ç'est la vie RN

Author: c’est la vie RN

  • Why do they make it so hard?

    Why do they make it so hard?

    Mini rant about the job hunt…why do some of these jobs make it so difficult to view the status of your application? Believe it or not, some companies don’t even have a portal! You get the “Thanks for submitting your application” screen, and who knows if it even got to where it was supposed to go. There is this one health system where I had to Google search to get to the login page. I requested my user name. Got an email with the user name and a link. Click the link, it goes to the job postings and another link says edit your profile. Click that, and it forces you to either use a LinkedIn or Google account. No thank you, the old fashioned username/password will do. So I asked the not so smart bot how to login to my profile. It takes me to the portal login, but when I enter my info, it still reverts back to the edit profile option. All this to say, no one should have to go through this to access a job application submission.

    I read an article last week that said companies are stating there are a lack of qualified applicants for job postings…hmmm, really? If they would have asked me, I would have said: 1. The talent and acquisition (recruiting) space needs improvement, 2. Job postings should be tailored to what actually is required and not some unicorn fantasy posting, because 3. Many candidates are capable of learning new things (and no one cares about what you know when they give you extra responsibilities in a current role). What I feel the companies who responded to the article meant to say was, “We have enough people in our organization that partially know what they’re doing, so we can’t risk having to train someone when the people who should know, don’t.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my frustration for the day. But I must remind myself…

    “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 NIV

  • Change is coming…Ready or not

    Change is coming…Ready or not

    Happy Friday!

    We had our NTONL (North Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership) Spring Mixer yesterday. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in April around other nurse leaders. Conversational topics are the usual…staffing, the new generation of nurses, employers asking to do more with less, nursing being the catch all and responsible for lack in other departments. Let me first acknowledge that these are not every organization’s problems, but they are overarching themes within the profession of nursing as a whole.

    One of the more distressing topics is the decline in the quality of patient care and outcomes. Quick side note – I worked at Intralox, LLC in Harahan, LA for about 6 years prior to entering nursing school. They are the leader in plastic modular conveyor belts. I don’t recall the exact situation, but one day, then CEO James Farley had a meeting with everyone from the production floor. He said we should believe that people are genuinely good people, wanting to do the right thing, and we should give each other the benefit of the doubt (AKA grace) until shown otherwise. My younger self was a true skeptic when it came to people and was a “you have to earn my trust” kinda gal. I realize how crazy it sounds for someone with that thought process to go into a people centric business. However, the reason I remember that talk (and shared that story) is because after becoming a leader, I know that, without a doubt, most nurses show up to work to do and be their best.

    I think the disconnect is the failure to respond to the way things have changed, especially since the pandemic. There were a large number of nursing students that completed clinicals via simulations only because hospitals shut down as clinical sites. I feel like there has been no recovery for that. I feel that we (leaders) are not filling in the educational gaps (conflict resolution, effective communication, empowered decision making). We are persistent with overwhelming clinical nurses with tasks, only to get upset when they fail to utilize critical thinking skills. Why do we assume that everyone knows how to critically think? Some skills need to be taught. And don’t get me wrong, I am not oblivious to the fact that leaders fail to do these things because they are being inundated with their own tasks and professional responsibilities.

    We need to STOP and RESET! The future health of our nation depends hangs in the balance. It’s great to have conversation and hear the various perspectives, but it’s time for action. I plan on working on a little something…will keep it to myself until it comes to fruition. But I know how and what I need to do to make a difference. In the meantime, I am very proud of our NTONL board and the work we are doing to keep nurse leaders inspired. Remember…it takes each of us to do at least one thing to support all of us!

    NTONL Board Members – 2024 Spring Mixer
  • Victory is mine…Maybe?

    Victory is mine…Maybe?

    Dr. Tony Evans has been doing a series called Unbound: Releasing God’s (blank). This morning, the blank was victory. The scripture was 2 Kings 13:15-19. King Joash went to see the prophet Elisha to request divine intervention for victory over Aram. We see in the scripture a transference of power when the prophet places his hands on the king’s hand, sanctifying that first arrow. After, the prophet instructs the king to strike arrows to the ground. The king only struck 3 times. This act would stifle the power of the king’s victory.

    A few things I noted about this sermon:

    • God will place His hand on our problem AFTER we have placed ours, and He sees we have taken responsibility.
    • God will do as much as we are willing to do. We can limit God in our lives…not His abilities, but His decision.
    • How far we are willing to go on on our own before God steps in requires 2 things: trust and obedience.

