Susan Bindon, DNP, RN-BC, CNE is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing
I am very lucky. I
have a job that combines my two professional loves, nursing and teaching. Like other nursing professional development
(NPD) practitioners, the chance to do both keeps me busy, interested, and on my
toes. I’m constantly reading, thinking,
asking questions, and learning. My days
go quickly and the weeks fly by. But I
certainly have not gotten here by myself! I have had incredible help along the
way, in the form of generous others who’ve provided guidance, feedback,
opportunities and support. How I wish I
could pay them all back! I would tell
them how much they meant to me, and how often I borrowed their confidence to
bolster my own, used their words to strengthen my spirit and pictured their successes
when I could only imagine my certain failures.
I grew up a Pennsylvania dairy farm. There I learned to work hard, persist, and appreciate
the generosity of family, neighbors, and friends. I watched my parents help other families and
contribute to the community that had once welcomed them as newcomers. I remember my mother explaining to us that
people can either be contributors or
consumers. Basically, she was reminding us to give more than we receive. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I’ve
come to embrace her idea. Now I
encourage my own children to contribute however and whenever they can, and I
share stories of my own good fortune.
Thirty-five years have passed since I decided to become a
nurse. I can’t pay back all of the
professional debts I surely owe. But I
can pay it forward. Paying it forward
is the notion that the recipient of a gift or good deed repays it to others
instead of to the original benefactor. I
can now help others in some of the same ways I’ve been helped in the past.
I remember my first preceptor, Marcella, who told me in
no uncertain terms that I was her last “project” before retirement, and that I
had exactly six weeks to learn what I needed to know. I cherish those six weeks from so many
summers ago. The real-life experiences
and pithy advice she shared set the course for my career. She sparked my curiosity and helped me
recognize that learning never ends. I’m
grateful to a part-time faculty member, Linda, who took me under her wing when
I became a new clinical instructor. She
went out of her way to help me, and answered questions I didn’t even know
enough to ask. Following her example, I developed my own style as a teacher. I
can never repay Liz, who took a chance and hired me, with no experience, into
an education specialist role during a difficult time in my life. Her
straightforward “West Virginia wisdom”, as she called it, guided me through
countless situations and decisions as my career forged ahead. I often think about Jim, a retired military
officer and NPD specialist whose keen instincts led him to a remote classroom one
afternoon where I was in a worrisome situation with a disgruntled
employee. I was never so glad to hear
the words “You ok, boss?” Wendy, the veteran nurse whose undeniable “people skills”
(we didn’t call them that at the time!) showed me how a charge nurse gets
everyone safely through a busy night shift.
Joanne, who put down her bags on the way out of the office one evening
and stayed late to help me sort out an incredibly complex clinical schedule.
Carol, a trusted advisor who encouraged me to take a leap and seek leadership
positions. My children, who keep me
grounded and inspired. Friends who
not-so-gently remind me now and then that I’m missing in action. There are hundreds of examples that come to
mind. Profound acts of kindness,
perfectly timed opportunities, and invaluable pieces of advice have all come my
way. Peers, colleagues, friends, family
members, and even strangers have contributed to and helped shape my
professional path.
What does this have to do with teaching, nursing, and NPD? A lot, I think! All of us have benefitted from the contributions of others. Regardless of where we are in our careers, there are opportunities to pay it forward every day. I love talking with new grads during their nurse residency program, and imagining with them what they’ll be doing 2 or 30 years from now. I enjoy working with new educators as they hone their teaching skills. I’m thrilled when students break through a real or imagined barrier. I share the excitement when a novice author gets published for the first time. We can all look for ways to contribute (thanks Mom!) and help others succeed. What might this look like? We can help staff submit a poster abstract, offer to mentor a new committee member, nominate a colleague for a well-deserved award, take a team member to a leadership meeting, volunteer to precept a graduate student, contribute to a specialty panel, share expertise via a guest lecture or webinar. The possibilities are endless! The important thing is to be mindful of who and how we can help, and what we can do to “pay it forward” to the next lucky individual. Let’s do so with enthusiasm and a nod to those who have done the same for us. You never know whose career you may be influencing!
