When I last wrote I had just arrived in DC and was having a bit of a catch-up day. It was lovely to stay with my neighbour from home, Mary, who delighted in telling everyone we met that she used to babysit me and my sister Sara back in the day!😂 Her place is really central so on my second, and last, day there I hopped on the subway to Foggy-Bottom (I know, right!?) and walked up to the Lincoln Memorial to wander around the monuments. Luckily, I've been to DC before, on a music trip to the Comhaltas (good luck pronouncing that one, English friends!😁) convention back in 2013 so I didn't feel under any huge pressure to go around sightseeing as we had done a good bit back then.
I did go to the Vietnam Women's Memorial to pay my respects, as I did last time, as it was mostly nurses who served during the war.
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| Vietnam Women's Memorial |
There were a lot of Veterans around so afterwards I sat and had a chat with one of them. His name was Bruce, he had done 2 tours in Vietnam and it was amazing to hear his story of fallen comrades and feeling obliged to come visit the memorial in their memory even so many years later. His stories of seeing fellow soldiers die in front of him and rescue missions were just harrowing. I was looking at the wall of names when I saw him and thought I may as well go over, sit down and actually talk to someone rather than just looking at a wall of names when I, thankfully, don't know any of the people on it and I'm really glad I did. He's writing a book so that his grandkids and great-grandkids can learn about his experience when they're older and he was showing me pictures of the working draft on his iPad! These old timers are better with technology than I am!
The following day I headed for New York. I actually stayed in New Jersey as my sister, Amy, has a friend living just the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel who had a spare bed with my name on it. I hadn't seen Katie in years so it was lovely to stay with her and meet Ned, the completely insane dog!😄 The next day I visited New York - Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Centre and had such an amazing time. I spent the day with Rosanne Raso, Chief Nursing Officer who is also the editor-in-chief of Nursing Management, the journal of excellence in nurse leadership.
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| Rosanne & myself, hands on hips at the insistence of her secretary, Uvanda! |
We attended the Tier 3 Hub which happens daily. So, there are 3 tiers. Tier 1 is a "huddle" between staff and manager in departments. Tier 2 is between the managers and Tier 3 when the directors all meet after the Tier 1 and 2 huddles. It involves things like bed state, flow, equipment and staffing problems. One of the big things they are tackling at the moment in NYP is 'zero workplace harm'. Pretty self explanatory as it involves staff being physically harmed by patients or relatives but also focuses on emotional well being and verbal abuse. The smallest instance of any of the above is brought up at this meeting and investigated. It was great to see individual staff nurses being mentioned at such senior levels in reference to their mental and emotional well being at work.
Interestingly, Cornell are the only hospital in the current top 10 across the country (they are currently no.10) without Magnet status. Considering how lauded Magnet is, it's some achievement to be in the top 10 at all without it but they are going for their first designation this year. I met with Rhoda, their Magnet lead who went through the entire process with me and what it means to be a Magnet hospital.
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| Rhoda & me |
It's been really interesting to learn about it as I had wondered if Magnet is just another one of those things that ends up with you ticking a load of boxes, getting a fancy title but ultimately not making much difference to any of the staff or patients. What I've discovered thought is actually the opposite. Magnet has helped so many of these hospitals to completely transform their nursing culture from the top down and bottom up to meet in the middle with strong leadership and engaged, enthusiastic and driven staff nurses. Everywhere I have visited in the States has been Magnet designated or going for it and one of the common themes is nursing staff leading projects, problem solving, creating positive change on the front line and all of this with strong backing from management. If this is what Magnet means, bring it on!
I also visited NYU Langone Health, another Magnet hospital! I spent the day with Dr. Kim Glassman, Chief Nursing Officer and also spent time with the Magnet leads for the site and had lunch with the Magnet Champions of each department who were lovely and shared what they call their 'Magnet Stories' with me, just examples of staff excellence really but they are required in writing for the application process which is actually nice in a way as it means staff are properly acknowledged for their work.
My visit ended with a trip to the Kimmel building, their newest building and the fanciest place on earth! I swear, it was unbelievable. Touchscreen everything! I was afraid to touch anything, I always get a bit clumsy in fancy places (just ask my friend Denise about the pink gin in her brand new kitchen! Still so sorry!🙈🙈) so it's better if I just nod and smile!
It wasn't all work in New York as I was there over the weekend. It was lovely to just go wandering in Central Park and up Broadway and 5th Ave. I managed to get discounted tickets for a show at the last minute too which was amazing and also caught the Columbus Day/Day of Races/Indigenous People's Day (it has many names!) Parade on Monday which was great!
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| Parade down 5th Ave! |
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| Broadway! |
It might sound a bit sad but one of my favourite things was just doing normal work things in New York! Commuting into work past Time Square and the Empire State building rather than gawking at them like a super tourist (my usual posture) was just surreal and did make me a bit giddy! Cue lots of photos to Gareth with #commute underneath!😂
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| On the way to NYU Langone! |
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| Off the subway and Time Square only up the road! |
I honestly just can't get enough of New York. It's just so alive with noise, lights, people, traffic, sirens, steam rising from the manholes. It never stops! Anywhere else in the world this would annoy the hell out of me but here it just fits. It's part of the city and I love all of it! I hated leaving but it's onward and upwards (literally!) to Boston and visiting Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, a dedicated EENT hospital! And Harvard teaching hospital! I think I'm getting over excited again but when you grow up watching American movies visiting places like this is like going to a movie set!
Only 3 weeks left to go too, time really does fly when you're having fun😊
Kate
