From South Africa to California: This RN is Helping Other Nurses Reclaim Their Power to THRIVE Within the Profession!

Thank you for joining me for another episode of the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with this week's guest, Jennifer Theets. Jennifer has been a registered nurse for over 34 years, and she has a plan for a nurse movement that includes transformational change. She's working on publishing a book in this coming January 2024 that will speak to this, and it will include a self-care program for nurses. She's She spent over 25 years in the acute care settings working in South Africa and California. And based on what she's seen, she's deeply concerned about what is happening in healthcare, particularly the plight of nurses. So let's welcome Jennifer to the show. Welcome to the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast, brought to you by The Nurse Speak, a show where we rally some of our nation's greatest nurse leaders educators, experts, and advocates to tackle some of our greatest challenges that the nursing profession faces. My name is Damion Jenkins, and I'm your host for this show. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn that nurses can do anything. Okay, Jennifer, thank you so much for joining me on the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself to the listeners? Let them know a little bit about who you are, where you started off in nursing, and where you are today.

All right, thank you so much, Damion Jenkins Jenkins. It's a pleasure to be here.

My pleasure.

So I am one of the older nurses. Um, I have been nursing for over 34 years now.

Wow.

And just as a little background, um, I started Nursing a long time ago in South Africa. I was actually born in Zimbabwe and grew up in Zimbabwe. I went to a Dominican convent high school, a boarding school, which, which spoke a lot about the value of caring. And I think I was almost— I would not indoctrinate it, but I understood caring from an early age.

Right.

And then at the age of 18, I moved to South Africa and I joined the Groote Schuur Hospital, which is where Professor Chris Barnard did the first heart transplant, and I started my career as a nurse, and I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Wow, awesome. So you've been doing nursing for quite some time, and I imagine that you've been in many different settings, all kinds of different experiences, probably clinically, academically. Um, so talk a little bit about, you know, what— so you said where you started off, So fast forward a little bit and take us through a little bit of your progression. And where are you today with nursing?

Okay, so I worked in South Africa as a registered nurse for 18 years. And I was in— I worked in acute care mainly. I did do some hospice work. It was, it was a wonderful experience. However, the crime got bad at one point there, and we decided to make a transition. And I was recruited by an international nursing agency. And I was very lucky and was given the opportunity to move with my family to California, which we did in 2003. And from 2003 until just over a year ago, I was nursing in, in acute care as well in California.

Okay.

And again, it was a, it was a delight. I really, really enjoyed nursing. But about 3 years ago, I noticed that things were not feeling the same as they were for me. And I realized that I was starting with quite severe compassion fatigue, and eventually I got to the point where I realized I just wasn't able to nurse like I wanted to nurse, right? This is, this is when I left.

Yeah, got it. So you've left clinical nursing because you haven't left the profession, right? You still have your nursing license?

You're still—

oh yes, very much so. So yes, yes, now I'm still nursing and I'm doing some, some consulting.

Okay.

But, um, I left bedside nursing about, about 15, 14, 15 months ago.

Okay.

All right.

Yeah.

Well, do you think the pandemic had anything to do with your decision?

It really did.

Of course.

Yeah. Many of us suffered a lot of traumas through the pandemic, working through all of that in an already increasingly difficult role. Um, you know, there's so many things that we can talk about related to the issues that plague nursing, and I think we're on a track to identifying one of major ones here on this episode. Um, so, all right, so let's get into it, right? So you, you left bedside nursing. Obviously there was a reason. Um, you mentioned just briefly that you didn't feel like you could do the nursing that you wanted to do anymore. That's a big thing that affects a lot of us, is we sign up to care for people, to educate them, to protect them, to enable them to be able to manage their disease or even reverse their disease if possible. And we find too many times that we're not able to really do any of that, that in fact we're just putting a Band-Aid on a festering wound and we're not doing anything to really stop the infection or the hemorrhage, if you will. Right. And we get frustrated and we get burned out and we decide that this just is not in alignment with what we want. And so then we look for alternative means to leverage our skills and knowledge as nurses, which it sounds like is what you have done.

