Being a bridge is about connection. Connecting one point to another. As a leader, for me to be a bridge builder, I need to make meaningful connections. This means I must be intentional with my actions and communication to connect with others. Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect and trust. If I am to create a place where people feel they belong, their story, experiences, and perspectives need to have a place to be heard, which means I need to invite them to be part of the group and I must be present to observe and listen with curiosity.
In my last message, Dare to Lead: It Takes Courage, I shared that courage is a learned behavior through our personal experiences of risk taking. As we face each challenge and opportunity, we gain internal strength through the process of self-awareness, building confidence, and resilience. It takes courage to be a bridge and form connections. As a leader, we are not guaranteed that others will be willing to follow or walk together on a journey, but it is important to invite everyone to participate in the journey. Because everyone is unique, each person will experience the other's differences, have the chance to explore common ties, and have the opportunity to understand the other's needs. Empathy is a key leader skill in the diversity, equity, and inclusivity space.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee authored NAON's statement of commitment.
In order to advance the specialty of orthopaedic nursing, NAON is committed to fostering a culture of community where our members, partners, and stakeholders share a sense of belonging; respect what makes us different; support different experiences; and correct lasting impacts of systems that marginalize groups.
We strive to be an organization with a diverse membership by reaffirming and respecting what people need. Our differences provide energy and strength to build dynamic teams, cultivate leaders, and ultimately provide better care for all patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
As orthopaedic nurse leaders, increasing diversity is key in building successful teams. As a member organization, having diversity of thought, geography, race, gender, and age allows for the generation of new ideas and new perspectives providing a space for innovation. When members feel included, morale is high and knowledge sharing is better. Enacting equity is to provide all members with fair opportunities to reach their potential within the organization. NAON also has opportunities to focus efforts on recruiting student nurses into the field of orthopaedics from underrepresented groups to strengthen a culturally diverse workforce.
In my theme, Dare to Lead, one of the images in the artist rendition was a bridge. The bridge was inspired by the Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville, LA, which connects the west bank of Ascension Parish (a county in other states) to the east bank, which is separated by the Mississippi River. In one of my past roles, Manager of Professional Development and Community Education, I had the opportunity to use my orthopaedic knowledge to promote movement as a key to wellness in "Operation Change" on both sides of the river. Because I went into the areas where people live and work to provide the education, I learned a lot about health, healthcare access, and social determinants of health. I learned about the significance of the bridge to residents with accessing educational and economic opportunities, as well as the importance of being a bridge to my community in matters of health.
Good health starts where we play, learn, work, and live. The demographic differences between the two banks are opposite reflections of each other, with 72% Black on the west bank and 77% White on the east. On the east bank of the river is a community hospital, a trade school, and a community college. Neither side has public transportation. You either own a car or are a "walker." Both sides of the river are full of industry opportunities, but workforce training on the west bank opportunities is lacking, creating a disparity. Transportation becomes a barrier to health from the standpoint of economic mobility, educational opportunities, and access to care.
The west bank has lower life expectancy and the highest levels of childhood obesity in the Parish. If I am born and live on the west bank and I am in a lower socioeconomic status, I may be starting in a hole too big to get out of on my own. As individuals, each person must take responsibility for what they can control, but sometimes the barriers that are present cannot be hurdled alone and must be removed by others as well as social policies. Social determinants of health such as quality of education, affordable and sustainable housing, economic mobility with access to higher wage jobs, and safe neighborhoods are the factors that influence the health of communities (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2018). As nurses, we must find solutions and interventions to achieve equitable health. Let's think of how we can be a bridge to each other and to those we serve in patient care.
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