After completing day 1 I’m in awe of the ability for a commonality such as health care and patient safety to have such a quick spark in conversation amongst strangers. We are so passionate to get to know what we don’t know, to stress what we do know, and to communicate personal experiences to others in order to grow as a whole. I think the importance of what we are doing here will only become more apparent as the week continues. I can feel my eyes widen and wheels turn as everyone shares their stories, and inspires what I will bring back to my colleagues and hospital system. One comment that really stuck with me throughout the day was that “asking for help should be viewed as safety excellence” and that it shouldn’t even be viewed as help, but more as guidance. As a new nurse I feel as though my daily routine frequently involves asking for help, and truthfully the best lessons I’ve learned (and the reason why I don’t have to ask that question ever again) were because I was guided in my learning and not just given an answer. We must rely on others in these professions and without guidance we doom ourselves into assumptions, guesswork, and ultimately poor patient and safety outcomes. I really look forward to more open and small group discussions, as well as getting to know everyone more.
