The Nurses and Midwives Letter Issue 4
THE NURSE & MIDWIVES LEADERS’ THINK TANK 2020 Lead
Innovate
Excel
VOICE UP: TELL YOUR STORY! Leadership is utterly exhausting! I recently exclaimed to another colleague. We were seating across from each other, not able to hug or shake hands. A computer screen nicely separated us in what has begrudgingly become our new normal in the time of COVID-19. She looked at me for a second and pondered what I had just told her. Then, she asked—in what way? I remained silent. In what way is leadership “utterly exhausting” she asked again, as if I had not heard her the first time. I was taken back by her question. Isn’t it obvious that it is? I asked in exasperation. Perhaps. Perhaps not, she calmly replied. My friend is also my mentor, and she has a way of asking annoying questions. Questions I am forced to think about and eventually, reluctantly, answer. But her lackluster response made me think about a critical issue impacting nursing and midwifery today—we assume the world knows our story. So, we do not strive to tell it. We assume they understand our struggles. So, we make no effort to articulate the challenge. We assume they know that our work adds value. We therefore exert minimal effort to quantify it. We assume they know we are the backbone of the healthcare system! We are frankly irritated when they don’t acknowledge this obvious fact. We assume they know that the work of caring, while rewarding, is also exhausting! To borrow from my friend’s response: perhaps. Perhaps not. Clearly, not the answer we want to hear. As the COVID-19 pandemic ages, so does the mounting expectation and responsibility of every nurse and midwife of this nation to care and serve. To show up, no matter what. To shoulder the responsibility of strengthening the system. To drive better system and patient outcomes. And the list goes on. We know you are ready for the challenge. But what we are not hearing, are your stories of leadership, hope, courage, resilience, trust, and effort. And may be, the sheer exasperation at the worsening conditions of work. Or your fears for your safety and the safety of your colleagues. We should spare no effort in telling these stories. So, Voice Up! Send us your stories. This space was created just for you. Yours sincerely,
Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga (Ph.D.—Yale) Chief Editor Nurses and Midwives Leadership Think-Tank Newsletter uganursemidwife.leaders@gmail.com