“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice, he is the worst.” ~ Aristotle.

When I was in my mid thirties (half a lifetime ago!), I was officially promoted from direct care nurse to administration.  In nursing, the most demanding, least rewarding position is that of ‘Nurse Manager’.  Quite apart from the literal 24/7 nature of the job (and yes, you were called anywhere, any time for problems related to your unit, or in my case, units, since I oversaw both a Surgical and an Orthopedic floor) was the delicate balance you tried to maintain.  The Nurse Manager teeters between loyalty to and understanding of her staff and their needs, and the pressure from above to run the unit efficiently’ ensuring all policies are followed religiously. 

It was a challenge, but it was also an adventure, since I had to learn a lot of skills that were new to me from creating the schedule to ensure coverage for all shifts and weekends; to validating entries on the units’ financial spreadsheet.  Then there were the annual evaluations; the monitoring of the orientation of newly hired staff nurses; responding to patients’ concerns; attendance at any number of committee meetings per week; not to mention meeting with staff on all three shifts (this was before twelve hour shifts became the norm) for staff meetings.  It was a lot.  But I was growing, and I had many role models (both good and bad) to support my growth.

There were hiccups along the way.  I soon learned that it was possible to have a perfectly balanced schedule, but the individuals who had always been off alternating weekends, with a Tuesday off before their weekend off, and a Friday after, would not appreciate suddenly being off every Wednesday.  But as I got to know the staff, and they began to trust me, I also knew who would pick up extra shifts when we were short.  It was where I first learned the term ‘Emotional Intelligence’ and realized that when it came to managing human beings, you had to understand what motivated them, and you had to treat them with respect.

I really tripped up though, in my understanding (or lack thereof) of corporate politics when my immediate boss, who had mentored me in my position, resigned.  I soon butted heads with her replacement, a person who was new to the level of responsibility and accountability, and who was probably quite insecure in her role, especially as we were expecting a visit from The Joint Commission, the accrediting body for healthcare organizations.  Being new to the role and having not herself worked as a direct care nurse for many years, she seemed to have very little understanding of what that role entailed.  And for some reason, I thought that it was only right that I should address her misstatements when she held management meetings with all of the Nurse Managers.  Her people skills were awful.  Her suggestions for how to work more efficiently recommended staffing levels that negatively affected patient outcomes.  She did not appreciate my input.

I didn’t realize how much she did not appreciate it until I was handed (in a one-on-one meeting) a ‘final warning’.  Having never been disciplined in my working life up to that point I was completely flummoxed, shocked, and hurt.  The list of my apparent failures was extensive.  Quite apart from the damage to my ego was the complete injustice of it all.  For a start, how did you get a final warning when you had never been given any prior warnings?  Neither verbal nor written.  And also, how could she not see what an excellent job I was doing?  I appealed to my HR manager, a new hire who stated he had seen plenty of documentation to support the write-up.  Funny, I told him, I haven’t!  Anyway, he suggested I prepare a rebuttal, I should compile my own list refuting her claims, giving examples of all the ways I fulfilled my role. 

After writing and rewriting my defense, when I finally showed it to her I realized this was not a situation for rational discussion.  She threw the paper on her desk and said: “You still don’t get it do you? There can only be one leader here!”  I had to swallow my pride and ask her to let me know what I had done to trigger this whole situation, for obviously we were not on the same page.  It was my behavior in those meetings, where I would contradict her, and (most egregious of all) click my pen at her!  Her suggestion was that if I did not agree with her, I should come to her privately after our meetings to let her know, but in the meetings I should be in full agreement!  My friends, after I survived this ordeal, suggested I buy a ‘bobble head toy’, and gifted me with non-clicking pens!

To this day I remember the feeling of injustice, the unfairness of my treatment.  But it taught me valuable lessons that helped me in future delicate positions.  There may be times when the people who are asking for your opinion do not want to hear it! And in fact, may use it against you! 

This week, as I was driving out in the perfect South Florida weather (zero humidity, cool morning temperatures), my thoughts turned to a mug of hot chocolate.  As I turned on my seat warmer and steering wheel warmer, I thought about those who are without power, without a secure supply of food, without clean drinking water, without a roof over their heads.  The injustice I experienced as an idealistic young professional is nothing in comparison to the injustice meted out to the population in Western Jamaica by the recent passage of Melissa.  We are finding it harder and harder to watch the videos that are still coming out of communities flattened, of some still flooded as the saturated ground refuses to hold any more water. People are suffering.  Deprived of their basic needs and the ability to provide for their families, some are driven to desperate measures.  And I wonder, could I walk a mile in their shoes?

When it comes to global disasters, many of us are fortunate to be able to change the channel, to turn away from images of devastation and loss, whether it is in our backyard and vacation hotspots in the Caribbean, or halfway around the globe in the Philippines.  We can look out through our storm impact windows and congratulate ourselves on having sturdy homes in sensible places.  And yet, even in the US with its building codes and inspectors, homes safely away from coastal surges can be washed away by flash flooding; US engineered roadways can crumble under the onslaught of rivers swollen with Helene’s wet fury. 

None of us is immune from the complications of climate change, no matter how much some may deny it.  Thankfully there are scientists who have dedicated their lives to looking for solutions.  Thankfully for Jamaica, there are NGOs that have dedicated their organizations to helping those who are in desperate need.  But there is still more that must be done.  Sustainable solutions must be implemented, ones that will not only withstand future cataclysmic events, but that will not contribute to further degradation of our planet.  It is not fair that these so-called ‘acts of God’ can render populations hopeless and helpless, but mankind has demonstrated the ability to overcome, to invent and to innovate.  As a friend of mine succinctly put it, ‘…we must prioritize people over profits and build systems rooted in fairness and justice, bonded by our shared survival’ (thanks Emma!).

On this delicious Fall Friday morning, may you have hot chocolate when you need it, and the ability to help those less fortunate than you. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Family!

One Love!

Namaste.