"Start local and take it global"

Sounds a bit "motivational poster" -ish, I know, but true nonetheless. I kinda like it. Most all of us have had a course in nursing theory, where we sat, at least initially, with eyes glazed over and the attention spans of adolescent gnats. It was hard to take in all that stuff that appeared to have no bearing, no relation to anything we were to do "out there" as nurses. Or so it seemed.

I have to admit, I, too, was guilty of the blank stare now and then. As a guy, I really had no real knowledge of what nursing was all about. I thought it was a great career choice to get started in health care, make some money, gain some experience, and move on into medical school someday. Sure, I had seen all the wonderful, obviously true-to-life television programs depicting what nurses do on a day-to-day basis. Then I sat through nursing theory....

Boy was I misled! (Shocking, I know). We talked about Florence Nightingale, Sister Roy, Martha Rogers, Margaret Newman, Hildegard Peplau, among many others. We talked about what nursing was all about, how it has developed over time, and how "caring science" formed the foundation of nursing. Each theorist had her own take on the concepts of nurse, person, caring, environment, and health. Some were grounded in practice, while others never even attempted to touch the ground at all...all you Rogerian scholars know what I'm talking about.... However, no matter what you say about them, they all made great strides to put their thoughts and ideas out there to the wolves, and stood their ground. They took great pride in their profession. They were nurses. They were not content on what nursing was...but on what it should be and could be.

All that "touchy-feely" stuff was a bit fluffy for my taste...at least initially. Why did I have to sit through this crap about the universe and interpersonal relationships??? Get me out there on the floor, starting IVs, running codes, holding pressure on gushing wounds, shouting "STAT!" every other word... THAT was what nurses do! Right? Let's get past the potpourri of emotions and get to the action! Well, it turns out that if you want to be a monkey with a few technical skills, then it sounds like you have a great job description. However, if you want to be a nurse, then you better shut your yapper and open your ears. You've got a lot to learn.

It is amazing what people can do; especially when they don't even know they are doing it. I remember taking care of my first stroke patient (and yes, I do remember her name). I remember trying to put myself in her shoes...looking through her eyes. She couldn't move half of her body. She couldn't speak. But she could look at you with eyes that told more than her mouth could ever articulate. I remember that feeling of empathy, sadness, and personal struggle. It was the first time I remember connecting with my patient. What an impact one person can have. And she didn't even know. Or then again, maybe she did. Who am I to say?

One person can influence millions. One person can change the way governments rise to power (or crumble to ashes). One person can change the way we live, think, and relate to one another. These people are not just born into influential positions; they create them. One widely recognized example of how one person can change the world (literally and figuratively) is Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg. Just step back and look around you. If you do not "facebook", then I will bet you that you know many that do. Think of the impact...unintentional impact...that this man has had on how we communicate with one another. Look how Facebook influenced the political activities in Egypt. Think about how one person's "local" idea became "global".

One thing that I have become increasingly more interested in is "complexity science" and "complex adaptive systems". That, in itself, is an entire blog on its own...I will not go into it here. Yet I will pose that if you do not know what this is, you should do a bit of reading on the topic. It builds on concepts such as chaos theory and innovation. I think that the great thinkers in nursing understand this idea, and they will acknowledge the tremendous impact one, seemingly isolate and unrelated stimulus can have upon complex systems and populations.

Let us all be butterflies, flapping our wings...creating the small changes that may later alter much larger phenomena around the world. We are the essential part of those small, initial forces that may later develop into true professional innovation, redirection, and positive growth, affecting individuals and communities we will never know.

Thank you.

Steve