Elizabeth, I found your book so uplifting and
inspiring! The information works for nurses at any stage of their career. In my work with the nonprofit group www.ExceptionalNurse.com,
I hear from countless nurses with disabilities (multiple sclerosis, stroke
survivors, hearing or vision loss, Lupus, Parkinson’s disease, amputees, mental
illness) who are struggling to continue to practice in their current positions
as well as those in search of new career paths.
DM: Often nurses with disabilities are at a “fork in
the road”— struggling with the benefits and risks of disclosing a disability to
colleagues and administrators. Do you have any thoughts or recommendations
about the benefits and risk of disclosure? Often nurses are “scared
silent”…afraid they will lose their job.
ES: Great
question. And, one that can be difficult to answer. For me, staying silent is
similar to muffling my authentic voice. It’s analogous to not being myself. One
of my greatest values in life is showing up as a true and authentic expression
of myself. Now that might not be everyone else’s value. To answer your
question, Donna, I think that each nurse needs to do an honest assessment of
themselves and their core values. If living life in an authentic way is
something that is important to them, then disclosing is necessary. Because
guess what? If we live our lives in lie we are only harming ourselves. Many of
the physical symptoms of illness are simply manifestations of some other
mental, emotional, or energetic imbalance. Our body attempts to get our
attention in some really nifty ways. I understand that disclosing is difficult.
Trust me; I have struggled with my own mental health issues from time-to-time
as it runs in my family. If you are working in a place that values you as an
individual, then disclosing in a safe way is the best option.
DM: Nurses with disabilities who have asked for
reasonable accommodations under the ADA (reduced hours, amplified telephones,
flex-time, lifting restrictions, etc.) often report resentment from other
nurses. Do you have any suggestions for improving situations like this? Could
some of the issues be about the nurse with the disability and not the
accommodations needed? Should the nurse look within? For example…asking him or
herself questions like are you a team player, eager to help others when needed?
Give as much as you take?
ES:
Boy, this is a tough one. I absolutely understand what you are describing and
it’s such a shame we judge in this way. However, that being said, we can only
be responsible for our own thoughts, feelings, and actions. There is no way in
the world we can change another adult’s behavior. And further, we’ve got to
understand that the way in which people behave is coming from their perception
of the world. As unique individuals, we all have our own memories, experiences,
attitudes, and worldview. So the advice I’d give here is try not to let another
person’s judgement affect you. Let it go and focus on yourself. There will be
people everywhere in this world that judge you for one thing or another.
Release those negative vibrations and focus on your own self.
DM: For nurses looking to carve out new career paths,
would you recommend reaching out to nurses with similar disabilities for career
guidance?
ES: Absolutely!
I am all about reaching out and receiving support. And who better to ask for
help from? Someone who has walked in your shoes and can empathize with your
history- that is the best person to find mentorship from.
DM: You speak about the power of affirmations in your
book. Would affirmations be helpful for nurses with disabilities searching for
new ways to continue to serve?
ES: I think so.
Now, if used in the way I describe them in ‘Your
Next Shift’.
Because, as you saw in reading it, at first affirmations did not work for me.
In fact, I didn’t think they worked at all! But it was what I was focusing on
and how I was affirming it that was getting in my way. However, to answer your
question, yes I completely see affirmations as a way to empower nurses in
wonderful ways.
DM: Many nurses with disabilities live with the fear
and doubt you discuss in your book. They
ask, “What if my condition gets worse?” What if I can’t do the new job? Do you
have suggestions for dealing with this type of fear and self-doubt?
ES: Awesome
question, Donna. I am so glad that you asked. And I can take the questions you
asked above as an opportunity to teach the readers right here and now. Look at
the questions posed above: ‘What if my condition gets worse? What if I can’t
get the new job?’ The very wording of the question already sets you up for
failure because what we focus on--grows. When we give something energy, either
through thought or words, we give it life. So instead of asking those
questions, the way to start to shift things and release some of that fear and
doubt, is to ask a new set of questions. Try something like: ‘What would it
take for my condition to improve? What vibrational energy must I become to get
me that new job?’ See how those questions feel more empowering? I encourage
your readers to give it a try and then report back to us in the Your Next Shift
Facebook group
how their experiences went.
