One of my most challenging responsibilities this year was to appoint our Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA) committee members. SGNA is fortunate to have more than 8,000 members, hundreds of members who have completed willingness to serve forms, and numerous active committee members. Each SGNA committee consists of an appointed chair and cochair, committee members, a board liaison, and a staff liaison. As a committee member, you become part of a vital workforce that contributes to the production of programs, products, and services that are essential to the professional growth of our specialty.
The overall goal of each committee is to work collaboratively to achieve the outcomes set forth for our society through its strategic plan. The challenge is matching each individual's expertise with the open committee slots. Now, I certainly did not do this independently. I relied on thoughtful feedback from our Board of Directors, current committee chairs, and our headquarters staff. I spent many hours, as have my predecessors, evaluating the feedback I received and the information from the hundreds of willingness to serve forms. When I look at the committee members, the subject matter experts, members who volunteered to serve, and members who are instructors for our various programs, it is easy to see why SGNA is such a vibrant association!
Our members have proven that, together, we can build a strong team and advance the science and practice of gastroenterology, which enable us to give better care to our patients. Our challenge is to keep that momentum, keep improving, and keep advancing the practice of gastroenterology. Patrick Lencioni (2002), the author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, tells us that it is not finance, strategy, or technology but "teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage." Team building is an art more than a science; simply put, high-performing teams develop after hard work and effort. These teams can be both challenging and rewarding at the same time. Four elements necessary for building a strong team are networking, leadership, mentoring, and education.
Professional networks can be as authentic and natural as social networks. One of the goals of networking is to provide help or connect you with someone with whom you can build a mutually beneficial relationship. Networking can also help you achieve the knowledge instrumental in advancing your career. Healthcare is a changing environment; patient care standards are constantly evolving. Networking provides the gastroenterology professional with opportunities to maintain current knowledge of advancements in our field, allowing us to influence our practice. Taking an active role in networking provides new perspectives, leads to personal development, and builds strong relationships both inside and outside your organizations. Just think about all the networking that occurs at SGNA's annual course, discussion forums, special interest groups, and in-person educational sessions throughout the year. Building these relationships takes effort, but the return is invaluable. I know I can reach outside my organization to gastroenterology professionals whom I have met through SGNA to ask how others are using new technology, incorporating evidence-based practice, and implementing protocols. The professional connections I have made as a member of SGNA have greatly contributed to my leadership growth.
Strong leadership skills build strong teams. There is no exact formula that tells us how a team will move forward and improve overall performance. Leaders need to select techniques that will move the team forward. Leaders should look for ways to build trust, deliver clear goals and expectations, reinforce positive behavior, and provide feedback to the team. If your team is struggling, then as a leader you should ask yourself how you are contributing to the situation. Ask yourself what you can do to role model, achieve desired outcomes, and provide feedback to make a positive difference. Part of being a leader is mentoring and teaching.
No matter where we are on life's journey, we can all name at least one other person who supported us, offered opportunities, and inspired us to perform to our highest ability. Mentors are essential to building strong teams. Mentoring is purposeful, and it takes energy, but the return is immeasurable. As mentors, we make individual contributions to our profession when we identify and develop others. Mentors encourage personal and professional growth. Mentors are highly committed to the task of helping others find success and gratification in their field. They are good listeners, communicators, and teachers. They exhibit enthusiasm about their work. Great mentors want you to succeed, and they will actively support your success with words and actions. They are active participants in the development, implementation, and evaluation of projects that align with an organization's strategic plan. They are willing to share failures and personal experiences to help the mentees avoid mistakes and learn from good decisions. They encourage others to pass their expertise on to others who need to acquire specific skills.
As mentors and leaders, we commit to lifelong learning. Attending in-person educational courses, completing continuing education offerings in journals, and participating in webinars are fundamental activities necessary to maintain knowledge of current practice in our ever-changing healthcare environment. The issue of nursing competence in implementing evidence-based practice is important for nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, nurse educators, nurse executives, and healthcare organizations. Multiple strategies can be used to incorporate competencies into healthcare systems to improve healthcare quality, reliability, and patient outcomes, as well as reduce variations in care and costs. Specialty certification enhances patient safety. Specialty certification validates that your practice is consistent with the standards identified within the specialty. Certification also provides recognition for both your professionalism and dedication to lifelong learning. As the healthcare environment continues to change and patients present with more complicated conditions, the need for nurses with advanced degrees has become crucial. While ensuring we have enough nurses with advanced degrees to provide care to these patients is critical, there is also a great need to add nursing faculty. As nurses obtain these advanced degrees, we strengthen our ability to lead innovative strategies that improve the healthcare system.
Nursing is the key to improving quality through patient safety. Strong teams will advance science, advance practice, and enable us to deliver safe and effective care. When we incorporate networking, leadership, mentoring, and education into nursing, we can keep advancing the practice of gastroenterology. I am convinced that with a stronger team, we can give even better care to our patients and work together to build the bigger gastroenterology picture!
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