In Nursing, Pay It Forward
by Donna Cardillo, RN, MA
Nurses
Week, which is just around the corner, is a time when we nurses
receive special recognition and treatment for all the great
work we do and for the difference we make 365 days a year.
And while we’re accustomed to having others do nice things
for us that week, it’s also a good time for us to do nice
things for each other — and start a chain reaction in the
process.
In case you didn’t read Pay It Forward by Catherine
Ryan Hyde or see the movie of the same name, the concept is
simple: Commit random acts of kindness for others without
wanting or expecting anything in exchange — and ask that person
to do the same for another. In other words, rather than expect
to be "paid back" for a favor or a kindness, ask the person
you do something nice for to pass it on or "pay it forward"
to someone else. The belief is that your actions will have
a ripple effect and that the world will be a better place
for it. Hyde believes that being nice is the secret to lifelong
success.
The concept sounds simple, doesn’t it? And yet so many of
us are so stressed, overwhelmed, overscheduled, and overburdened
that we barely have time to talk to or acknowledge other people
in our lives, never mind being nice to them. Doing good can
take some energy and effort at first. It can even seem like
a foreign concept to some of us. But being nice to others,
being kind and generous, can easily become a way of life —
a mindset — once you try it. Besides, it’s guaranteed to make
you feel better about yourself.
The concept of paying it forward goes beyond simply being
nice and treating others well; that should be a standard of
human behavior. Paying it forward takes it one step further
by doing something for someone that you wouldn’t normally
do. It’s going above and beyond. In the movie, one person
gives a car to another person; another person sets up an elaborate
scheme to bring two people together. But it really doesn’t
have to be something grandiose or expensive to make a difference.
Here are a few suggestions on how to pay it forward to your
nursing colleagues and coworkers:
- Buy
a book for a new graduate on your unit. Choose one that
helped you or that you think would be helpful to that
person.
-
Bring flowers in for the unit clerk.
-
Write notes to your coworkers telling them how much you
enjoy working with them and at least one thing that you
especially like about them.
- Bring
in a latte for a coworker.
- Treat
a colleague to lunch while at work.
- If
you notice someone’s having a bad day, go out of your
way to help the person with patient care duties or with
a project he or she is working on.
- Answer
a call light for another nurse.
- Make
a donation to Nurses House (www.nurseshouse.org)
or another worthy organization in honor of a colleague
or coworker.
Afterward,
if someone thanks you or says "I appreciate what you did,"
say "It was my pleasure — my Nurses Week gift to you. I ask
only that this week, you do something special in return for
another nurse or coworker — or anyone, for that matter." And
if you’re someone who regularly does these things for others
(and there are plenty who do), get in the habit of asking
others to pay it forward. Good acts, kindness, and thoughtfulness
inspire and encourage more good acts. Take the extra step
to encourage others to follow suit by encouraging them to
pay it forward in every area of their lives.
"You have to be the change you want to see in the world,"
Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi once said. If you start treating your
coworkers extraordinarily well, your efforts will have a ripple
effect that has the potential to start a positive chain reaction
at your workplace, in your profession, and in your personal
life. And although the concept of paying it forward does not
seek rewards for the do-gooder, what goes around comes around.
If you send positive thoughts and deeds out into the universe,
they’ll come back to you tenfold.
I challenge you to go out of your way during Nurses Week to
do at least three extra-special things for coworkers that
you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Then write to me through my Dear
Donna online column here at www.nurse.com
or through Nursing Spectrum or NurseWeek to
tell me what you did and what resulted. I may write a future
column on it. Let’s make Nurses Week 2007 the beginning of
the "Pay It Forward" movement in nursing.
Information on the "Pay It Forward" movement is available
at www.payitforwardmovement.org.
The site also includes individuals’ stories.
Copyright Nursing Spectrum Nurse Wire (www.nursingspectrum.com).
All rights reserved. Used with permission. Back
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