Live Interview With Naomi D. Jones and Janine Kelbach

Entrepreneurship makes the world go around.  Technology that produced the computer

Naomi D. Jones. RN, MS, CRNI

changed the way we live and do business because of entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs.

Healthcare has evolved through entrepreneurs like Florence Nightingale who started the first nursing school and Lillian Wald who founded the Henry Street Settlement and Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Entrepreneurs see a need and then use vision , resources and passion to fill that void.

Nurses are becoming entrepreneurs at an astounding rate and they are not only helping people, they are making money!

Here is an interview that I did with Janine Kelbach owner of WriteRN writing services and blogger for The Six Figure Nurse.  Here’s a glimpse into my journey as an entrepreneur.. …

 

What is the name of your company?

Consults Unlimited Inc. but I am known as the Life Coach RN

What exactly does your company do?

I provide coaching, mentoring, books and speaking presentations for Nursing Leaders. My goal is to help nurses who are in leadership balance their life purpose and their career. I teach nurses self-development principles and how to align their mind, body, soul and spirit so they will become better leaders of themselves and become more effective in leading others. When you understand and embrace yourself and your journey in life, you can attain fulfillment and joy while working in the profession as a nursing leader.

Why did you start this company?

The first reason for starting my own business is that being a nurse for over 35 years, I have had the opportunity to work with ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ types of nursing leaders. The ones who were ‘good’ helped me grow in my career as a nurse, a woman and as a human being. Even though nursing is a caring profession, we often are not good to each other. Take the phrase ‘Nurses eat their Young’. I wanted to change that. I wanted to create a culture of compassion and kindness for the nurse who is on the front line of providing healthcare to the world. When the opportunity arose for me to step up to a leadership position, I made a conscious decision to do my best to positively impact my staff and my peers. During my 20 years as a nursing leader I was able to develop skills and strategies that not only made me successful in this endeavor but it allowed me to help other nursing leaders realize they could have the same results. I want to continue to make an impact and that’s why I decided to work with nursing leaders in this area as a business.  Read More. 

 

Mindset: The Key to Creating Balance

How do nurses create change, develop balance and relieve stress?

by Naomi D. Jones RN, MS, CRNI

Are nursing leadership and work life balance contradictory terms? Many nurses are wondering if this idea of a balanced life is fact or fiction. Many organizations state they promote “work life balance” as a recruiting tool. When speaking to those same nursing leaders, the feeling of balance seems to be elusive.  I had a great conversation this week with a fellow nurse friend of mine about how we attain equilibrium in our lives as nurse leaders. What became very clear early in our conversation is that managing our careers is difficult to say the least.  There are so many things you have to coordinate i.e. yourself, your staff, (direct and indirect reports), co-workers, your upper management team and don’t forget the work itself!   Then we have a “Life” that also needs management. Relationships with spouses, partners, children, grandchildren and parents pose their own challenges.  Handling personal finances is another factor where achieving balance necessitates confrontation.  In today’s economy, so many nurses I know work more than one job.  Nurses in management may experience some limits since they are salaried and already work long hours.

Balance vs Imbalance

In all of these arenas, balance is the key to having a great life!  If we don’t balance all of these areas well, we may become discouraged and lose our passion and joy in what we do which leads to burnout.

Burnout is the result of imbalance.  Frustration, disappointment and stress are encompassing nursing leaders in homecare, at the bedside and behind the desk (depending on where you work). Expectations of higher productivity, increasing demands to do more with less, the squeeze between staff and company goals intensifies the stress nurses feel. That stress makes for short tempers which can lead to episodes of disrespect and bullying which plague our profession.

Create Change

How do we create change in our lives, develop balance and relieve the stress from these situations?  Read More…

It’s all about you! But it’s not about you!

We are taught as children that we should not be self-absorbed. As nurses, we generally have an exaggerated sense of just the opposite. Nursing is the profession that encompasses patience, compassion, empathy and caring. We are judged by how these characteristics show up in our actions to our patients and each other. How often have you heard a patient or another nurse say, “Oh! She’s such a good nurse!” It’s usually when a nurse is exhibiting one or more of these qualities. If we as nurses believe these are good qualities to exhibit, why don’t we model them for ourselves?