Right. Yeah.

But let's talk about your story. Let's talk about what is the thing, right? What was the thing or the catalyst, the challenge, if you will, that you identified that you wanted to work towards solving?

Right. Well, um, this book, Nurses Matter, that I wrote, um, is, is really a summary of what I experienced as a bedside nurse and as certainly as an oncology nurse navigator. And I think what, what happening is that nurses just do not have the support that they need in order to do their jobs. And so what's happening is we're having nurses who are having to do their nursing-specific tasks, but they're also having to do things like go and do bathroom bakes for patients, hand out trays, and so many other tasks that are not nursing-specific. And they— and I think what's happening is, is we as nurses are constantly being distracted and pulled in 5 places.

Yeah.

And this is a real crisis. Yeah, real crisis has to stop because this is, this is where compassion fatigue and certainly burnout, where, where I experienced it, was this fact that everything was so frenetic and I was torn in a different thousand different places and I just wasn't able to give the care and that, and the real compassion to my patients. Not because I didn't want to, because I did want to, but just because I wasn't able to with the way nurses are working now.

Right, exactly. And so I'm glad you rephrased your 5 different ways to 1,000 different ways, because I was gonna say 5, that's a great day if you're only being pulled in 5 different ways. But yeah, it truly feels like 1,000 different ways in a shift as short as 8 hours, right? Um, a lot of acute care nurses, for instance, work 12-hour shifts. In some nursing home settings work 12-hour shifts. But largely, nurses in this country work 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, maybe rotating weekend schedules. And they work 8 hours every day, if not 12 or 13 or 14 hours every day, because of the crossover from coming in early to get started and staying late to finish up things. And you're right, nurses are expected to do way more than what our specific roles and responsibilities are assigned in the clinical spaces. And, you know, you mentioned some of the, the tasks that we would consider something that, uh, unlicensed assistive personnel could do, like a CNA, for instance. Um, and the nurses are, are often tasked with handling those skills because we don't have enough CNAs to assist. Um, because just like nurses, they are also burned out. They're realizing that It's not worth the amount of work, um, for the amount of pay, if you will, benefits, and then also the moral injury that they sustain on a daily basis because of the way the healthcare system is designed. And then another thing that's even worse than that, I feel, because at least those tasks are still in alignment with the role of the nurses— organizations are pushing nurses to basically be their own leadership, right? They're expecting them to handle grievances. They're expecting them to handle, you know, customer service issues, risk, you know, all of the injuries or accidents that happen. They place so much burden onto the nurses to tie up the loose ends when in fact it should be organizational leadership that takes on those roles and responsibilities. You know, they're tearing apart educational initiatives and bringing what would normally take 5 qualified nurse educators to facilitate the ongoing training and professional development of the staff to 1 person, if you're even lucky to have 1.

Right.

There's a lot to be desired in the terms of being supported in organizations. Not every organization is guilty of this. Many of them are doing really great jobs, but on the, on the majority, like largely many organizations are not meeting the mark. And it's, in my opinion, it's because of the way that our healthcare system is so business-focused, you know, money-driven, which it's not a bad thing to want to make money. You know, I'm a business person myself, you're a business person yourself, we have to make money in order to, to grow and develop. But there has to be a certain budgetary constraint where you say, all right, we have to tap into profit margins to put back into the professional development. And if anyone can prove that to an organization, nurses certainly can, right? We know how to collect that data and present it to leadership in a way that's going to make sense for them. If they just gave us the time of day to listen.

If they just—

if they just listened and saw us beyond our role as a nurse and actually valued our ability to critically think. And create solutions for them. So yeah, so okay, go ahead.

So, so what you're saying is so true. Firstly, you know, our nursing assistants, our auxiliary help, are priceless.

Yeah.

