The M Word: A Millennial School Nurse's Experience with Mentors
Regardless of your age, the school nurse profession can be lonely at one point in your career or another. Moreover, no good work gets done alone. Do you have a good mentor or mentee? You are in good company. In 2015, LinkedIn ran a campaign highlighting how important it is to #ThankYourMentor and encourage the sharing of inspirational mentorship and protege stories. In 2016, Former President Barack Obama spoke about the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and pledged that he would remain dedicated to the cause of mentorship for young men of color “for the rest of my life” (Liptak, K., 2016). Considering that there are a mere 95,776 school nurses across the entire country, it comes as no surprise that in order to thrive, you have to find “your people.” As a millenial school nurse, the first few years of my career were particularly challenging. In early January 2018, I saw a post from Sheila Caldwell through the New Jersey forum requesting school nurses write articles for publication in the NJEA Review. After speaking to her about the possibility of writing an article, I received an invitation to apply from for a new committee of New Jersey School Nurses upon her suggestion via Danielle Cooper. On January 12, I was accepted on the New Jersey School Nurse Advisory Council. At the first meeting, I sat in the presence of many distinguished women. They spoke of their accomplishments like old friends catching up over dinner and drinks: two hundred thousand dollar grants, leadership positions on state and national boards, professor and faculty positions at esteemed universities, community engagement events, numerous awards, and a variety of accolades and achievements. In the aftermath of the first meeting, I allowed myself to feel defeated for only a few short moments before utilizing the successes of my colleagues as motivation. For the majority of my school nursing career, I had focused on direct student care. I did not see the bigger picture. Leaving that meeting, I knew it was time for that to change. I began submitting articles, applying for grants, in kind donations, and increasing the number of programs and services coordinated for my students, staff, and community. Returning to the second advisory council meeting, I shared my these successes with fellow advisory council members. This included having an article published, receiving grants, the implementation of community programs, and over 90,000 dollars of in kind donations. At the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing School Health Leadership Conference on June 16, 2018, Danielle Cooper put me on the agenda to speak regarding these accomplishments. I spoke about these accomplishments, the importance of resiliency, continuing to work for something despite barrier and occasionally being blatantly being told “no.” Particularly, I spoke about applying for grant funding to attend NASN2018 after the school district rejected the idea. This was the first time I had ever spoke in front of a group of school nurses. As I stood at the podium recollecting my story to a room full of people, many of which I have looked up to for some time (a fact in which I stated aloud while at the podium), what my accomplishments were over the past 6 months, I could not help but wonder why this mattered to anyone? Afterward, conference attendees had questions and words of congratulations. That day, I was not not confused as being an “undergraduate student,” but was looked at as a peer, capable of collaborating, answering questions, being mentored, and having a mentee. I realized on this day what I should have much earlier: just how powerful words can be. Words have the power to connect people, to educate, to inspire, and to embolden. They also have the ability to show others what you are capable of. Words have the ability to do anything you want them to. My mentors quickly helped me to realize that.
There are many types of advisors. My sage counselors became catalysts for me. These are the people that see a light in you, sometimes when you are unable to see a single ray of light in yourself. Leaders such as these are willing to encourage, give chances, and accept new ideas. These are the people that guide you out of your comfort zone, helping you to do what you may have thought to be the impossible before: seeing my name in print after my article was published, seeing a picture of myself talking in front of a group of nurses, using the article as a platform to change policy in my district. The catalysts are arguably the most important and pivotable types of leaders: “The key to being a good mentor is to help people become more of who they already are — not to make them more like you.” Suze Orman. For me, Sheila Caldwell and Danielle Cooper invited me into a world where I could thrive, and most importantly, be my best self. They have not stopped guiding me since). #ThankYou #ThankYourMentor
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