Nurses Make Impact at Care鈥檚 Core, Grads Told
From assisting as a newborn takes its first breath to helping a family prepare a loved one for hospice, few professions can lay claim to witness 鈥� and impact 鈥� life鈥檚 critical events the way nursing can.
That was the message Sherry B. Perkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and chief executive officer of 91大神 Capital Region Health, relayed Dec. 14 to summer and fall graduates of the at the in Rockville, Md., where Bruce Jarrell, MD, FACS, executive vice president and provost of the 91大神, Baltimore (UMB) and dean of the , conferred 82 nursing degrees in the Class of 2018. At UMSON鈥檚 sister ceremony on Dec. 17 at Baltimore鈥檚 Hippodrome Theatre, 221 degrees were conferred by UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD.
Sherry B. Perkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and chief executive officer of 91大神 Capital Region Health, addresses the Class of 2018 at the Universities at Shady Grove.
鈥淎t the core of care is the impact of a nurse,鈥� Perkins said during her keynote address. 鈥淚 have been guided by a simple principle. I make decisions based on patients, families, and the people who take care of them. What will you say will be your impact principle?鈥�
Perkins kicked off her remarks by informing the graduates that there would be a quiz when she was finished.
鈥淚n order for you to pass, get the degree conferred, you鈥檙e going to need to remember one word. And that word is impact,鈥� said Perkins, who oversees operations of the 91大神 Prince George鈥檚 Hospital Center in Cheverly, 91大神 Laurel Regional Hospital, 91大神 Bowie Health Campus and the family 91大神 Capital Region Health Medical Group at Suitland. She also is an adjunct faculty member at UMSON.
Perkins asked family and friends in attendance to think about 鈥渋mportant, impactful life events鈥� such as an emergency room visit, having a parent in an intensive care unit, or witnessing the birth of a child.
鈥淔or these events, a nurse was there. A nurse was there knowing and caring,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e uniquely link caring and knowledge. We link science and compassion. We know what it means for humans to be old, sick, weak, complex, and vulnerable, and we make an impact. We teach, rescue, heal, console, research; we practically have super powers. We see problems before they occur.鈥�
Wrapping up her remarks, she quizzed the graduates on the word they were charged with remembering. Perkins told graduates as they embark on their careers that they could remember the word 鈥渋mpact鈥� in the following way:
I 鈥� Invest in good shoes.
M 鈥� Make sure to wear your Fitbit
P 鈥� Pack snacks, for yourself and everyone you work with. It will make you popular.
A 鈥� Always be on time.
C 鈥� Change of shift. Patients will come then. Just plan on it.
T 鈥� Thank family, friends, and co-workers.
Student speaker Emily Anne Solomon, BSN 鈥�18, encouraged her classmates to remember advice she received in her first semester from Jana Goodwin, PhD, RN, CNE, assistant professor and director, Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, after Solomon had vented to Goodwin about being overwhelmed by the pace of nursing school.
鈥淲hile she was empathetic and agreed with me, her next few words stuck with me even until now. She said, 鈥榊ou have to start somewhere.鈥� So now, I share these words with you,鈥� Solomon said. 鈥淲hen you get overwhelmed, feel like you鈥檙e taking steps backwards, or maybe even want to quit, just remember how you had to start somewhere once, and again, in this new job, you have to start somewhere. Because when you start somewhere, that鈥檚 how you get somewhere.鈥�
UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, told graduates they begin their careers 鈥渁t a time when nursing presents unparalleled possibilities. No other profession offers such a diverse range of career paths and opportunities for professional advancement.
鈥淲e look to you for the collaborative energy needed to mitigate the impact of faculty and workforce shortages, which significantly affect the availability, accessibility, and quality of care,鈥� she continued. 鈥淎s the lynchpins of the health care system, you, more than any other, bear the burden of safeguarding patient welfare not only by providing highly skilled care, but by educating the public about the role and functions of nurses and advocating for greater support from policymakers.鈥�
