I want to personally thank all the members who took that next step and made a commitment with me to step outside your comfort zone at the conference. I was so touched while reading through each and every one of your commitment cards (see Figure 1). The commitments you made were amazing! From writing a journal article to making a difference in your community to getting involved in a committee or SIG, you committed to stepping outside your comfort zone. I am so proud of all of you.
For those of you who were not able to attend the conference, I asked everyone to find that passion that brought them into trauma nursing. When we sit down and list out the positives and negatives in our lives, we often find that the negatives are things we can ultimately control such as negative attitudes, doing the same things over and over, etc. I challenged everyone that found their passion wavering to infuse new ideas or transform themselves by doing things such as taking on teaching, mentoring new nurses or becoming an expert in a specific clinical area.
We often find that when our passion gets stuck in a rut, it is because we are afraid to step out of our comfort zone to experience new growth. For the most part, fear of the unknown and fear of failure are the major inhibiting culprits. Staying within our comfort zone is not good for us. Our society is evolving at the speed of light and if we don't act, sooner or later, we will be left behind. We need to look at change as a positive and part of society. Basic principals were discussed on how to take that first step out such as facing your fears and not being afraid to fail.
I challenged everyone to make a commitment to take that next step, to step out of their comfort zone. If you look up the word commitment in the dictionary, you will find:
1. A promise to do or give something
2. A promise to be loyal to someone or something
3. The attitude of someone who works very hard to do or support something
The Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) is committed to growing with you and would love to help you. We have something for everyone looking to develop. Some examples include the new list serve or community discussions, our mentorship program, the leadership institute and the amazing catalog of education classes and webinars.
Whether you were at the conference or not, I would love to hear from you about why you became a trauma nurse and what your next step will be. Below you will see the commitment card I asked everyone to fill out and turn in. If you did not have the opportunity to fill it out, there is still time to do it. Please visit http://traumanurses.org and find the commitment card link on our homepage.
I would love to have you involved in STN. It does not have to be big, it can be in a small way if you want to start off slow. I would also like to hear your thoughts about how STN can help you or what your next step may be. As John P. Kennedy once said, "One person can make a difference and everyone should try."
Please feel free to e-mail me anytime at mailto:[email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.