Are you a “hardcore” nurse? Nurse blogger Ian Miller has written a powerful post on the subject, outlining what he believes is a list of important criteria for nurses today. We loved the post and knew it would resonate with many of you, so we’re sharing it here.
Here are some excerpts from the article:
“Enough of all the fluff and guff. Enough of all the bitching and backstabbing and bullying and burnt-out cynicism. It is time to step apart and rise above those nurses. It is time to get our profession back on track. It is time to support each other, get serious and get hardcore.”
He continues…
“A hardcore nurse is not hard like a wall, they are hard like a birth. A hardcore nurse gives all their attention and energy to the task and challenge before them. Through careful reflection, introspection, and interaction, the hardcore nurse has penetrated the power and importance their work. They know the very real difference they can make to both their colleagues, and those they care for. They do not squander this response-ability. They do not come to work just to socialize, or to provide the bare minimum standard of care, or to whinge and bitch about their lot. They are not just a nurse, and it is not just a job.
No, a hardcore nurse wields fierce compassion, uncompromising professionalism and aggressive sensitivity. They wade assuredly into the midst of it, embracing the joys and embracing the sorrows. They strive to bring out the best in themselves and those they work with.”
On messing it up but learning to get it right…
“A hardcore nurse refers to basic nursing care as essential nursing care, and practices accordingly. They are fully accountable for their actions and strive to improve their work through study and reflection. A hardcore nurse knows they may make many mistakes and face many difficulties and they guard against this. But a hardcore nurse is not a hard nurse. They see these occurrences not as indications that they are bad, but as feedback that they are truly working amongst the heart of things. A hardcore nurse laughs often. And cries sometimes. And shares both.”
He concludes…
“A hardcore nurse knows that in order to care for others they must first care for themselves. And they know the profundity in reversing that sentence. A hardcore nurse challenges other nurses to become hardcore. A hardcore nurse knows that their path is not something outside of them. Their work is nothing other than themselves.
It is no great deal to become a hardcore nurse…you must simply practice hardcore without delay.”
http://scrubsmag.com/the-hardcore-nurse-have-you-read-it/
http://www.xn--sjukskterska-9ib.nu/det-ar-dags-nu-the-hardcore-nursing-revolution/
Ian certainly cut to the quick on a number of issues, but maintained a high degree of professionalismthroughout his medical blogging career. His blog was not anonymous; his picture clearly visible; his clinical cases were HIPAA compliant, and the department at which he worked was aware of his medical blog and his association clearly documented.
http://lifeinthefastlane.com/dis-impacted-nurse/
Dis-ImpactED Nurse
Just another week in the Australasian medical blogosphere…
No.
This week Ian Miller’s blog impactednurse.com along with his twitter account and Facebook page have been removed as a result of ‘issues’ with his employer (The Canberra Hospital).
The impactednurse blog attracted more than 2000 subscribers worldwide and was universally praised for its informative advice to the nursing profession and for its skilled and compassionate attitude to the profession – The RiotACT
Just as it looked like we are getting somewhere in Australia with regards to open source medical resources, online contextual learning, integrated commentary and the interaction of healthcare professionals online…another speed bump arises
Ian certainly cut to the quick on a number of issues, but maintained a high degree of professionalismthroughout his medical blogging career. His blog was not anonymous; his picture clearly visible; his clinical cases were HIPAA compliant, and the department at which he worked was aware of his medical blog and his association clearly documented.
“For the record: I was not ‘forced’ to close down ImpactedNurse. But it did become a very wise thing to do…” – Ian Miller 08/2011
This event raises two major questions, firstly why have we seen the overnight dissolution of such a high-profile and Internationally recognized blog? and secondly – where can I continue to get my daily fix of ImpactedNurse?
Firstly, this latest ‘self-imposed exile’ raises significant questions.
- What were the ‘issues‘ that caused such concern?
- How can the
dwindlingremaining band of committed ANZ healthcare bloggersreview their blogging practices to comply with their employers wishes?- Should healthcare professionals be blogging at all?
- Should we just ban all social media interaction for healthcare professionals?
- Should we procrastinate, evaluate and then obstinate through validated research?
- …or should we just get on with it – explore this new media, malleate the boundaries and find our feet through trial and error rather than be bound by officious bureaucrats
..or maybe Australian hospitals should take the cover-all-bases approach…
NO SOCIAL NETWORKING EVER, YOU KIDS DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU AND WE DON’T TRUST YOU ANYWAY SO SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP AND READ YOUR DAMN SYLLABUS [Michelle Au]
…and finally – fear ye not there are still three ways for readers to get their daily fix of Ian Miller and his inimitable blogging style.
1) PANDORA – Australians National Web Archive. They deemed ImapctedNurse to be of national significance and as such have retained a permanent archive of every blog post, including the more controversial offerings such as “things I have found in folds of fat”. Here is the link to the entire Impacted Nurse PANDORA archive.
2) Fans of ImpactED nurse can still maintain their fix with a selection of short PDF booklets still available:
- How to be a nurse.
- Emergency nursing unscrewed.
- The Back Passage.
- Hardcore Nursing.
3) Ian is still blogging (though in a non-medical way) over at WobbleWax.com
“At risk of getting all glum and gloomy, I think the best thing to do is to crack on and keep writing.”
and, if you like a good fight….the debate looks likely to continue
“To those who have in the past made defamatory, and derogatory comments about my professionalism or capability as a nurse from behind their shields of anonymity, I invite you to step out of the shadows and repeat them” – Ian Miller 08/2011