Speakers and guests holding Nursing Now signs at the National Nursing Now Roadshow in Adelaide.
Hi! I’m Josh and I am part of the Emerging Nurse Leader (ENL) Program at the Australian College of Nursing (ACN). On Wednesday 13 November I had the privilege of attending the National Nursing Now Roadshow in Adelaide and it made me think about the power of community and the value it has for nurses, students and patients alike. I think we can all agree that we are stronger when we work together and are focused on what matters.
Attending the Adelaide Roadshow gave me an insight into the community that ACN holds so dear. I had the chance to meet nurses, students and educators alike and it made me think about that power that is harnessed when we foster community. Community for me is much like a team working hard, together. There might a be common goal or a desired result that we are trying to achieve and when we allow teamwork to form the basis of that, we achieve some really great things together.
When it comes to nursing, community is everything. Not one of us acts alone or without support and this provides the people that we care for a way of trusting us and believing that we exist to provide them with the best care possible.
As I sat and listened to the panel speak and our incredible Adelaide nurses ask some great questions there was one consistent topic and that was the theme of the care that we provide can’t change despite what else might be changing in the world around us. Technology is changing the face of the globe every day and we must be prepared to embrace the benefit this will have for positive patient outcomes. Next year Florence Nightingale turns 200 years old, we celebrate the Year of the Nurse & Midwife and we recognise the methods of the modern nurse. More than anything though we celebrate that power of community that is harnessed so we well in the way we care.
I don’t think that Florence would’ve imagined what nursing would look like today, but I think she would be really proud. I am a brand-new student and as we have worked through units such as Care of the Older Client, Palliative Care and Wound Management there is a deep understanding of the role of nurses when it comes to caring for our patients in these incredibly important areas. What it brings home is that every day as we make the decision to care or learn how to care we are showing our commitment to community and to continually building it.
Community isn’t just a matter for our patients and their families, but it is important for us as nurses. When we choose to take a moment to grab a cuppa with a teammate, check in to make sure things are okay and give people our time, we are all valuing community. Never underestimate the power of community and the power of turning up every day to play your part. As a very early student nurse I would not be where I am today without the incredible student community and this great #ACNTribe.
There is great power in the community that we build every day and I am excited to see it continue to grow as the years advance.
By Josh Thomson MACN(Student)
