The power of SPIRIT

From Jane to me (I have embedded the link to the SPIRIT post below):

Pat suggested I share the email below with you regarding my initial impressions of the Spirit program. As background, I was a longtime “old BI” nurse and left clinical practice back in the 1990s to do writing and other projects, which led to launching a consulting business a number of years later. However, after 11 years, I found I missed clinical practice, and I chose to return – albeit on a very limited basis (about 20 hours a month). This is becoming a lot of background - - but! - - folks in nursing were amazing in helping me get back on my feet, providing many hours of re-training and encouragement – just wanted to mention that also! I spend most of my time in the ED, and my email to Pat was following my shift last evening.

I think Spirit is fantastic; thanks for creating the environment where this is possible.

And her note to Pat, one of our SPIRIT organizer/trainers:

Just a quick note to say I think the SPIRIT website is fantastic. I used it last night to log my first “problem.” As you and I have discussed, as someone re-entering practice, and as someone who doesn’t work a whole lot of hours, I think I have a vantage point that is free of what you have called “tolerance of deviance” - - -I haven’t built up that tolerance, so some of these issues are just glaring me in the face. I am so pleased to have a way to share them.

That said, I’m a little worried about posting too many things!! Let’s discuss more when we talk next.

It is interesting to see the range of things posted. The few skeptics who are posting are disheartening, but I predict that attitude will die out quickly.

Here is a quick anecdote from my shift last night - - one that I think shows that just having this in place may help people become more aware of problems that they will then just solve on their own. Several people came through the ED looking for pillows. It is a chronic problem – lack of pillows. My tech had said to the pillow-searcher, “We don’t have any. We never have any.”

I was talking to my tech about this, and about how this could be logged into Spirit. (He was initially skeptical of the whole idea of SPIRIT but, I think, warmed to the idea!). Anyway, as I was showing him the program and encouraging him to log it in, he said, “Well, you know, we can call for pillows any time we want.” You could almost see a light bulb going off over his head - - saying, “Well then, why don’t we??”

I think the whole discussion of the idea of SPIRIT ratcheted things up for him to say, “Wait a second, I don’t have to live with no pillows, I can actually call for more and I think I will.”

Kind of a silly example, but I think the program will have this power.

That’s it, just sharing! I think it is very exciting.