50// Beyond the Bedside: How Nurses Can Influence Politics and Policy

What a milestone!! This is my 50th episode. I decided to get a little personal and controversial even for me. I pray it blesses you and directs you on your next steps in advocating for your patients, families, and yourself. 

This episode discusses the current political climate and its effects on nursing. You must advocate for yourself and your patients. I also stress the role of faith and prayer in navigating difficult times, encouraging a focus on spiritual grounding. I urge you to contact your political representatives by phone and email. 

You must know your values and stand up for what you believe in professionally and personally. It's time for you to rise and make your voices heard.

Want to continue the conversation? Send me a text right here.

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Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Are you feeling stuck in yourcurrent clinical environment?
Do you want to make a change inyour nursing career but not sure
what to do next?
Exhausted, burnt out, and maybeeven ready for different
leadership?
I'm Bonnie Meadows, a boardcertified nurse.
Clinical Nurse Specialist,Influential Leader, Career
Coach, and Well Being Coach.

(00:24):
Being in the nursing andhealthcare profession since
2004, I have felt stuck andunsure about what was next for
me.
I wanted to be fulfilled in mypurpose, to have a voice at the
table.
And to be a resource for others,I kept telling myself I wanted
more, but didn't have thedirection I needed until I found

(00:46):
clarity and career growthstrategies for experienced
nurses like me.
In this podcast, you will find.
Simple tactical steps that allowyou to gain the clarity you
need, solutions for how to groweven without supportive
leadership, and guidelines forsetting boundaries at work so
that you can grow purposefullyin your career as a nurse with a

(01:09):
graduate degree who makes a hugeimpact in the profession.
So get ready to trade yourscrubs for yoga pants.
Pop in those earbuds and let'schat.
at the time of recording thisepisode.
We have a new president and manythings of what that president

(01:32):
talked about in their campaignhas come to pass.
Some of it, we knew.
About some of it, they denied,but it's all coming to fruition.

(01:53):
Much of it, I would say,probably, if I were to guess, at
least within my circles, and Irun in a bipartisan circle.
So I'm just going to say rightoff the bat, this is an unusual,
conversation for me to have onthe podcast, but it has much to

(02:18):
do with your leadership as anurse and your growth in your
career.
because we don't grow in abubble.
We have to move with the trends.
but also still stay steadfast towho we are and what we believe.

(02:41):
We have to be open to changes inthe environment and in other
areas of the world.
nursing theories, a lot of timesthey will include the nurse, the
client, or the person that we'recaring for, the environment.

(03:05):
And Health in general, usuallythose, some of those are the
concepts of it.
And so when we are growing asleaders, we have to look at
things from that perspective ofwhat is the health of what is
going on in healthcare?

(03:26):
How does that impact ourpatients?
How does that impact theprofession?
How does it impact me as aperson?
And then how does it impact theenvironment, the greater good,
the people, the way our systemsrun within my neighborhood,
within my city, within mycounty, within my state, and

(03:50):
then within the nation.
And so there's a lot ofdisruption that is going on.
Right now, I don't think thatanyone can dispute that there is
a need to look at what we'respending on, why we're spending
on it, or whatever the case maybe.

(04:13):
But there is a process that weShould go by in order to not
cause total disruption topeople's lives.
Because then that totaldisruption leads to stress.
And we've got enough stressorsto deal with on a daily basis.

(04:34):
intentional unstableness to anenvironment and people's stress
levels just go completely out ofwhack.
and there are two things that Istrongly want you to consider
because we've gotten ourselvesto a place and.

(04:55):
Some of you who are listening,you might be very happy with the
person who is now in office andsome of you may have been very
upset right after the election.
and I just want to come out hereand reiterate it because I am a
woman of faith and I trulybelieve.
That God is the author andfinisher of everything, every

(05:20):
single thing.
He's not clueless to what'sgoing on.
But he's also all powerful, allwise, all knowing and all
seeing.
And the one thing that justreally dropped on me after the
election, regardless of whetheryou were really, really excited
about who won, or if you werereally sad.

(05:43):
The one thing I thought aboutwas, after all is said and done,
we should not be so reliant uponman.
That was just a lesson to methat we should never be so

(06:04):
reliant upon a person that ouremotions swing one way versus
the other, especially when itcomes to the government.
And especially if you are aChristian, your faith, your
trust should be in God alone,Christ alone.