And we can't do our job without them. So that— I really have deep respect for them. And, and I really— and hope that this, this, this nurse movement that I'm hoping to start with my book, that we can really work together to get nursing assistants ward secretaries back into the workplace because we are a team and that's how we give excellent care. And you're right also when you say that there are many organizations that are not like that. I had a conversation a couple of days ago with a nurse and she was just, she was just saying how wonderful her organization is. So it's certainly not everybody. But as you said, a big trend is, I believe, is cutting costs. Yeah. And then what happens is that they cut staff. And, you know, I've done a lot of research for this book and going— and, and I've spent the last, um, 9 months really, really going into this book in great depth and going into the research. And currently, in order to turn a nurse around in healthcare, it costs about $52,000 nationally. Yeah. When you think, um, that a nurse assistant or a ward secretary they're earning around 36,000 per annum. When you think if we could just add that extra nursing assistant to possibly a team of 1 to 5, in a perfect world where we could have 1 to 5, 1 nurse to 5 patient ratios, right, then we would have, you know, we would have an extra ward secretary and we would have, if there are 25 patients, we'd have an extra 5 nurse assistants. So that would mean 6 extra staff which would come in for a company at around about 218,000 per annum. When you think that just to turn over 4 nurses in a year is costing over $200,000, then you realize that there are ways that we can mitigate this. Of course, without breaking the bank.

Right.

I think it's up to us nurses like you are doing now with your podcasts and like I'm trying to do now with this book is just to get that message out there that number one, there has to be change. We don't have a choice. Correct. I had a person who was saying, you know, change is not on the menu. And that's exactly right. It's not on the menu. It has to come. So let us do it in a controlled, calm, collaborative way so that we can, number one, help our patients, because that's why we show up to work every day is for our patients. They must be the first. They must be the beginning of the discussion and the end of the discussion. And, you know, making money, etc., etc., should be something that, yes, we need to do, as you said. But it should be something that's way, way behind the scenes because healthcare is not— should not ever be a money-making machine. We're here to provide care, right?

Of course. Yeah.

And anytime you incentivize anything for money, there's the potential for that to be the primary driver, and, you know, you lose sight of the initial mission, vision, and values, right? So You know, I would, I would say that most of us go into nursing because we have a desire to help others. And it's largely nurses give a lot away because of that. You know, we give a lot of our time, our energy, our education, our consulting, you know, our even our skills. We volunteer to help people in crises. We sign up to do vaccinations when, you know, pandemic comes in.

Yeah, right.

And we don't expect money in return. If we get money in return, fantastic, we're not going to say no, right? But it's not necessarily our primary driver. And organizations like hospitals, nursing homes, unfortunately, they don't open unless they can project to make a certain amount of money, right? Um, and so there has to be, again, a strong collaboration between the business folks and the clinicians Um, and I'm sure you yourself have just seen so many situations where there was zero collaboration.

Yes.

Um, despite our pleas for, you know, that collaboration. So, all right, so you're— you wrote this book because you saw a, a major need, right? A need to help folks. And so part of it sounds like your message is to be able to empower nurses so that way they can continue to position themselves where they can be a bigger influence in the healthcare space to try to get these changes to happen while also making sure that they're protecting themselves, right, and finding ways to thrive within the profession. Does it sound about right?

You know, you've hit the nail on the head. That's perfect. I mean, could— I could have been writing that in my book. So yes, you're 100% right. So I think the, the message in this book really is that we are powerful. We are very special people. And I mean, every nurse knows that because we deal with nurses all the time. We are very special. We are exactly as you say, very caring. We are bright. We are— we have so many skills. And I think we can use what we have in, in our settings to really start to, number one, increase the conversation about what we need and what is happening. And number two, to reach out and start collaborating. Because I think our nurse leaders are in— in many of our nurse leaders are struggling, must be, when you think of what they're up against. They, of course, they, they play a role in the company, and they are— they are— their job is to help with the budgeting, etc. But on the other hand, they're nurses. No matter whether you're the chief nursing executive, um, or anybody else, you're a nurse. And so in your heart, your heart is always with your patients. So I think, um, if we can as nurses be empowered through this book just to— I've really gone into a lot of detail looking at compassion fatigue, burnout, the background, nurse bullying, and all many other facets of nursing that are having a huge impact now on nurses. And I think if we, if we have that information and we realize who we are and how powerful we are as a tribe, I think we can really start making changes. And I don't think we can afford to wait. You know, it's too desperate now. The wonderful thing about the situation now is that every single American No matter from President Biden all the way down, every single person is going to require healthcare. So this is a conversation that, that should deeply interest and involve every single person. And when you think of it, it's not just us as nurses, it's our children, our grandparents, our sisters, our husbands, our lovers, whoever. Everybody is going to be involved in, in all needing healthcare. So it's a win-win for everybody. And I believe I really have hope. I think we can do it.

