- Email: [email protected]
“Behold the Turtle…He Makes Progress Only When He Sticks His Neck Out.” – Conant, James B.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
“BEHOLD THE TURTLE…HE MAKES PROGRESS ONLY WHEN HE STICKS HIS NECK OUT.” – CONANT, JAMES B.
JoAnn Lazarus, MSN, RN, CEN, Des Plaines, IL
his is my first editorial as your 2013 ENA President; what a daunting responsibility! You are about to judge my abilities as an author and maybe as your new president. For me, writing this editorial each month will be one of the biggest risks I take in my role as president. For some, this may seem like no big deal, and for others, you may totally agree with me. I am willing to take this risk because I believe that I have other skills that make me the right person to serve as your president. Risk taking is unpredictable, uncomfortable, and uncertain—a scary business. At the core of risk is fear; the fear of failure, fear of success, fear of looking like a fool, or fear of seeming ignorant. So why would anybody want to take a risk? Perhaps because it leaves you open to new ideas, opportunities, and experiences. ENA's strategic initiatives focus on advancing emergency care at home and abroad; advocating for safe practice and safe care; creating a culture of inquiry, learning, and collaboration; and expanding and fortifying our membership. As your 2013 ENA President, my focus will be on mentoring and leadership. Many of you find yourself as
T
JoAnn Lazarus is President of the Emergency Nurses Association. For correspondence, write: JoAnn Lazarus, MSN, RN, CEN, Emergency Nurses Association, 915 Lee Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016; E-mail: [email protected]. J Emerg Nurs 2013;39:1. 0099-1767/$36.00 Copyright © 2013 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2012.11.005
January 2013
VOLUME 39 • ISSUE 1
leaders in your state or local chapters without the tools to help you meet your strategic initiatives. You may feel you do not have the knowledge or resources to be successful. I believe it is our responsibility as your professional organization to provide some of those tools and resources. The viability of our organization is dependent upon it. We need to work together to create a safe and respectful ENA environment that supports quality patient care. In 2013, additional opportunities for ENA leadership development including mentoring, one of the most powerful methods we have to help you shape your future as ENA leaders, will be available. The future of ENA depends on our ability to adapt and change. This sometimes means creating discomfort. This means not doing things the same as we have in the past. This means taking risks. This also means carefully considering the outcomes. How comfortable are you at taking risks? As an organization and as individuals, it is important that, in order to grow and thrive, we confront the challenges that occur when change is necessary and have the courage to move forward through fear. All change and innovation involves some sort of risk and challenge. Your ENA Board of Directors will continue to revise and redesign how we do things as an organization. We will continue to ask ourselves: How do we reach and develop new leaders? What part should we have in assisting others in the transitions into and out of emergency nursing practice? I know that missteps will occur along the way. However, rapid cycle improvement relies on our ability to try something and move forward if it works and try something else if it doesn't. We will strive to recognize mistakes, “stop the line,” then turn around, and be confident that we can use that learning experience to move forward in a better direction and achieve the results desired. Will 2013 be perfect? Of course not, but I hope that we will learn together. I am sure our profession will face many challenges in this coming year. How we respond to these challenges will be the measure of our organization. The ultimate test of a leader is not what you are able to do in the here and now, but instead what continues to grow long after you are gone.
WWW.JENONLINE.ORG
1
“BEHOLD THE TURTLE…HE MAKES PROGRESS ONLY WHEN HE STICKS HIS NECK OUT.” – CONANT, JAMES B.
JoAnn Lazarus, MSN, RN, CEN, Des Plaines, IL
his is my first editorial as your 2013 ENA President; what a daunting responsibility! You are about to judge my abilities as an author and maybe as your new president. For me, writing this editorial each month will be one of the biggest risks I take in my role as president. For some, this may seem like no big deal, and for others, you may totally agree with me. I am willing to take this risk because I believe that I have other skills that make me the right person to serve as your president. Risk taking is unpredictable, uncomfortable, and uncertain—a scary business. At the core of risk is fear; the fear of failure, fear of success, fear of looking like a fool, or fear of seeming ignorant. So why would anybody want to take a risk? Perhaps because it leaves you open to new ideas, opportunities, and experiences. ENA's strategic initiatives focus on advancing emergency care at home and abroad; advocating for safe practice and safe care; creating a culture of inquiry, learning, and collaboration; and expanding and fortifying our membership. As your 2013 ENA President, my focus will be on mentoring and leadership. Many of you find yourself as
T
JoAnn Lazarus is President of the Emergency Nurses Association. For correspondence, write: JoAnn Lazarus, MSN, RN, CEN, Emergency Nurses Association, 915 Lee Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016; E-mail: [email protected]. J Emerg Nurs 2013;39:1. 0099-1767/$36.00 Copyright © 2013 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2012.11.005
January 2013
VOLUME 39 • ISSUE 1
leaders in your state or local chapters without the tools to help you meet your strategic initiatives. You may feel you do not have the knowledge or resources to be successful. I believe it is our responsibility as your professional organization to provide some of those tools and resources. The viability of our organization is dependent upon it. We need to work together to create a safe and respectful ENA environment that supports quality patient care. In 2013, additional opportunities for ENA leadership development including mentoring, one of the most powerful methods we have to help you shape your future as ENA leaders, will be available. The future of ENA depends on our ability to adapt and change. This sometimes means creating discomfort. This means not doing things the same as we have in the past. This means taking risks. This also means carefully considering the outcomes. How comfortable are you at taking risks? As an organization and as individuals, it is important that, in order to grow and thrive, we confront the challenges that occur when change is necessary and have the courage to move forward through fear. All change and innovation involves some sort of risk and challenge. Your ENA Board of Directors will continue to revise and redesign how we do things as an organization. We will continue to ask ourselves: How do we reach and develop new leaders? What part should we have in assisting others in the transitions into and out of emergency nursing practice? I know that missteps will occur along the way. However, rapid cycle improvement relies on our ability to try something and move forward if it works and try something else if it doesn't. We will strive to recognize mistakes, “stop the line,” then turn around, and be confident that we can use that learning experience to move forward in a better direction and achieve the results desired. Will 2013 be perfect? Of course not, but I hope that we will learn together. I am sure our profession will face many challenges in this coming year. How we respond to these challenges will be the measure of our organization. The ultimate test of a leader is not what you are able to do in the here and now, but instead what continues to grow long after you are gone.
WWW.JENONLINE.ORG
1