Looking back and looking forward

I spent this past week living in two worlds. Inside the halls and meeting rooms of the conference center, I learned of cutting-edge research that is resulting in new interventions, improving patient outcomes, and propelling the nursing profession forward around the globe. Upon leaving the conference center and walking around the streets of Prague, I was transported back in time in a city with a rich history that includes establishment of the first university in Europe.

On my final evening, as I strolled around, taking my last glimpses and reflecting on this journey to commonality between two worlds, it struck me like a thunderbolt. Each came to be through great sacrifice!

Sacrifices made by the Czech people and at great cost are chronicled in artifacts that back to the eighth century. Many Czech families made the ultimate sacrifice during the Black Plague, but they endured their losses, memorialized their loved ones in places like the “Bone Church,” and stoically soldiered on.

Bone Church

To provide for their families, in hopes of giving them a better life, Czech men and women toiled long hours enduring harsh working conditions in silver-producing towns like Kutná Hora.

Kutná Hora

In modern times, they stood tall in the face of oppressive regimes to establish, once again, a society grounded in personal freedoms that values creativity and enlightenment.

Plague at Memorial to the Victims of Communism

Memorial to the Victims of Communism

As I look back on this congress, I would like to recognize all who sacrificed so much to be here. I know that, early on, many attendees had alternative career opportunities. Yet, they sacrificed a more economically rewarding career to become a professional nurse and answer the call to improve the human condition. In following that call, I know that many, because nursing is not valued in their culture or they are on the wrong side of a political conflict, have endured stigma and social injustice. I know that educators and researchers alike have made great sacrifices to ensure that the next generation of professional nurses is armed with the best science. For this, I thank you all!

On a personal note, I want to thank all who sacrificed so I could be here, including: faculty members from my undergraduate and graduate nursing school years (you know who you are); my mother, who is my nursing role-model (the fruit truly does not fall far from the tree); and my loving wife, Emma, who shot all the video and took most of the pictures for this blog and walked more than 10 miles each day so I could give you a taste of Prague.

Finally, I would like to make a request of all who have enjoyed this blog: If you could sacrifice just one Starbucks coffee a week or something similar and contribute your savings to the Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing, your donation could help fund a leadership grant that would enable nurses in need of financial support to attend a research congress in the future.

I look forward to seeing friends, old and new, in Hong Kong next year and making new friends there. Until then, be blessed, be safe and, in the words of my Czech colleagues, CHAO!

CHAO!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Thoughts on planning

When I was in my MBA program, I was taught about the four Ps of marketing: product, placement, pricing, and promotion. During my PhD studies, I was taught about the five Ps of research: Prior planning prevents poor performance. Well, you know what they—whoever “they” are—say about plans.

I was inspired to think about planning while attending today’s induction ceremony for the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. Although many interesting topics were covered during the panel discussion, featuring some of the greatest minds in nursing from around the globe, the concept of planning resonated with me strongly. That may be because I am a planner, or it may be, as was pointed out, that things never go as planned. Although I am a planner, I can say with confidence that 90 percent of what I plan never goes as planned. I can also say with confidence that, when things don’t go as planned, amazing and wonderful things can happen!

Before leaving my hotel room this morning, I had a plan, but then I stopped at the tour desk—not part of the plan—to ask if there was anything I should not miss, as my days in Prague were becoming short. Again, change in plans.

Off I headed with my new plan, confident that I knew where I was going. Not so much. However, my accidental deviation from the new plan landed me in a local restaurant where I had one of the best meals I have had in Prague, and at one of the lowest prices.

In England, where I visit often, there is a lunch called a “plowman’s.” It usually consists of bread, several cheeses, and a small amount of local meat. There is a similar lunch in Prague, and it is called a “farmer’s.” However, the difference is that the farmer’s lunch consists of sizable portions of bread, sausage, sweet cabbage, potato pancakes, and ham, prepared in several different fashions. It was a fabulous outcome, resulting from a breakdown in my plan!

My "farmer's lunch."

Adjusting the plan to compensate for my unanticipated course deviation, I jumped on a tram that has been in operation since long before the Velvet Revolution, planning to take it directly to my destination.

