One of the most famous statesmen in history once said, "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." What I believe Sir Winston Churchill was trying to say is that our life is filled with many opportunities to give of ourselves and of our talents.
Recently, I was intimately involved with the retirement of a physician, a man who has "given" to a medical practice, for more than 35 years. Intimately involved because it was the orthopaedic surgeon I joined in a collaborative practice 30 years ago. We spent many months planning his transition out of medical practice and into the world of sun, golf, sports, and more time with family. Helping to plan his celebration made me reflect on the stages of transition in all our lives, particularly in the life of an orthopaedic nurse.
When was it that we decided that orthopaedics was for us? What were the factors involved in our selection of this great nursing specialty? I am confident that for many of us, our choice was influenced by a mentor-a nurse who took us under his or her wing, helping us to choose the paths of patient advocacy, leadership, and excellence. We distinctly remember our mentors with great joy and fondly attribute much of our success to them.
Now that we are leaders, leaders in nursing and patient care, what are we doing to mentor others, to develop proteges, and to ensure that this great specialty of orthopaedic nursing falls into capable and competent hands? As we transition into our various career stages, are we actively involved in mentoring nurses new to our specialty? Are you a mentor, and if so, what effort do you put into that role?
A mentor is more than a preceptor or role model. A mentor is an experienced and admired person who extends support, knowledge, and counsel over a very long period. Mentors foster the growth of their proteges but allow them to have their own individuality and style, developing the charactistics of their career and determining their personal path to success. Mentors enjoy spending time with their proteges, developing special relationships that will continue for much of their life. They are avenues of support and caring versus being obstacles or barriers to achievement. The relationship between a mentor and protege is a safe haven for honesty, adventure, and new beginnings. It should be fostered throughout career transitions and life developments.
As we know, nursing and nursing careers are all about transitions. The transition of our patients, our coworkers, and, yes, ourselves. Do we bring our mentors along the journey with us? More importantly, are we fulfilling our responsibility by mentoring to others? Orsini, in her article entitled, A Nurse Transition Program for Orthopaedics: Creating a New Culture for Nurturing Graduate Nurses, describes one hospital's success in helping new orthopaedic nurses embrace this specialty.
If not, commit now to become a sage-a wise orthopaedic nurse who welcomes a protege and doesn't hesitate to share both personal and professional knowledge and experience. Let's ensure that we leave our specialty in the hands of the best and brightest that nursing has to offer.