Running head: BEING THE CHANGE 1

Being the change

Laura Armistead

James Madison University

BEING THE CHANGE 2

Being the change

While reflecting on this weeks reading, the word change made me think about what led

me to step out of my comfort zone 2.5 years ago and leave a job Id worked for almost a

decade. One of the quotes in our reading really hit home with me. If finance and productivity

are perceived as being the only things that matter it can have profound negative effects on the

way staff feel about the value placed on their work as care- givers. This makes it more difficult

to cope with the inevitable emotional and psychological demands of the job. (Chambers &

Ryder, 2011, p. 47).

After almost ten years caring for dialysis patients, I felt like the company I worked for

only saw the patients and their staff as numbers. I felt like the push to keep staffing costs low

jeopardized good patient care and patient safety. I also saw where they continued to provide

cheaper equipment and supplies and even tried to limit the amount of supplies used for

patients. This particularly bothered me when I knew my peritoneal dialysis patients could

practice better infection control with the better quality supplies. When you work in dialysis, you

see your patients so often and develop a strong bond with them. I did my best to care for them,

but the restraints placed on the nurses just became too much emotionally and psychologically

as the quote mentioned and I looked for and found another job in Interventional Radiology (IR).

I couldnt be the change that I wouldve liked to in this situation because of the

limitations put on me by the company I worked for. The barriers I faced were things like

productivity reports, supervisors worried about the bottom line over patient care, and lack of

quality supplies. I did find a way to still care for this patient population in another way even

though I didnt realize it at first.

BEING THE CHANGE 3

Id sent my dialysis patients to IR many times over the years to have permacaths placed

and fistulagrams done, but other than that I had no idea what a radiology nurse did. In this

department we do many procedures, but some of the more common procedures are the ones

we do for the dialysis patients. Ill never forget the first couple of times that my patients saw

me in IR. They were always so excited and they all seemed happy that I would be caring for

them during their procedures. Theyd ask for me in the pre-op area and patients at the center

would tell others that Id be there for them when they needed appointments too. I truly cared

for them and they showed me that they knew how much I cared for them by their reactions

when they saw me again.

Once I realized that I could still have an impact and still be the change-for this

population of patients I was happy. Now I make sure to not only go out of my way to the

patients Id had a relationship with, but I go out of my way to talk to dialysis patients that I

dont know. Ive found that reaching out makes a difference in their anxiety. By going the extra

mile for this patient population, I feel like Ive managed those barriers to the best of my ability.

Another way Ive tried to be the change recently was when I was asked to give a presentation

to a group of CNA students on dialysis. I used this opportunity to share my knowledge of these

special patients. I focused on things that as CNAs they needed to know to care better for these

patients rather than just give general presentation on dialysis, since they have different needs

than the average patient. It may have only been a small group of students, but I hope some of

the information will stick with them when theyre in positions to care for dialysis patients.
BEING THE CHANGE 4

Reference

Chambers, C., & Ryder, E. (2011). Excellence in compassionate nursing care: leading the

change. Journal of holistic healthcare, 8(3), 46-49.