My name is Cheryl Barnes-Neff, and I’ve been a registered nurse for over forty years. These pages will become what I hope, will help you on your journey as a front line manager. We’ll be talking about basic leadership skills, communication skills and boundary setting, holistic assessment principles, self care, and patient and staff education; always with the goal to give you actionable items to implement at your work right away.
But the most important thing we’ll be talking about is compassion. As you explore this site, you’ll discover that my definition of compassion and empathy and kindness will be a little different than you might be used to.
“I believe that compassion is not just a feeling, but an intention to help. Compassion is the cure for the ills of healthcare, and it is not a luxury, but a necessity for ourselves, our staff, our patients, and even out into the world.”
Studies have shown that when patients feel that they are treated with respect, all of their scores on satisfaction surveys go up. As a nurse, you know that while you go home tired at the end of your shift, there are days that you feel gratified that you were able to connect with your patients, and you made a difference.
My goal is to help you have more of those days! You want to make a difference in the lives of your staff and your patients. Healthcare is challenging, and the demands on your time sometimes feel overwhelming. It seems impossible to find the time and have the energy to be compassionate. In addition to this blog, I have some online continuing education courses that will map out how to make this happen. Click on the link below, and sign up to join the Compassion Centered CARE™ Courses site. Try a free course to see if this will be valuable to you, and let me know what you think in the comments below.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you, and seeing how we can work together to assure you have the best year ever as a nurse leader.
All the best,
Cheryl