(06:26):
And so when that happened.
And it didn't happen the waythat I wanted it to go, but I
knew because that wasn't my, myprayer was that his will would
be done.
That was it.
But that it would be decisivelydone.
And it was.
So, as you can see, this is areal raw interview because I
don't really, I meant notinterview, but podcasts, because

(06:48):
I don't really talk about, Italk about my faith, but I don't
talk about it as much, but Ithink it's very important for
you to understand where I standwithin this, because as leaders
and as we are developing ourcareers, it is very important
for us to have a stance.
And understand our values andwhere we're coming from, but

(07:11):
because then that gives usdirection as to where we want to
go in our careers, as to what wewant to lean into, you have to
be more decisive the higher thatyou go, because then there are
things, there are people, thereare ideas that can take us in

(07:31):
one direction or another.
But is that what's best for you?
And you become more of, ifyou're wanting to make an
impact, then that means youbecome more of an advocate of an
idea, a subject, an area, andyou become more of an expertise

(07:54):
in that area.
And so now you've got tounderstand what do I stand for,
what do I not stand for?
So, if you are a person offaith, you've got to even go
deeper to say, how does thisline up with what I believe the
Bible says about what is goingon in the world and how I should

(08:14):
function in my profession and inthe world.
And so what impressed upon myheart.
was that I had to ask forforgiveness, I Was looking for a
person to fix it when the onlyperson that can fix it is God
and I was so disappointed Butit's like wait a minute.

(08:38):
when I know who's all powerfulall wise all knowing all seeing
can shift things in a directionin one moment Let me back up and
see what is he trying to say.
Where does he want this countryto go?
What do he, does he want us as apeople to do?

(09:00):
As a body of Christ to do?
I literally said it's time todouble down on Jesus.
Again, this was before theinauguration.
That was my stance.
Still is my stance.
And so I begin to watch, I beginto pray.
it is very important for us topray for our governmental

(09:21):
leaders.
The Bible means there's no wordson that.
No words on that.
And so from that point I beginto pray, I begin to seek the
Lord.
And so now here we are.
And things have happened thathave been very disruptive.
Laying people off, shuttingthings down.
Like it's just very, it's a veryunstable political environment.

(09:44):
Which is what?
We're finding that that's whatthey intended to do was just to
get us to a point of overwhelm.
So keep that in mind.
And That is on video from theirside.
The intention is to overwhelmthe system, to overwhelm the
people, to where you just getthings through.

(10:06):
Cause you only got a shortperiod of time.
If they, if you listen topolitical strategists, you only
got, but so much time and somuch capital as we can see.
political capital to wherepeople start getting stale on
what you're doing.
Well, now those who were rightdown the middle who are very

(10:28):
independent.
Or moderately Republican andthen further left as you can go,
they're fed up.
But I wanted the one thing thatI wanted to say was, if you are
a Christian, it is time for youto double down on Jesus.

(10:49):
pray for our leaders, get anunderstanding of where we're
going with this.
But now I put my advocate hat onand I say, it's time for you.
This is my number two.
It is time for you to rise up.
It time to step back and let'sjust see what our lawmakers are
going to do If you feel sometype of way about what is going

(11:12):
on in the current environment,it is time for you to step up
and send an email to your Houseof Representatives at the
federal level and send an emailto your Senator at the federal
level.
It is time for you to step up,make a call to your Senator at

(11:35):
the federal level.
It is time for you to speak out.
Many of us have been silent.
We've just kind of been sittingback and some of you probably
didn't even vote.
Let's just start right thereIt's always important to vote,
but we're seeing that ourlawmakers at the federal level

(11:55):
They can't even get a handle onwhat's going on with the
executive branch.
But They're waiting for us totell them what to do.
I can guarantee you that.
Because now you're starting tosee movement to where there are
certain things that they arepushing back on after many of us
have picked up the phone, sentan email, whatever the case may

(12:18):
be, and said, not going for it.
This is why we say your vote haspower.
If you are a constituent, thesepeople want your votes in order
to stay in office.
They want your votes.
This is still a democracy.
This is still your country.
Whatever it is that you do notagree with.

(12:39):
You need to step up, make aphone call, send an email.
But what I'm telling you is thatit's time to rise up.
That's all I'm gonna say.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
If so, would you take 30 secondsand share it with another nurse
who may be unsure of where to gonext in their career, or maybe

(13:03):
need some career clarity?
Also, please leave a quickreview for the show on Apple
podcast.
It brings me so much joy and somuch encouragement to know this
podcast is helping you.
Now go get the career you wantand not the one you settle for.
And I'll meet you back here nextThursday for another episode.

(13:24):
See you soon!