    I have been reflecting on this word, asking myself if I have truly been “all in” for my work in the things that I seek to claim victory over. How about you? Are you waiting on the Lord for something, only to now understand He is likely waiting on you or only delivering based on the effort you put forth? Do you have full trust in God? Proverbs 3:5 calls for us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding. Have you been disobedient? Growing up, I only considered my actions disobedient when they included some form of outward disrespect. Truth is, when a parent tells their child to go wash up for dinner, and they continue to play on the video game or watch Tik Tok, that is disobedience. What has God called or commanded you to do that you have not fully yielded to? As much as I hate to think I’m the affliction of my own desires, in some areas of my life, I know it to be true. As we head into a new week, I encourage you to obey the Lord and place all your trust in Him, actively living it out, knowing His promises are true.

  • Racism in nursing

    Racism in nursing

    Twice in the past 7 days, the nursing profession has made headlines. The first was regarding a nursing student at Indiana State University. She posted a video to give her opinion surrounding the Beyoncé country music controversy. Click here to see the response from the American Nurses Association.

    “I’m sorry, but if you’re Black, you’re not country,” the woman says in the video. “I don’t care. And I meant that in the nicest way. I know you were raised in the country or your grandparents were, I guess — your great granny and grandpas — but they was picking. OK? They wasn’t planting. Just keep that in mind. They wasn’t making money. They was getting sold for money. You ain’t country.”

    The second, was the story of a nursing leader being fired from Emory University Hospital after advocating on behalf of the staff after they expressed long standing acts of prejudice against black nurses.

    I have never and will never understand the point of racism. I’m befuddled as to what people feel they gain from operating in that manner. It is truly a toxic complex. From a professional standpoint, the presence of these mindsets in the healthcare space are directly responsible for many of the health disparities that are present in the United States. Imagine that…people stay sick or die because we cannot show one another human decency. I just find it tragic.

    “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.” – Romans 13:8 NASB 2020

    “But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment.” – Matthew 12:36 NASB 2020

    “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40

  • Checking in

    Checking in

    I am always amazed with how quickly time passes when you pay it no mind. I hit the road with Zulu (my dog) and spent the past week in New Orleans for the AONL nurse leader conference. Of course, I added on a couple of days to dine and visit with family and friends. If you’ve never been to NOLA, this is the best time of year. Festivals, seafood is plentiful, and the weather isn’t your enemy yet.

    I love the networking of professional conferences. I have met some pretty outstanding people from across the country, and the conference gives us time to connect in person. The keynote speakers are always amazing! I most enjoyed Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO of Zipline and journalist/host John Quiñones. One thing that has stuck in the back of my brain is a question asked by Mary Beth Kingston, EVP, Chief Nursing Officer of Advocate Health. She asked the audience if they are in the role they need to be to influence healthcare. I believe many nurse leaders hold the belief they can do more and their impact may actually be stifled by their organization. I think that’s why I recognize this next move for me is critical. Honestly, I’m just not the meet expectations type. I need to be challenged and stretched. That’s something I’ll be thinking about during my job search this week.

    I also had the opportunity to hang with my high school sophomore, basketball playing niece, catch up with my favorite Asian, have my favorite eggplant dish, indulge in a daily order of beignets from Cafe du Monde, and celebrate my great-nephew’s third birthday. It was a good trip. On the spiritual front, everything is chill. So, I’ll just “wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and I wait for His word.” Psalms 130:5 NASB 2020.

  • The hunt is on…

    The hunt is on…

    The plan was always to start looking for a job after Easter. Well, that time has come. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but looking for a job, IS a job! There are so many nuances to the process. Let’s talk about a few…

    • Application submissions – so many different portals, needing to make accounts, putting in the information that I already attached in my cv/resume because the application isn’t intuitive enough to put it in the right place.
    • Poor communication/updates – we are currently in a time when HR/T&A has staffing challenges of their own. I had a manager tell me candidates sat pending for over 2 months because she was not notified that they were in her queue. There is no reason for it to take that much time to disposition a candidate. All I could see on my end was In Process. What does that mean exactly anyway???
    • Hiring manager bias #1- for this in particular, I’m referring to the judgment of a cv/resume. Assumptions are made about who you are and where you want to go in your professional journey based on the paper. This can prevent a candidate from being interviewed or selected for hire. A hiring manager can consume themselves with a candidate’s future plans versus focusing on what the candidate can bring to the table for whatever amount of time they anticipate on being in a role. I would rather hire someone who will give me 200% for 12-24 months and exceeds expectations, than someone who will sit in a role and ALWAYS give me less than 100% and is just an average performer. That’s just me…
    Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels.com
    • Hiring manager bias #2 – someone may neglect to offer you a position simply because your hustle outshines theirs and makes them insecure about their own performance. Having subordinates that perform on the same level (or even below them) means they will not have to face the issue of having to raise their level of performance. Many people get paid to be average and maintain the status quo.
    • Available postings for unavailable jobs – hiring managers post positions for which they have known candidates all they time. The issue I have is when they keep a position posted and open to the public during the entire process. Have your HR/T&A specialist un-post the job after the obligatory 72hrs. If your known candidate makes an unplanned declination, simply re-post the position.