DM: Many nurses with disabilities deal with
tremendous personal loss….physically, emotionally….and in addition they may
have to leave the bedside and direct patient care. Loss is huge! Do you have
any suggestions for dealing with loss?
ES: Loss is
huge; you’re right about that. I speak more to loss in my first book, ‘Nursing
from Within’
in chapter eight when I give the example of my uncle who took his life in 2010.
Since that life experience, and some others along the way, I personally choose
to view each experience as an opportunity for growth, healing, and change. So,
sure there is loss. But the way we frame it makes a really big difference.
Instead of looking at a loss as a ‘negative’ how can we frame it in such a way
that we learn from it? The very best way to continue forward in life is to
learn from every failure, loss, or challenging experience.
DM: In your book you talk about the law of polarity. How
could this law apply to nurses with disabilities? How can nurses with
disabilities see their career in a new light?
ES: Thanks for
asking. This law is really another opportunity for us, similar to what was
described above. The ‘Law of Polarity’ is simply about the fact that everything
has an equal and exact opposite. The example I share in the book is one I
learned from a business coach. Think of a magic marker. It has the end that you
write with and of course, the opposite end- the top. Without the top, there’d
be no bottom. So in terms of how this law might apply to nurses with
disabilities and how they might view their career is by looking for the exact
opposite of every situation they find themselves in. To bring back your
question above about those negative colleagues judging the nurse who may need
to work less hours- sure there are those people that will judge. But what about
the exact opposite? Those colleagues that fully accept you just as you are!
This law provides so much room for inspiration and joy.
DM: Could your recommendation on pg. 55 to list likes
and dislikes about your job work for a nurse with a disability? For example…a
nurse could list abilities and limitations. Identify areas of nursing practice
where abilities could grow and flourish (telephone triage, hospice hotline,
case management, poison control hotline)
ES: Sure, this
exercise can work for ANYONE. Not just nurses, even. To figure out the best
position where a nurse could grow and flourish is to go through this exercise
and get really, really clear on what your ideal nursing career would look like.
Even if you don’t know where that job might be, or how that might happen,
that’s all OK. Just holding close that vision of the best role (and the action
steps you take along the way) will bring it to fruition.
DM: You talk about WIFT in your new book. How could a
nurse with a disability use WIFT in an interview for a new position?
ES: Great
question. So the WIFT model is asking yourself, ‘What’s in it for them?’ In
terms of the person there in front of you (the person interviewing you for a
new job, in this case), instead of answering their questions with all of the
ways that you are great- you also want to weave in to your responses how you
can serve them. How will hiring you benefit them? What solutions do you bring
to the table? How does your unique self potentially provide their team with
benefits? Figure out their pain points and how you can solve them and you will
hit a homerun!
DM: How could a nurse with a disability use social
media to continue to work?
ES: Hmm…
interesting question. Social media is such an opportunity for us all. It is a
wonderful way to expand our professional networks. It can help us make lasting
connections with people we have never even met. Like you, Donna. It is an honor
to know you via social media and one day I’d love to meet you in person and
give you a great big hug for all of the support you share with me. Social media
can be an outlet for inspiration, connection, knowledge and information, and
career growth.
Many thanks to Elizabeth Scala for sharing so much of
herself and her work with us! Get a copy of her book to keep under your pillow!
http://tinyurl.com/p9e97ux
Please feel free to leave a comment or question below.
About the Author: As a speaker, workshop facilitator, and
Reiki Master, Elizabeth partners with hospitals, organizations, associations,
and nursing groups to help transform the field of nursing from the inside out.
As the host of the Your Next
Shift Workshop, Elizabeth guides nurses and nursing
students to a change in perspective, helping them make the inner shift
needed to better maneuver the sometimes challenging realities of being a
caregiver. You can find out more about Elizabeth through her most recent book,
‘Your Next Shift’.
