Nursing: Competition or Connection? 5 Facts to Embodied Collaboration

by | Apr 13, 2014 | 12 comments

 

According to Wikipedia:

Competition is a contest between organisms, animals, individuals, groups, etc., for territory, a niche, or a location of resources, for resources and goods, mates, for prestige, recognition,awards, or group or social status, for leadership.

AND

Collaboration is working with each other to do a task and to achieve shared goals.

Today’s blog post is about nursing and collaboration. The topic is hosted by two nurse innovators and collaborators themselves, with RNFMRadio rounding up the  nurse bloggers to share our wisdom, experience and expertise.

As a nurse entrepreneur I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Nurse Keith and Kevin Ross (RNFMRadio co-hosts) multiple times. We have collectively co-hosted several broadcasts on RNFM when promoting the RejuveNation Collaborations; I have guest blogged for RNFM many times; this past winter when RNFM held their inaugural Google Hangout, I was a part of that show.

So are nurses true collaborators

To be honest, when I read the Wikipedia description of competition, I hear ‘nursing‘. The definition reads: ‘A contest between groups for a location of resources. A contest for prestige, recognition, awards and leadership.’

Does our healthcare system create environments where nurses are competing for resources? Almost daily I receive an email from my own organization asking functional units to please release IV pumps as the central supply has a shortage. Units literally hoard their materials, worried about having enough.

Does our education system set us up for competition amongst ourselves? We all want to be the ‘best’ in our nursing education, recognized and awarded for our achievements. Does the clinical ladder breed natural born competitors who strive to outperform the next, in order to establish leadership roles and prestige?

While I do not admit to have the answers, I do believe that in terms of collaboration our walk must outweigh our talk. It is much more meaningful when we live collaboration. Our actions speak louder than our words and while a nurse can ‘say’ she/he is a collaborator I urge you to observe the behaviors that they model.

With four RejuveNation Collaborations, a print book of interviewed experts and the dozens of radio shows I have hosted- I’d say I know a thing or two about collaboration. And so, here are my fast five facts to successfully living and breathing collaboration in nursing:

  1. Release fear-based thinking. Collaboration is not about tit-for-tat. Just because you promote someone else you shouldn’t be expecting they do the same for you. And on the other side of the same coin, don’t withhold your own collaborative efforts because you don’t see someone lifting you and your work up. This is an extremely fear-based approach, a lack mentality that is common in nursing. Collaborate because you want to, not because you think you ought to.
  2. Protect your own self-care. Say ‘no’. If you don’t have the time to collaborate or help another nurse out, then say so. Avoid trying to be everything to everybody. This often presents you as nothing to nobody. You won’t miss out by saying ‘no’. In fact you open up the space for someone else who may fit better in the project on hand. Your collaborators will respect you more when you join in as the timing is right.
  3. Be You. Know yourself and your values. Engage in authentic projects that you believe in. Collaborate where it makes sense. There are billions of people on this planet and not every single one of them has to like you. When you are able to collaborate using nursing from within, it makes things that much easier and productive for all parties involved.
  4. It’s not about the numbers. In this case, quality is greater than quantity. Collaboration is about establishing, building and sustaining meaningful relationships. These collaborations in nursing can create lifelong friends. As mentioned in points 2 and 3, you don’t have to be ‘friends’ with everyone. You will be able to engage much more effectively in true collaboration (which takes time) when you grow lasting relationship.
  5. Enjoy yourself. If it starts to feel like work- it won’t get done. Collaboration should be about fun, upbeat energy that lifts you up. Collaborating with nurses is a really awesome gift. Enjoy it!

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment, reaction or question below. And in the spirit of true nursing collaboration, use the social media buttons below and share with your tribe. Thank you and enjoy the day.

Note: This post was written as part of the Nurse Blog Carnival. If you are interested in participating find out more details and sign up here.

12 Comments

  1. Erica MacDonald

    Great post. I love how you mentioned self-care. So, many nurses have no problem in advocating for their patients but fall short in being their own advocate. I think this is such as shift in thinking for many nurses but once they start to do this, they see the difference in their own lives and well as the care of their patients.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Scala

      Thank you, Erica. Yes if we are taking no care of ourselves then of course we will feel below our best. When we are feeling below par, we perform that way. And relationships such as collaboration are just another aspect that can get affected by this. Thank you for coming by and taking the time to share your thoughts.

      Reply
  2. Tina

    Great post Elizabeth, I like point # 4 “It’s not about the members” You definitely don’t have to be friends and I find that sometimes makes for a better working relationship. It takes time to build those meaningful relationships. Love seeing nurses come together to collaborate, we have so much to offer, it’s about time we made ourselves heard.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Scala

      Hi Tina,
      Thank you for coming by and taking time to share your comments. We certainly won’t find that everybody likes or agrees with us. And then we will find that lots of people do. Maybe that’s why there are billions of people on this beautiful planet earth. It is a great thing for nursing to collaborate. Thank you for always supporting my work,
      Elizabeth

      Reply
  3. Yoga Nurse

    Bravo! You summed it all up in # 1. Release FEAR based thinking. Easier said than done. It IS a practice. This is what I LOVE to teach in my trainings to nurses. We start with that. Turning the ‘fear story, the pain story into a love story.’ Actions DO speak louder than words is truth!
    May we continue with “conscious collaboration” going forward. Honoring the collaborator in you 🙂

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Scala

      Thank you, Annette. I appreciate you coming by and sharing your insights. Always love your mindful approach. Collaborating with you has been a blessing and learning experience of growth. I look forward to continued work together. Do enjoy the day, Elizabeth

      Reply
  4. Kevin Ross

    I agree with all of these steps, but #1 really resonates. There are plenty of situations that an individual (or even collective) may promote another without any “immediate” return. I say this loosely from an immediate standpoint as I’ve collaborated with others and even heavily promoted their expertise and/or service without hesitation or any thought about what I’m getting out of it. The thing is though, 8-9 times out of 10, it somehow works its way back to me in some positive form or another. This can occur even years later, but it happens.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Scala

      My coach calls this putting it in the bank of good Karma. Thanks, Kevin!

      Reply
  5. Kathy Quan

    The ability to recognize your own limitations and say “no” when you cannot do something is so important to effective collaboration. When a group depends on you and you cannot deliver, it makes things so much harder on everyone than if you just said no to begin with.

    And self care is so important for the caregiver in all of us. If we aren’t at our best because we haven’t replenished ourselves, we cannot give the care our patients need.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Scala

      Hi Kathy,
      Thank you for coming by and sharing your comments. I so appreciate your insights and feedback. When we are able to consciously choose the collaborations we enter we are able to give them our authentic effort. Enjoy your day,
      Elizabeth

      Reply
  6. Brittney Wilson @ The Nerdy Nurse

    Elizabeth,

    It’s incredibly unforunate, but I beleive you are right about many nurses treating nursing as a contest. There is always something trying to suck up, trying to take resources, trying to get the glory, and they are doing it for themselves, and not the patients. It sickens me.

    Nurses would be much better offer if they would become team players and focus on the “we” rather than just the “me.” You can advance your nursing career by being a team player and I would argue that being a team player will get you farther, sooner.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Scala

      Hello there Brittney,
      Thank you for coming by and sharing your comments with us. I totally agree. When we lift each other up, we bring up ourselves and the entire profession. We get what we give. So being united as a collaborative group brings better outcomes. Enjoy the day,
      Elizabeth

      Reply

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  1. Nurse Collaboration: A Nurse Blogger Carnival! - […] and Reiki Master (and master collaborator) Elizabeth Scala educates and inspires us with “Five Facts to Embodied Collaboration“. These…

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