As nurses, we came to this profession because we felt we have something to give to others. We want to help people live to their fullest potential. For example, we help our patients live to their fullest potential by helping them manage their health. As nurses, we live our highest potential by doing the work we do. But what about us as individuals? I can’t tell you how often I’ve had conversations with colleagues that end with, “I don’t have work life balance or time for myself.” Yet we take extra time we have and give it to other people.

This self-deprivation philosophy has to stop! Why are nurses burnt out? Because we are trying to give what we don’t have! We need to show ourselves patience, compassion, empathy, and kindness. Making yourself a priority is essential to preventing burnout. Here are three basic strategies for getting your whole life balanced.

1. Take inventory of what you are doing with your time. Are you running to and fro with increasing job requirements, deadlines, children’s activities and family obligations? STOP ! Take a moment and just list them on a piece of paper. Reflect on what you do over one week’s time. What do you see?

2. Begin introducing yourself to yourself! Write down the things you like to do (You may have to think back before children or the job). Write those things down, no matter how small they might be.

3. Begin the reconciliation. In order for us to be our best and be complete, we must reconcile our mind, body, soul and spirit. Just like we reconcile medications, we need to match up our total being with life’s demands. Take a look at list #1 acknowledging all of the things you do for others. Then eliminate a task entirely, share the responsibility of it, or delegate it to someone else (possibly the person you are doing it for). Next, begin to transition one thing you enjoy from list #2 into your life on a regular basis. Continue this process until you achieve balance.

Patients look to nurses as their advocates. As nursing leaders, your staff looks to you for guidance and care. Your families look to you as a resource for everything that goes on in their lives. If you REALLY care about them, you absolutely must put yourself first. You will be able to improve patient care by improving your self-care. You will improve the quality of your life if you take the time to advocate and care for yourself. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

For more tips on how to put yourself first contact Naomi for a free consultation and download “Living the Legacy of Leadership Day by Day”. www.lifecoachrn.com.

About Naomi

Naomi is a Registered Nurse, Certified Life Coach and Motivational Speaker. She is owner and CEO of Consults Unlimited Inc., a Professional Life Coaching company. She is known as the Life Coach RN. As a Life Coach she specializes in helping nursing leadership “Live and Work Smarter not Harder!” With over 30 years of nursing experience, she has been in management for over 19 years. For more information about coaching with Naomi, visit http://www.LifeCoachRN.com

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!

English: Las Vegas Strip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! I am writing you from the fabulous city of Las Vegas, Nevada.  I am here for a nursing conference with the Intravenous Nurse Society (of which I am a member.)   Though the content is great and the city is exciting I can’t help but think about that phrase.   What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.   How often in our nursing career have we met those nurses and managers who are the “keepers” of information?   Whenever you need to know something you have to go to them.   When you ask a question, they look at you with disdain as if to say “you don’t know that?”  What is the dynamic?   It’s about power and control.   You know the old story give a hungry person a fish, feed them for a day, teach them to fish, feed them for a lifetime.   It’s the same with knowledge. I believe you should share what you know especially if it will benefit that person.  You will actually BE more powerful as you empower others to direct their own lives.As nurses at the bedside or in the community, sometimes we tend to get into our nurturing mode. We want to care for our patients to the point where they are dependent on us.  We feel needed. We teach but we just don’t feel like we can discharge them because we want to check in on them.  Their situations are not as perfect as we would like them to be.  It’s the same with our children, spouses and significant others.   Are we creating an environment for them to grow or remain dependent so we can feel useful?   This is one reason many women suffer with empty nest syndrome when their children grow up.As leaders we need to guide and give information.   Remember, what’s the motivation?   Are you meeting your needs or are you willing to share the wealth, the spotlight so we all can BE powerful!

How do you feel about learning and teaching? How do you work with people that want to depend on you?

If you like this blog please share it! Sign up for future posts.

Happy Nurse’s Year!

