I recently made a major job change after 15 years in academia. Fortunately for me, one of the local Magnet(R) hospitals offered me the position of nurse researcher, and I now direct nursing efforts aimed at increasing nursing research and evidence-based practice in our 900-bed institution. I am living out one of my nursing passions. Although I miss my colleagues and the students at the university, I have not regretted the decision to re-enter the practice arena. I find the enthusiasm and commitment of the nurses and administrators at my institution invigorating and exciting after 15 years of practicing "at a distance."
One of the immediate things I noticed when coming back into the service setting was the number of accomplished colleagues within the nursing department. Some were former students, some were friends I already knew through our specialty, and most were totally new acquaintances. All were committed and involved in nursing. Many had pursued or were currently pursuing higher education. Practically every person I met was certified in his or her specialty-some were certified in more than one area!! And all were enthusiastic about evidence-based practice, making my job a lot easier and certainly more rewarding.
As it happens, with the beginning of a new year, there were several opportunities to recognize nursing colleagues. The two local district chapters of the Texas Nurses Association have an annual recognition known as the Dallas/Ft. Worth "Great 100 Nurses," and I quickly began to write letters of nomination for several of my nursing colleagues. During this same period of time, my hospital system sent out a call for nominees for a Community Service Award. Again, it was no stretch for me to nominate one of our gastroenterology nursing colleagues for this award as she has given an overwhelming amount of volunteer hours to our community through both SGNA (national and regional) and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.
During the process of writing the nomination letters, I contacted each individual to interview him or her about specific information I could highlight in his or her letter. One of the things that struck me so vividly was each nominee's humility; in fact, they tended to minimize their contributions to nursing. As I pondered that observation, I realized part of the reason could stem from my belief that nursing is made up of overachievers. Having a vast knowledge base and going above and beyond are just the norm in nursing, and as a result, we tend to not recognize how special nurses' contributions are. As the nurses read their nomination letters, they exclaimed statements such as "Wow!! You make me sound so great!!" or "I can't believe you took the time to do this." I had to remind nominees that everything I wrote was a true reflection of who they really are, both in my eyes as well as in the eyes of others around them. In each instance, it seemed as if for the first time (at least in a long time), my colleagues were recognizing that they were special-and I thought to myself, something is wrong with this picture!!
Nurses need to do more to recognize each other, both publicly (as with the awards I mentioned) and individually. We are an extraordinary group of professionals who make a huge contribution to society, and we need to acknowledge that contribution often!! Because so many nurses go above and beyond every day, we seem to take our achievements for granted and admire what others contribute without really telling each other of our admiration and inspiration. I think it's time to change that!!
In SGNA, we have several national awards and recognitions meant to honor nurses who are held in great esteem for their commitment to gastroenterology patient care and leadership. Although there is only one winner for each award, there is something to be said for each person who is nominated. In this case, it is true that just receiving a nomination is an award in and of itself. Reading in a nomination letter how others see you can be an eye-opening experience. For me, just knowing someone took the time to sit down and capture his or her admiration on paper validates my efforts to make a difference. It helps me pay attention to what and why I do the things I do. And it inspires me to keep doing those things!! In the case of friends or acquaintances who receive recognition, I am often inspired by their awards and begin to look at ways I can make a difference. For this reason, I love to listen to the nomination letter excerpts shared at the SGNA awards dinner. Recognition can have a far-reaching impact.
My challenge to the readership, then, is threefold. First, be sure to recognize the "special" things that nurses do, even when it seems just part of the "normal" aspects of nursing. Give a compliment or share your respect for colleagues and the inspiration they give you. Second, take every opportunity to participate in formal recognition of colleagues you respect and admire. Take the time to write a nomination letter, and do your homework so that you can paint a vivid picture for the selection committee of why your nominee is so deserving of the award. You may not know it, but typically very few nominations are submitted each year for the national SGNA awards-yet our Society is full of very worthy candidates.
Finally, look for opportunities in your regional and practice setting to "formalize" awards for those who are special. Perhaps you can develop annual awards for members of the gastroenterology team, such as outstanding gastroenterology nurse, outstanding gastroenterology technician, or outstanding gastroenterologist. An award for "student of the year" could be given to recognize a colleague who is back in school and working determinedly for another (or his or her first) degree. Following the CBGNA's lead, an award for regional certified nurse of the year could be presented. The SGNA Board of Directors has been creative in establishing a "Board of Directors Award," which is rarely given but exists to honor an SGNA member for a special, unique contribution to the Society. You could do the same for your regional.
Giving credit when credit is due is important, particularly in our specialty, in which working hard and creatively is just part of the "norm." But in reality, it isn't the "norm"-it is extraordinary and we need to acknowledge each other for those valuable and inspirational things we do. I hope you will look for opportunities to recognize others and, just as importantly, you will be responsive to others who want to recognize you for your contributions. We need to do more to recognize the excellence in nursing.