Of course we can. And so, you know, I'm so glad that we have connected here because, um, I don't know how much you followed my podcast episodes or you see on social. I'm, you know, amazing nurses in my network who are on the forefront of creating this change. We have folks who are trying to change, uh, political laws and regulations. We have folks who are trying to petition for legislation to have part of the funding for nursing to be a public utility, if you will. That way organizations don't have to bear the brunt of 100% of our salaries. People who are launching their own entrepreneurship empires, creating their own healthcare services outside of traditional healthcare services, since those systems are failing them or failing our patients and our communities in which we serve. Um, many nurses I know are going back or have already gone back and, um, received like their nurse practitioner certifications and licensure, and they're opening their own primary practices and really taking back the power of being able to deliver care in the way that care should be delivered. So there's a lot of amazing things that are happening in nursing, and now is truly such an exciting time to join the profession if you're not already in it, and for you to position yourself, um, within this network of folks that you and I are both creating around us, because we truly are making some major waves in how we do business nowadays in, in healthcare, which is incredible.

Yeah.

So, you know, I mentioned in the intro to this podcast that your book is going to be available January 2024. Is that correct?

Yes, it is. So it's, um, it's titled Nurses Matter, and it's coming out in 2024. Um, I do have a draft coming out in mid-October, so if anybody's interested in actually seeing the book before, you know, they— before it comes out, I, I can very happily send them a draft. But, um, yeah, I've, I've got great, um, great support, um, and I'm excited. I, I think this is the— as you exactly as you say, this is the time to be a We are going to make history. What we're doing now matters. Nurses matter like they've never mattered before, right? So I'm really, really excited about what we can achieve together.

Awesome. And so if someone wanted to see, uh, maybe that draft, or if you have social handles that people could connect with you, a website, where could they find you if they're looking to learn more about you, your career path, any products or services you offer? Because you said you do consulting, and then to look forward to that book sale.

Yeah, thank you, Damion Jenkins. So everything is still in the works. I'm actually at this stage, I'm not going to give you my new and improved website. Okay. But it'll come out there and it'll be with a draft if anybody's interested. Of course, I'm very reachable on LinkedIn and would love to hear from anybody there who's interested. And it's been such a pleasure. I have met so many people doing exactly what you're doing, just meeting over a Zoom call. Yeah. And it's just filled me with a great deal of energy and excitement about what's coming down for us.