Aside

Spring is in the air and so is Nurse’s Recognition Week.  Everyone loves recognition, adults, children, pets, employees and believe it or not managers do too!  Well May 6 thru 12 is Nurse Recognition Week.  So many nurses feel, like one week is not enough.  Nurses are hard working and often feel unappreciated all year round. There really is no way to show nurses how much they are valued in one day, week or month.  Recognition and appreciation need to given on a regular basis.

As I said Spring is in the air and that indicates change, growth and new beginnings.  The field of nursing needs an overhaul. We need a new way of thinking.  “Nurses eat their young” is an all too familiar phrase to those of us in the Nursing Profession.  We don’t always take care of each other as well as we should.  We, the nurses, need to take charge in making that change.  Now is the time for us to examine how and why we do the things we do.  Here’s how!  Make changes in our attitude within ourselves first.  Take care of yourself.  Give yourself recognition for a job well done on a regular basis.  If you want to influence others start with the basics. YOU!  After all, You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have!   Let’s make a commitment to ourselves and our profession to be good to ourselves and each other.  So on behalf of and for all nurses, everywhere, HAPPY NURSES YEAR!!  Here’s to new beginnings!

Visit my website www.Lifecoachrn.com and get your free download “Live the Happy, Fulfilling Life You Want with Confidence!”

Live Smarter Not Harder in 2012

2011 was a difficult year to say the least. Oprah left the air.  Regimes that have stood for over 40 years toppled.  Many of our own leaders were involved in scandals as they attempted to legislate morality to the rest of us.  We continue to be in the worst recession ever and people are hurting everywhere. People need answers! What are you going to do in 2012 to make your life better and influence the lives of others?

Here are 3 tips to help you “live smarter not harder” in 2012.

1. Clear the clutter out of your environment. – Clutter leads to confusion and indecisiveness. Are you looking for things and can’t find them or finding things you forgot you had?  Organizing your physical environment is a great beginning to help you get and keep your mind clear and your thoughts in order.

2. Take time for reflection. –  All too often we are sooo… busy.  We move from one task to another quickly without even thinking.   How can you figure out where you’re going if you never take time to think about where you’ve been or better yet, where you are?   In order to determine your path in this journey of life, and make things happen, take some time to reflect.

3. Take action! – Procrastination is the major killer of potential.  We are all born with the potential to be great at something.  By staying in situations where we are comfortable and not challenged, we slow our personal growth and end up not living the life we were meant to live.  Take action!  Stretch out. Start small but stay persistent.  When one goal is accomplished, take time to assess, reflect and evaluate it’s impact on your overall life as you prepare to move to the next goal.  Don’t stop!   See how your life will blossom and living life becomes easier and more enjoyable .

There are many more tips to living ” smarter not harder” which I will share throughout 2012. Subscribe to my blog and join the journey of transformation and live the BEST LIFE EVER.

Please share your tips on what you do to grow and make life fabulous.  Respond @LifeCoachRN.wordpress.com

“Your Journey…It’s All Connected!”

Naomi D. Jones – LifeCoachRN

Find me on: www.LifeCoachRN.com www.twitter.com/lifecoachrn Like my fb fan page @ http://www.facebook.com/LifeCoachRN

Managing Your Life in Management Series. "What is that?"

I had a great conversation this week with a fellow nurse friend of mine about how we manage our lives being managers. What became very clear early in our conversation is that it is not easy. There are so many things you have to manage ie, yourself, your staff, (direct and indirect reports), your upper management team and don’t forget the work itself! 

Then we have a “Life” that needs management also. Relationships with spouses, partners, children, grandchildren and parents. Coordinating personal finances is also a huge area to manage especially since the nurse executive’s ability to make extra money may be limited.

If we don’t manage all of these areas well, we may become discouraged and lose our passion and joy in what we do. Donna Cardillo wrote a nice article depicting that nurse executive who had lost her way.  http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011312050035#.

What tips do you use to manage your life as a nurse executive?
Respond @ lifecoachrn.blogspot,com 

“Your Journey…It’s all Connected!

Naomi Jones – Life Coach RN
Find me on:
www.LifeCoachRN.com
www.twitter.com/lifecoachrn
Like my fb fan page @
 http://www.facebook.com/LifeCoachRN

– Posted using BlogPress