A tram took me not so directly to my destination.

Things didn’t go as planned. The signage in Prague is great. My Czech? Not so much. As I rode, I kept looking out the window for the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul “on top of the Rock.” When I finally spotted it, I had overshot it and had to travel several hundred meters more, making it necessary to hike back in the midday sun. Although I needed the walk after my huge lunch, hiking in the midday sun was not in the plan, but I met many wonderful people along the way who helped me navigate the confusing route up the hill to the cathedral. Also, I stopped and took in amazing views I would have otherwise missed. So, once again the plan came through. It just happened not to be my plan.

A view my plan didn't include.

The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul sits atop “the Rock” or, in Czech, the area known as Vyšehrad. Although the cathedral was constructed in the 1800s, the site on which it sits is where Prague originated. Inside, there are amazing antiquities dating back to the 10th century.

Seeing the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
actually was part of Plan A—or was it B?

The Rock is also home to Slavin, one of the oldest cemeteries in the Czech Republic. Its current incarnation dates back to the 1800s, but souls have been laid to rest in this spot since at least the 12th century. Slavin is the resting place of many of the Czech Republic’s war heroes, statesmen, and scholars. It is here that you will find the gravesite of the composer Dvořák.

Antonín Dvořák

There are beautiful parks on top of The Rock with many statues that pay homage to the great leaders and history of this fascinating land. A stroll around these grounds is a must. And, just a short distance from the entrance—I came in the back way—is a Metro station, where you can catch a train that will take you quickly and directly back to the center of town.

Arriving back at my hotel and reflecting on my day, I knew that I had a better day than I ever could have planned. So my tip for today is, if you can bring yourself to do it, embrace whatever breakdowns occur in your plans. Amazing things can come from doing so!

Until my next and final postcard from Prague, be blessed and be safe!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

The view from over here

Today, my thoughts turn to the concept of perspective.

In the American film “The Dead Poet’s Society,” actor Robin Williams stars as John Keating, an unorthodox instructor at a posh secondary school for boys that is attended by the most affluent of students. Keating is continually reprimanded for using unique teaching techniques that encourage his students to look at the world and life from alternative perspectives. In one scene, he invites every student in his class to come and stand on his desk to look out over the classroom. Each student has a different perspective on what he sees.

Research congress reminds me how important perspective is. As a researcher, I have been trained not to rule out possibilities, but to keep an open mind about a realm of outcome possibilities I may not have considered. The continuum of outcomes we consider, however, is influenced by the lens through which we observe the world. By attending sessions and participating in discussion groups at congress, we realize that our lenses are affected by culture, available resources, training, and many other factors. When chatting with a colleague, we discover that our ultimate goal, however, is the same—to improve the outcomes of clients we are caring for—regardless of the respective lenses through which we view things at a given moment. These discoveries affirm the fact that our organization, by hosting a meeting like this, is living up to its mission and remind us why we support it.

I must also share another perspective I have come to appreciate. I often find myself experiencing a heightened level of stress when attending a conference such as this. That stress may come from the lengthy journey I endured before arriving at the host city or from preparing for the presentation I will be making. I cannot imagine, however, the stress of delivering a professional presentation in a non-native language. I tip my hat to my colleagues from around the world who have endured the stress of presenting in a language that is not their first. Congratulations on a job well done!

As you may imagine by now, Prague offers many different cultural perspectives, but I am going to focus on several different visual perspectives. The Petrin Tower, for example, provides amazing views that cannot be from the cobblestone streets.

Castle from above.

Old City from above.

Just as important of taking in the view of the city from above is getting out at night. The streets of Prague come alive at night. Although one of my favorite pastimes—people watching—has been taken to a new level, I have found that taking my eyes off the crowd and looking up is equally important. The architecture of Prague takes on a totally different perspective at night.

Old City Gate at night.

City Hall clock at night.

Cathedral at night.

Castle at night.

So, as you move through your day today, take just a moment to look at life from a different perspective. And if you choose to do so by standing on your desk, be blessed and be safe!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Ahoj, and good day from Prague!

