Learn from your mistakes; reach for the stars. We all have learning to do. Just don't quit!
Reach for the Stars
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As their eyes bore into me and silence filled the room, I felt panic bubbling up from deep within. I stammered and stuttered as I muddled my way through my highly technical presentation. I fought to keep my anxiety quiet as I finished my short educational update on “Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis,” which I’d been invited to present at that morning’s meeting. After I concluded discussing my last slide, one of the physicians stood up and asked a very complex question to which I didn’t have an answer. Unfortunately, I made up the answer on the spot instead of simply saying, “I don’t know. I’ll investigate that and get back to you.” I felt my cheeks turn a bright shade of red, and my heart was beating so loud that I could hear it inside my ears. I could tell by the rolling of eyes and the sighs in the room that I had failed miserably at this speaking assignment. I was beyond mortified.
The truth is, when I began my infection prevention and control career, I knew very little about what the job entailed. Furthermore, I had never spoken publicly outside of small group settings. I was just an emergency department nurse who had a particular interest in infectious disease. Assuming the role of infection preventionist came with an enormous learning curve. Statistical analysis, epidemiology, and many of the professional skills required for the job were absolutely foreign to me. Regardless of your background, everyone has something to learn when they enter the infection prevention and control field. No one walks into this profession fully prepared, and this is a challenging surprise to many who enter the field. For those who have a master’s degree in public health, understanding clinical practice can be challenging. And nurses entering the field may find statistics and epidemiology have a steep learning curve. For me, being able to speak confidently in public was a significant area of weakness.
After that presentation, a part of me wanted to throw in the towel. I wanted to walk back into the emergency department where I had transferred from, my head down, trailing shame. Instead, I decided to keep pushing forward, not to be held back by my areas of weakness. I resolved that I would do whatever it took to turn those weaknesses into my strengths. With grit and determination, I fought to become a better public speaker.
Today, I’ve lost count of how many speaking opportunities I’ve been offered and completed. I’ve had the opportunity to speak at conferences and virtual webinars, to provide education to a wide variety of audiences, and to lead our state’s weekly COVID-19 updates. I look back on that first speaking opportunity to that small room of physicians, and I smile at how far I’ve come in my career simply because I made the conscious decision not to give up. And with a fierce tenacity, I sought to turn my weaknesses into strengths.
We all have areas of weakness that we’d like to make our strengths. Acquiring the skills and knowledge we desire is much easier than it first appears. However, it does take time and effort.
Here is how I have sought to change, evolve, and grow in my areas of weakness.
Don’t quit.
Keep moving forward, keep learning, and keep growing.
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