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According to Webster, the word
transition has three meanings 1) passing from one condition, form,
stage, activity or place to another 2) a word, phrase, sentence, or
group of sentences that relates a preceding topic to a succeeding one or
that smoothly connects parts of a speech or piece of writing 3) in music
– a shifting from one key to another or a passage connecting two
sections of a composition. Roget’s Thesaurus offers these words as
synonyms for transition: change, transformation, switch, shift,
conversion, changeover, metamorphosis, and passage. The Dutch word for
transition, overgang, has similar meanings but also includes
menopause in the list. I think we could agree that menopause is
definitely a transition. My husband’s family is from Holland so I often
try to expand my language skills by researching English words in Dutch.
I used to believe that transitions
were few and far between and once completed, everything would “go back”
to normal. Honestly, I used to look at transitions with apprehension,
anxiety and DREAD. However, the longer I live the more I believe that
transition is more often the norm than the exception and so it behooves
us to take another look at how we manage transitions. Since many of you
may not know me well, I’ll use some personal examples to demonstrate
this in my personal life. Most recently, my father-in-law, who had lived
with my husband and me for the past three years, died somewhat
unexpectedly. This happened within six months of our move to north
Georgia from Savannah. Now instead of cooking for three and routinely
coming together at the dinner table for a family meal, it’s back to my
husband and me and we’re not necessarily consistent with dinner time or
eating at the table, for that matter. Yes, we are adjusting but it is no
doubt a transition. Dad’s presence is sorely missed, especially because
our new home included one entire floor just for him.
I mentioned moving – if this isn’t
a transition, I don’t know what is! We moved 22,000 pounds of STUFF!! Of
course, most of it was NOT mine. It took 2.5 days to load the moving van
and about 14 hours to unload it. Unloading was a particular challenge as
the one lane wooden bridge and the twisty mountain roads (that we love)
in our neighborhood would not accommodate a full size semi-truck. So,
the driver and crew had to stage the unloading at a nearby UHaul station
and use the smaller trucks to bring our possessions over the bridge and
up the hill. Did I mention stress? Transitions often involve tension,
strain, and worry……. But, not to worry, because everything arrived
intact; it just took a while to find things.
On the professional side, one more
transition came with leaving my job as a Pulmonary (Med-Surg) Clinical
Nurse Specialist (CNS). Becoming proficient at one’s job is always
comforting and so I found myself loving my role as a CNS. However, with
the move to north Georgia, I had to shift into a new role. Because of
flexible scheduling and the portability of my nursing skills, I had the
opportunity to continue working PRN (as needed) as a staff nurse
alongside the staff who I served as the CNS for 12 years. I am fortunate
that this has made the transition more manageable than anticipated. In
my spare time, I am an Alaris Clinical Consultant with Cardinal Health.
As a Clinical Consultant, I travel to various hospitals around the
country teaching nurses how to use the Smart Pump technology of Alaris.
This gives me the chance to talk with nurses outside of our state and
see what other places are doing.
As the Centennial celebration
approaches, I am anxiously anticipating my induction as the next
President of GNA. This changeover has also been made easier as I’ve had
two years as President-Elect. The elected leaders, volunteer members and
paid staff have all helped me along the way. I consider it a great honor
to be representing the 100,000 nurses in Georgia. I hope to meet many of
you in my travels.
The other side of transition is
the return to “normal.” However, it can not be the “same old normal.” It
must be a “new normal,” a resting place, even if not for long, where one
establishes a comfort zone. In my personal situation, it didn’t take my
husband and me long to spread out and fill the empty spaces left by Dad,
at least the physical ones. We love our new home and the peace and
tranquility of the mountains. Professionally, part-time work is allowing
me the flexibility to attend to my GNA duties and pursue projects within
the association while maintaining my connections with nurses on the
frontline. Furthermore, I really enjoy taking care of patients again and
offering them and their families a level of expertise commensurate with
my education and years of experience.
GNA has also been in transition as
many of you know. Our first two years under the new structure has been a
time for learning and growing. As of early 2007, we have 17 chapters and
28% of our new members are staff nurses. The Communities of Practice (CoP)
are up and running, more features and services have been added to the
website, and new programs are under development. We are not yet to a
resting place, rather we are moving forward toward actualization of our
2015 vision statement: GNA creates value
and connectivity as the leader advancing the nursing profession and
professional through an integrated fusion of energizing experiences,
empowering insight, and essential resources.
Did I forget to mention that transition may also mean
“No Rest for the Weary?” |
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