    My problem with all of this is they have no regard for a candidate’s time. As a hiring manager, I never just sat passively and twiddled my thumbs until I received a candidate. I would always follow up with my T&A rep and keep the lines of communication clear about how I was planning to proceed on requisitions. I also gave courtesy communication to any internal candidates that I chose not to interview/hire. I would never want someone to feel devalued because of my actions. I started this practice after listening to nurses talk about what they hated about the hiring process. And honestly, it’s simply disrespectful to send internal candidates generic emails as the only form of communication. Don’t schedule me for an interview to save face and make it look like you interviewed qualified candidates when you were already prepared to hire who you preselected as “the one”. I have an application right now that has been in process since the beginning of November. The hiring manager ended up resigning and never followed up on the requisition with the recruiter. I can tell you right now, if I am offered that job, I will decline 1000%. If that is an indication of how communication (doesn’t) happen in that organization, I have no desire to be employed there.

    So, that’s where I am with that. I will say overall, I have my prayers for what I desire for my next position, which includes remaining patient and not anxious during this process. If you find yourself in the same boat as me, I will ask the Lord to cover all who are sharing this experience to my prayer. I will continue to remind myself that He alone is my source; Everything else is a resource. He is all I need! Other than that…

    “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3 NIV

  • Happy Easter!

    Happy Easter!

    It’s Resurrection Sunday. The day He got up! Not much to say today, except Jesus defeated death when He rose from the grave!

  • A GREAT Good Friday

    A GREAT Good Friday

    Happy birthday to me! It’s the beginning of chapter 45.

    Today is also Good Friday. The day Jesus was crucified on the cross. I will tell you, it makes me extremely emotional. It’s not something I can even give words to…literally indescribable. I am choosing to believe that I am divinely loved, so deeply. The Son of Man gave his life for me to have the opportunity to remain in relationship with the Father, in this life and in eternal life. I have been reflecting all week on this sacrifice. There are more times than I can count that I’ve received healing, provision, grace, spiritual covering, mercy, and unconditional love. And in the end, all it boils down to is love. That’s why we sing, “Jesus went to Calvary to save a wretch like you and me. That’s love!” It inherently moves me to show love to others in the manner it was shown to me. And by others, I mean ER’BODY…believers or not!

    “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:3 NASB 2020

    Happy Good Friday to all who believe! Even the centurions knew, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54 NASB 2020). We are not dismayed, because when Sunday came #HEGOTUP!

  • The goodness of gratitude

    The goodness of gratitude

    In my Gardening 101 post, I referred to a book I received as a gift. When I left my job, one of the employees gave me devotional called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It is a 365 day devotional and something I have committed to doing daily in hopes of hearing a word or being moved by the Holy Spirit to do something I need to do for each day. Today’s devotion was about gratitude.

    Shabnam Mogharabi help founded the media company SoulPancake. Their videos are designed to invoke positivity of the human experience. Shabnam was a keynote speaker at the American Organization for Nursing Leadership 2022 annual conference. She spoke to us about focusing on joy and shared The Joy Toolkit: #1 Express Gratitude.

    It is easy to think we might be good at expressing gratitude, but are we really? How many times a day do we take for granted that someone has to do a particular something or behave a certain way? After I heard this message, I became very intentional about expressing gratitude. This led to a genuine feeling of gratefulness. I even started telling my staff (especially on hard days), “Thank you for being here and giving great care to our patients today!” The truth is, they didn’t have to show up. And if they didn’t show up, or did a crappy job, that would be additional stress on my plate. I truly was grateful!

    I have worked to cultivate an attitude of gratefulness for things seen and unseen. Expressing gratitude has moved me towards this unconditional state of gratefulness. It brings to light God’s never-ending mercies and grace towards me. It has diminished the selfish expectations I had hiding in my heart. Being intentional about gratitude allows me to see God in every circumstance; His character and His love. In this process, I have found my growth in obedience with assent for the law of love. When it comes to our relationships with others, we can underestimate the power of expressing gratitude. Who do you need to show gratitude to today? Be sure to articulate the why, so they are in the know and can potentially repeat the action/behavior for someone else.

    “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

  • Birthday countdown!

    Birthday countdown!

    It is officially one week until my birthday. My typical birthday antics almost always include a light sand, clear blue water beach. Since I went to the Bahamas with my sister last month and will be spending some time in NOLA after my birthday, I decided I should keep it low this year. My plan is to have a nice lunch at my house with my people before heading to rehearsal. My birthday falls on Good Friday. That’s one way to keep me Near the Cross : )

    All of the music ministry is heavily involved in the Easter production at church. There will be four performances. If you are in the DFW area, please join us next weekend! The Easter Sunday 11am service will be broadcast on the OCBF YouTube channel.

    ‭‭”You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” – John 12:8 NIV