Reducing failure in vocational rehabilitation.

Abstract

(37) I came to recognize that a fine rapport existed between her and her staff. They had no doubts about what she expected of them. They knew by her comments-sometimes subtle, sometimes direct-and by her example. Because they felt secure by knowing, she had, generally speaking, a trusting, satisfied, and giving staff. This is commonsense supervision-the use of a principle, perhaps, yet one that is too seldom used. She appeared daily on the ward. She not only knew the patients and was an effective supervisor, but understood the frustrations and the satisfactions that the personnel were having in their work. She was a liaison between the rest of the hospital and this ward. She knew a great deal about the ward and stepped in when necessary, but her knowledge was not interpreted as snooping and her intervention was not considered interference. She was capable of knowing the problems and helping with them, while still giving the staff the right and the responsibility of running the ward. She could not practice this art so well if she were not first a nurse, then a supervisor, and thus a teacher of nursing. Having observed this nurse, and some others who were effective in supervising and educating, I finally believe that exceptional performance in these areas is possible. It is also apparent and pertinent that a degree, particularly one acquired without enough guided practical experience, is no guarantee of performance. The nurse I have just described has neither a bachelor’s nor a master’s degree. She is a mature, intelligent person, with a wholly adequate knowledge of principles and facts related to her profession, together with practical experience and an interest in her work. These qualities make an exceptional nurse. Yet the fact remains that a new graduate with a master’s degree in nursing, regardless of the quality of her education and without a day’s experience, could more easily obtain a job that demands a high degree of knowledge and leadership capacity than could a nurse such as I have described. A technician is a skilled worker in an applied science. But the term technician seems to have become a nasty word in some educational circles. If nurses are to fulfill a useful role in the application of medical science, they must be technicians of the highest order. Their supervisors and educators should be persons not only with theoretical background but with factual knowledge and practical experience as well. A degree is a fine thing if it really means that the holder has acquired the technical prerequisites that are the foundations of good nursing. A degree alone, especially one that has not conferred these things, is a poor criterion for leadership. #{149} Reducing Failure in Vocational Rehabilitation