Are you an original, or do you even want to be one? Perhaps an even better question for most nurse educators is: Is it too late to be an original? Does creativity really peak before the age of 35 as many commonly believe?
I was recently given a copy of Adam Grant's Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Viking, 2106). Grant provides many encouraging examples of how we can foster originality in ourselves and in others, for example, our students and our more junior faculty. The positive message is that creativity and originality have bimodal peaks, reflected both in young geniuses and old masters.
For many of us, it may be too late to be labeled a young genius, but we should be on the lookout for those new nurse educators who have the characteristics of originals. Basically, according to Grant, originals are people who are creative and take the initiative to make their visions a reality.
Think about the nurse educators who implemented accelerated BSN programs for college graduates with degrees in other disciplines or those who argued for substituting simulation experiences for clinical rotations in hospitals. Think about those educators who substitute international clinical experiences for experiences in the United States to meet challenges for preparing nurses as global leaders in health care and those who teach students to practice mindfulness to reduce the anxiety and stress they experience when providing care. They are all examples of originals from our current retrospective view.
To be an original at any age, one must be curious, tinker constantly around the edges, ask new questions, and ask why not. To sustain our creativity and originality as old masters, we must develop attitudes and behaviors of experimentation - and ignore the temptation to maintain the status quo. (After all, what we're doing seems to be working, doesn't it?)
Let's consider how we can experiment with new models of education now that we have increased the percentage of nurses with baccalaureate degrees in the workforce and they are no longer the minority group. The good news is that Grant provides us with suggested actions for impact, a phase that is most appealing to our action-oriented profession. Here are three suggestions for leaders in nursing education based on Grant's proposals:
For many of us, it may be too late to be labeled a young genius, but we should be on the lookout for those new nurse educators who have the characteristics of originals. Basically, according to Grant, originals are people who are creative and take the initiative to make their visions a reality.
* Run an innovation tournament to collect a large number of innovative ideas.
* Hold an opposite day, encouraging faculty and/or students to divide into groups and argue in support of the opposite of a widely held belief or area of knowledge.
* Invite faculty from all levels to pitch ideas for innovation, thus enhancing their engagement in the process of curriculum development or program revision.
Bucking the familiar refrain of the day - to calm down and carry on - Grant also advises that we should not calm down. Rather, he asks us to turn our anxiety into intense, positive emotions. Hold this thought as you reflect on unleashing your power as an original: Speaking out is the best way to expand your influence and earn the original label.