“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead

One thing I found especially obvious at the conference last week, as well as during the Mentoring Calls, and on the Professional Support Network is this:

We, as neonatal therapists, are more powerful than we know.

The more I learn about us as a group, the more I realize how much our unique knowledge of our patients and the NICU is needed. It’s not that we haven’t been in the NICU all along – but building a united voice on such a strong foundation is leading us toward a very bright future.

And I just want to say I’m grateful to be part of that ride.

When I experience your passion, and your incredible knowledge and drive, I know we are on the cusp of something more amazing than we can envision.

Or maybe we can envision it – maybe that’s the energy we felt at the 2011 conference. The one that felt like elation, excitement and connectedness all in one.

I can’t wait to see how we continue to change the world.

One tiny life at a time.

As I said above, one of your fellow NANT members recently spent quite a bit of time on our Members Only Professional Support Network. She found she was able to give and receive important information to other members.

We can all save each other loads of time and energy by providing answers and asking important questions. There’s SO much knowledge in this group – you blow me away.

One particular time-saving feature I wanted to point out is this: if you want to keep up with a particular topic, but don’t want to check back every single day, just subscribe to that topic and you’ll receive an email notice when someone has added a comment to that topic.

Here’s a screenshot of where that subscribe icon is:

Subscribing to that topic will allow you real time updates regarding your most recent topic of interest. If you have any questions on how to subscribe to a topic, please email us at info@neonataltherapists.com.

9 pages of content and over 1,100 comments.

Be part of the circle.

JOIN US for the next chapter of this journey – a unique and specialized group of therapists and caregivers serving the most fragile patients. We know you love what you do. Be part of the Second Annual NANT Conference and feel the support of hundreds of people just like you!

5 Creative Ways to Thrive in the NICU:

A Therapist’s Guide to Happiness

The question I ask myself as I leave the NICU each day is this:

“If everyone in the NICU interacted with babies, parents, and co-workers like I did today, would this be a better unit or a worse one?”

And sometimes I feel like I fall short of where I want to be. But perfection is never the goal.

Awareness is.

We all make errors. We have days that didn’t work out how we planned. Then we simply start again. No guilt. No shame. Start again.

And keep asking the question.

Like I said above, sometimes in our haste we may inadvertently run through an assessment using the diagnosis as our primary focus. We can assume that this patient is being referred only for the diagnosis or problem i.e. poor feeding.

When we arrive to the bedside with that diagnosis or problem in the front of our minds it’s easy to overlook the baby as a whole.

We may assume that since others have seen this infant before us, and she had a Ballard Exam and a full assessment upon admission, that all other systems must be relatively ok.

But have you always found that to be true?

Of course not.

There are times (when we’re truly present to the assessment) that we find other subtle and important details. We may find a mild brachial plexus injury, a cleft in the soft palate, or a significant head preference. You get the idea. You’ve been there.

But observing these less than glaring problems takes presence, skill, patience and knowledge.

It takes becoming a blank slate when you begin your assessment.

Becoming a blank slate doesn’t mean you approach the assessment without any knowledge or consideration of what you’ve read in the chart or learned from the other staff. It means that you don’t pre-decide what you’re going to find when you do your assessment.

When we pre-decide the problem, presentation and solution before ever observing and assessing the infant, we’ve lost something. A piece of our value and excellence is left unused.

Remember that no one else sees and assesses infants through the same lens that we do. We bring a unique set of skills and knowledge to the table (or incubator as the case may be).

Honor what you know. Ask questions about what you don’t know. Learn all you can from the chart and other staff and then become a blank slate.

The infant’s body and system tells a story.

Your best work is knowing how to listen.

It was a rainy, dark, cold morning last week as I prepared to walk the block or two from the parking garage to the hospital. I pulled out my scarf and gloves and headed out into the wind.

I wasn’t alone of course. This is part of the 6:20am trek. Out of the darkness we saw headlights. The staff shuttle to our hospital showed up in time to pack us all in and save us the frigid walk. Yay!

I wanted to hug the driver. His timing was perfect. And he was in a great mood, greeting each of us as we entered.

I noticed how each of us thanked him a little more fervently that day as we exited the shuttle. It mattered to us that he showed up that day. And that he was happy to help us. It mattered that the hospital provides such a service.

And as I watched the ‘herd’ of us exiting the shuttle, I wondered how many of us, as hospital staff, really believe that what we do everyday matters to anyone else. Do YOU as an individual KNOW that you matter?

Because you do.

And we’re going to have some fun with this.

Write to me. In 3 sentences or less, tell me why you matter. At work, at home, in your community, anywhere.

Examples?

“I matter because I always take extra time to teach families. “I matter because I really pay attention as I feed babies in the NICU.” “I matter because I make sure my kids know someone loves them everyday.” “I matter because I’m the only one in my family who cooks….well.”

Have fun with it. And email your response to us. PLEASE.

We’re going to create something cool with your responses.

Either hit ‘reply’ to this NewNOTE and send us your Matter Statement(s) or email us at: info@neonataltherapists.com. It will take 2 minutes and you may just inspire someone else. You can include your name within your reply or it can remain anonymous.

It takes hundreds to thousands of people to run a hospital well. Look around you while you’re at work today. Who does their work excellently everyday (clinical or not) and could really use a ‘Thank You’ from you?

No one hears this enough.

Make someone’s day.

(And it’s easier to thank someone else than to recognize yourself. So PLEASE send us your Matter Statements too!!!)

Many of you did this last year with me. I remember how excited you were!

My mentor Christine Kane taught me years ago to choose a word of the year instead of composing a list of resolutions that left me feeling like I’d failed by January 5th.

I wasn’t sure how it worked and it seemed too simple to be meaningful.

Part of my mindset was that change had to be difficult, and must involve a list of goals to be of value. After all, as therapists we’ve been writing clear, objective, measureable goals since we left school, right? We’re even adept at assigning the time frame in which they should be met! It’s natural to bring that skill into our lives as well.

Except for this: it just doesn’t feel very inspiring. At least that’s what I found.

Having resolutions became another THING I had TO DO.

So I thought I’d give this ‘Word of the Year’ thing a chance. And what I found was that it changed my whole year. Without a list, without a scorecard, this one little word somehow wormed its way into my everyday life and then nothing was ever the same.

How does this work? Click on any of these links to read a few of my summaries from years past and you’ll see what I mean.

2008 – Word of the Year – Clarity

2009 – Word of the Year – Soar

2010 – Word of the Year – Decide

And if you think of it, send me an email at info@neonataltherapists.com and let me know what word you choose.

I can’t wait to see how the intention of that word changes your 2012.

Cheers to new beginnings.