hopelessly flawed and supremely benevolent
TRANSCRIPT
Teaching and Learning in Nursing (2014) 9, 51
www.jtln.org
Editorial
Hopelessly flawed and supremely benevolent
There is no denying that our profession is fraught withconflicted interactions and disconnected relationships. Thepetty tyrants in our professional lives come in all shapes andsizes and usually arrive when we least expect it. Thesetyrants emerge in the form of student nurses, novice nurses,seasoned nurses, nursing faculty, clinical faculty, superiors,subordinates, and peers. Their interaction is targeted andmeant to be mean spirited and intimidating. It is probablysafe to say that most of us have been the target at least onetime in our practice, if not many times. If we are very honest,we might even admit that we have slung the barbed arrowthat wounded another nurse. Our words and/or actions leftthem feeling disrespected, devalued, and dismissed. “Nursebullying”was one of the top 10 blogs of 2013 for one nursingpublication. I read each of those blogs, and the damage wasirreparable. The pain on each of those entries was palpable.These individuals were beyond wounded. They had theirprofessional spirit shattered by another nurse. These horrificbehaviors have no place in a profession built on a foundationof care and concern for the other. Correction needs to beswift and immediate whenever and wherever these behaviorsoccur. No nurse can afford to put their head in the sand whenthey witness this type of injury.
As a profession, we seem to have an increasing interest inexploring the nature of these horrific behaviors among ourranks. Gratefully, our interest in correcting the behaviors iseven more intense. This phenomenon has been frequentlyinvestigated in current professional journals and conferences.However, it was only recently that I noted that thesebehaviors are being referred to as “cannibalistic,” and the
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profession was being referred to as a “culture of cannibal-ism.” I take strong exception to both those expressions.Those terms certainly capture the imagination, but they donot paint a full and accurate picture of our complexprofessional culture. Those terms do not put forth a positivepublic face that will serve us well. Although our flaws needto be honestly examined and corrected, they do not define orcharacterize the profession that I know and love.
Along with its flaws, the culture of nursing is also filledwith unbelievable kindness and compassion. Just like thepetty tyrants, there are benevolent creatures that come in allshapes and sizes when you least expect it. They come in theform of student nurses, novice nurses, seasoned nurses,nursing faculty, clinical faculty, superiors, subordinates, andpeers. Their interaction is targeted and meant to encourageand empower. It is probably safe to say that most of us havebeen that target many times in our practice. If we are honest,we admit that we directed the arrow that lifted another nursewhen they needed it. Our words and actions left them feelingstronger, braver, and smarter.
While we explore ways to correct the tyrannical behavior(as we must), I hope that we do not lose sight of our “cultureof care.” We are, after all, a culture of human nature—bothhopelessly flawed and supremely benevolent. Perhaps, wecan unlock the secret of nurturing the latter. Perhaps, wecan extend sincere apologies to all those severely injured bythe former.
Judith Stetson PhD, RNE-mail address: [email protected]
ree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.