Culture

I’m writing from Victoria at Royal Roads University today. It must certainly have one of the richest Canadian cultural histories, being on the Lekwungen, Songhees and Esquimalt lands, including Hatley Castle and its beautiful gardens and grounds. Every day has been an extraordinary experience. 

As awe-inspiring as the learning and the environment have been, I have been away for the entirety of a time in nursing history that, from a distance, feels hard to watch and hear about. Not only do I feel empathy and guilt about not being able to support my colleagues, but I’m also reminded that what I wish I had known earlier in my life is the impact we all have on each other and how that affects the workplace culture we immerse ourselves in. 

As a ‘middle manager’ whose role remains in the union, but who works very closely with the non-union manager, I feel a pull in both directions to understand and support both sides. I wish there were no sides, but in times like this and if the news is sharing even ½ of what is true, then it sounds undoubtedly like there are sides, and the culture between the two is currently shattering or has been shattered. 

When emotions are high, and people have been hurt along the way, the last thing people are generally thinking about is how their words impact the next person or, to go one step further, what that ripple effect really looks like. I’ve recently made this mistake myself in a Facebook post about the current nursing situation. Would I like to take it back, after that first hour in realizing that it might not have landed how I wanted it to for some people? That possibly I was self-serving in my rant and in that moment not thinking of others, but that the goal of my post was to share that what we all have in common and are fighting for is how to provide the best care to the patients/clients? 

In a previous article, I took the opportunity to remind us that we are human, we make mistakes, and learning to communicate better and more consistently, even if it’s a 1% improvement, would likely make the world a better place. 

I wonder, today, what this all looks like for nurses and managers when the job action is over (which may possibly even be when you are reading this article); after this much unrest, do we just go back to our previous way of getting along, being kind and respectful? Does it happen that quickly that people reflect and let go? I would love to say, yes! 

I’m not so sure that’s how the world works, and I am not sure it should. Would every workplace benefit from a debriefing between nurses and managers (who are also largely nurses) to address the added trauma and hurt that came from the unrest that ensued? It’s heartbreaking to know that a system that already had dysfunction and toxicity in many areas is now going to have to come back from this exacerbation of both of those things.

I feel passionate about supporting the outcome of this unrest, putting these master’s-level leadership skills to the test and continuing to practice that check-back system, which will lead to a more positive culture in the workplace if I am mindful and get a little better at it.   

At the end of the day, I need to, and I hope you will also consider the impact you or I can have on someone else with our words or actions. We all deserve a bit of grace when we dip into negativity, reflect, and come out a little more positive.