Well, look, I personally appreciate the work that you're doing and all of the work that you have given to patients and the nursing profession. Um, we truly are a team sport. If it's not for us, then we would be nothing. So I, I be able to speak and connect and share ideas, and I really want to make sure that we continue these conversations Um, there's so many amazing things going on. And if you're not part of the National Nurses in Business Association, I recommend that you do join that organization and possibly link up with us in our annual Entrepreneurship and Career Alternatives conference that we host every year. Michelle Podlesny is the president of the organization, fantastic, and the entire board of directors are all powerhouses in nursing who have who have leveraged their skill set to create the career path that they find to be most in alignment with their skills as a nurse. We have, you know, the Healthy Workforce Institute that helps organizations, not just healthcare but organizations in general, dismantle workplace bullying and incivility, really leveling up those leadership skills. And this is all done by a registered nurse. We have, you know, The Foot and Nail Institute, which is a registered nurse who identified the gap in the lack of care that elders specifically get with podiatry services, how, how limited those podiatry services were and how the feet of these elders still were having major problems just because no one was setting them up with the continued care that they need. Not only did she become wildly successful, but now she's teaching other nurses how to create their own. I have nurse, um, skincare experts who can help people figure out how to create their own skincare organization and do something that they love with their nursing skills and still take care of patients. You know, we have education and consulting, we have elder care, we have so many options as nurses. Truly, the sky is the limit. Our healthcare system needs us. We don't want to remove all of our nurses from the bedside. We don't want to remove all of our nurses from our primary healthcare services. In fact, we might want to pluck them out for a year to train them up and put them back in, because then they would be able to make more of an impact. So I myself continue to bounce in and out of the clinical setting so that way I can learn additional skill sets to bring back to the clinical setting. So that way I can have more of an impact. And I'm in a leadership position as a director of education and staff development, which is a huge role for supporting nurses, which is exactly— that's what you say is one of our biggest issues. And it is such a big issue that 6 months out of nursing school, that was my calling. I said, you know what, I'm getting no support as a new nurse. Um, nursing was not my first career, so I was very well versed in how to work work, conflict resolution, communication skills, time management. Um, I worked, um, in the food and hospitality industry for 15 years, opened stores, trained front-of-the-house staff. So I only really had to focus on the nursing-specific, um, skill set. So the people skill set came naturally to me. Absolutely.

Huge, huge advantage.

Huge advantage. Uh, but they weren't ready for me, right, when I first came out, because they're like, who's this new nurse who thinks all of this, you know? So You know, there was a few rough patches initially because I'm very confident when I see an issue and I, you know, going to the, to the director of nursing or the educator and saying, look, I think it would be better if we did it this way. They didn't know how to handle that because they weren't used to new nurses being so upfront with not only identifying the issues but also offering solution at the same time. I guess they expected me to complain, but that's not my mode. I'm not going to complain. I'm going to say, hey, Hey, let's try it this way because I think it would work.

And if we had more nurses like you, I don't think we'd be in this situation. I think, yeah, I think, I think that's exactly what we want our new grads to do.

Correct. And so, you know, being able to convince leadership— and again, the ones who make decisions about the money— um, to convince them that we do need these extended orientations, we need these professional development in-services and courses where we can focus on high-quality education and training and not pull them off the unit mid-patient care and expect them to focus and be engaged and, and take away these skills. That, that type of education has never worked. No, it's certainly not helping anything in this situation.

And it's vital to, to educate.

Absolutely. So from academia all the way through clinical, there's so many gaps in the educational process. And it's something that I've been working on for the last 10 of my 14 years as a registered nurse, um, and it's going to be something I continue to work on because it is truly my passion.

So, right, I can see that, and we're lucky to have you.

Thank you so much. Well, look, Jennifer, I really appreciate you coming on the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with me. I'm looking forward to your book. I can't wait to get my own copy, and so I can make that a recommendation. I will have your LinkedIn in the show notes of this episode for everyone to connect with you.

Thank you very much, I appreciate that.

My pleasure. And I hope to visit Mexico soon, which is—

ah, well, you know, you can always have— come and have a margarita with me.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being on this show, and take care. We'll be in touch soon.

Thank you, that sounds good. Thank you so much for having me. I enjoyed myself.

Thanks, my pleasure.

Bye-bye.

And that And that concludes episode 7 of season 3 of the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with this episode's guest, Jennifer Thietz. We hope that everything we shared for you in this episode will help you leverage your skill set, your knowledge, and align with your passion so that you can have the nursing career that you both want and deserve. All the ways to connect with Jessica will be in the show notes of this episode. And as always, if you have any questions about anything that we shared in this episode or in any other episodes, feel free to visit thenursespeak.com/contact and get in touch with me. I would love to have a conversation with you. So until next episode, take care, be well, and remember that nurses can do anything.