Today’s post with its one photograph is more traditional than yesterday’s post with its nine videos. In preparing and sending components for that first post, I discovered that, although CZ has evolved rapidly since the fall of the Iron Curtain, its Internet infrastructure has not evolved quite as quickly. Keep this in mind if you are planning a trip to Prague in the near future.

Time and distance

It seems that this morning’s plenary, which reminded me that there are many facets to bridging the gap between research and practice, has set the tone for my thoughts as I prepare today’s post. Two facets that have come together here are time and distance.

This annual research congress gives me the opportunity to reconnect with many colleagues and mentors I have known for a very long time. Although I live in the same country as many of them—even the same city—I allow too much time to pass between visits, and I find it ironic that I have traveled thousands of miles to reconnect with a colleague from “down the street.” When we do reconnect, though, it seems as if it was just yesterday when we last visited. It is fascinating how our human instrumentation deals with these two concepts of time and distance.

Today, I had the honor and privilege to make some new connections. I attended a reception for congress attendees who are recipients of leadership grants. These grants, provided with Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing funds, enabled nurse scholars to attend this congress who otherwise might not have been able to attend. How moving it is to see the foundation’s mission in action. By supporting these scholars with funds made possible through the generosity of honor society members, the foundation has helped bridge the gap between research and practice, thereby decreasing the time for important connections to be made, shortening the distance to completing the research that’s needed to impact practice, and improving our ultimate goal—improving global health.

This picture was made possible through member
donations! Thanks!

Crossing boundaries

Spanning boundaries is in Prague’s DNA. People of all cultures converge on this city to experience its rich history, and we all seem to get along just fine. If we could only get our governments to do this when we get home, what a world it could be, but … I’ll leave the global politics out and move on to one of my favorite topics—music.

Prague is steeped in musical tradition. Many of the masters of the classical period found their inspiration in the beauty that is Prague. Classical music in its original form lives on today in the many cathedrals and music venues of Prague. Almost every night of the week, the music of Dvořák and Mozart is heard flowing from the city’s hallowed halls, but the music doesn’t stop there.

The street musicians of Prague rival any I have seen in my travels around the globe. From the solo artist I observed performing Carmen on glasses filled with water to the four-piece string ensemble I heard playing “Born to be Wild” on classical instruments, variety and talent abound here. As spectators gather spontaneously to appreciate these amazing sounds, smiles and nods are exchanged and boundaries are spanned. These flash audiences soon dissolve and their members move on, but their members will forever share the memory of their moments together.

My advice to you today is: No matter where you are, appreciate some music, share a smile or nod, and span a boundary.

Until my next postcard from Prague, be blessed and be safe!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Ahoj from Prague!

Yes, that’s right. I said, “Ahoj!” (ahoy).

After spending the last several days being terrified by my Czech phrase book, I was put at ease shortly after my arrival in Prague by my taxicab driver, on the way to the conference hotel. I quickly found that, although the Czech language is difficult, the Czech people are not. They are warm, welcoming, and proud to share their culture with visitors. So, my thanks to my driver for helping me bridge the gap between my research and real-world practice by teaching me the local word of hello and goodbye—“Ahoj!”

The city of Prague is absolutely amazing. Over the centuries, writers far better than I have described it, so I’m hopeful that modern technology, a trusted companion, and a pair of Raybans can bridge the gap.

So you thought you knew Prague. Well, maybe not.

A short walk from the conference center is the square where the astronomical clock has chimed for hundreds of years. Tourists come from around the globe to savor the sounds.

Tourism has brought food from around the globe to Prague. I look forward to sampling it—is that a research term?)—in coming days, but for now, I will go with the local fare.

Another site that draws people to Prague is the Charles Bridge.

The Charles Bridge is famous for the 30 statues that adorn it. I must admit, a couple of them were a little scary, but I observed and moved on.

One of the most popular foods in Prague is pizza.

Another thing the Czech Republic is famous for is blown glass and crystal. Stand back!

The Czech Republic has its own version of Mickey Mouse.

So, now that I have taken you on the Disney (Mickey Mouse) tour of Prague, I am going to sign off on the drive-by and ask you to come back tomorrow when we will delve deeper and look behind the scenes of this historic city.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.