion with our technology partner, we decided to move to an enhanced delivery platform. By doing so, we will be able to provide a better user experience and provide additional learning resources. As we examined the proposed changes and looked at options for expanding the educational content, we also felt that a name change was in order. You will soon be logging into the INS Learning Center. It is our belief that this name is more in keeping with the tenets of the registered professional nurse who is committed to lifelong learning.
The resources currently housed on the Knowledge Center will shift to the new Learning Center. In addition, plans are being cultivated for the development of a special-interest-group module that will bring specific needs-based information for clinicians involved in different practice settings or with various treatment modalities. We understand that one size does not fit all. It is imperative that we reach as many clinicians as possible and provide them with solutions that are specific to them. We are also looking to provide more online instruction and training programs. This is a request that we receive often. In addition, we are examining the development of online educational meetings so that those who are unable to attend meetings such as this will have opportunities for continued learning. The new INS Learning Center will give us a platform to provide all of these learning assets along with the flexibility to react quickly to changing needs and preferences.
We are tremendously excited about our recent strategic partnership with BrightStar Care, a national private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise with more than 275 locations. BrightStar Care's goal in forging this partnership was to provide the highest-quality infusion care for its clients and to offer its nursing staff valuable professional resources through INS. With membership in INS at each of its locations, BrightStar clinicians will now have access to educational meetings, professional development opportunities, and scientific publications. INS recently participated in BrightStar's Branch Leadership Conference. We came away with a clear understanding of our importance in the nonacute setting. BrightStar has made a significant commitment to meeting and exceeding the infusion needs of their patients. We are excited to help them honor that commitment.
Because we are the global authority in infusion therapy, other health care organizations continue to reach out to INS for guidance and input on infusion-related issues. INS has reviewed guideline and consensus documents and provided feedback to the American Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), and US Pharmacopeia. INS participated in the Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology's annual convention and at ISMP's National Summit on Safe Practices for Injectable Drug Administration. INS is also part of the Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy working group charged with revising their guidelines. Our commitment to the nursing profession as a whole is evidenced by our continued support of the National Student Nurses Association through participation at their conferences and funding of a leadership scholarship and funding of a research grant through the American Nurses Foundation.
I continue to be amazed and humbled by the influence that INS has outside the United States. Our international efforts continue to advance INS' mission. With corporate funding, programs were conducted in Istanbul, Turkey; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Nanning, China. The program objectives included discussion on applying the Standards to clinical practice, patient and health care worker safety, and the impact infusion teams have on patient care. Meetings with key opinion leaders allowed for dialogue on the value and benefits of INS. With INS as a model, the International Affiliates program continues to grow.
I started my talk this morning with the thoughts of Simon Sinek from his book Start With Why, and I would like to conclude with the words from the last paragraph of this very same book:
Imagine if every organization started with WHY. Decisions would be simpler. Loyalties would be greater. Trust would be a common currency. If our leaders were diligent about starting with WHY, optimism would reign and innovation would thrive.... No matter the size of the organization, no matter the industry, no matter the product or the service, if we all take some responsibility to start with WHY and inspire others to do the same, then, together, we can change the world.
And that's pretty inspiring.
I would like to thank each of you for your commitment, your support, and your WHY.