In looking forward to the 42nd Annual National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) Congress, Dare to Lead, I am reminded of all the nurse leaders I have come to know and respect. Many doors have opened with opportunity to lead through volunteer work with the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB) and membership with NAON. Although leaders typically have similar qualities such as integrity, compassion, and a desire to serve a greater purpose, the act of leadership can be intimidating and a tough skill to master. I love the quote by Rosalynn Carter, "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be" (Marshall & Broome, 2021, p. 3). This quote sums up my personal experiences with ONCB and NAON.
Certification and leadership go hand in hand. Certification has proven to be valued not only by nurses themselves but also by nurse managers and the general public. The ONCB published a White Paper: Perceived Value of Certification for Nurses and Nurse Managers (Roberts et al., 2020). In this paper, ONCB found that for nurses, certification provided a feeling of accomplishment and enhanced confidence in clinical abilities. Certification for the orthopaedic nurses also enhanced autonomy and provided accountability. For nurse managers and employers, certification indicated attainment of practice standard and professional accountability. The consumer had an increased level of confidence with care delivered by the certified nurse. In summary, all the findings of the white paper describe leadership qualities, validating certification in specialty nursing.
This brings me to volunteering in relation to leadership. In reflection upon the quote by Rosalynn Carter (Marshall & Broome, 2021, p. 3), nurses may sometimes need encouragement to step outside their comfort zone in leadership roles. Volunteering within the nursing profession or specialty area can help cultivate this skill and ultimately mold a great leader. One might think that there is an abundance of volunteers within our own organizations such as ONCB, NAON, and even the Orthopaedic Nursing journal. Surprisingly, this is not the case. In fact, these organizations are always working to recruit new volunteers. In 2006, as a member of NAON and a new Orthopaedic Nurse Certified (ONC), I attended my first Item Writers Workshop at Congress in Boston, MA. From that point forward, I began my volunteer work with ONCB. Through this work, I have had the opportunity to learn leadership skills through roles such as item writing, committee chair, and now President of ONCB. Most importantly, I have been surrounded by other leaders who have encouraged me to "step outside the box." My hope in the future for all our partner organizations is that our constituents find the value in volunteering.
To all the nurses who are reading this editorial, who have never volunteered but have given it thought, I am inviting you to "step outside the box" and make the move. The first step can be completing a willingness to serve form on the NAON or ONCB website. Of course, if at Congress in 2022, seek out a current volunteer and inquire. I can attest, you will not be disappointed. We as nurses have to empower each other to take each other places where we may not necessarily want to go but ought to be.
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