Politics is built into Nursing Practice

There are many ways that politics is built into Nursing Practice.

You have to be political to your bosses.

I got stopped this week in the cafeteria on my way back to the OR while I was on a break.

The president of the hospital stopped me after I paid for my baked chicken tenders.

He wanted to introduce me to some muckety-muck he was squiring around.

He was with two men, one who he introduced me to right away. The first man was something in finance. And Matt said very nice things about me.

We waited, kind of awkwardly, while we waited for the second man to finish the conversation he was having with the family of a patient.

I am still clutching my chicken tenders.

I was introduced to the second man who was the new doctor in charge of the region. Matt said very nice things about me again.

He introduced me as the Shared Governance Queen, as a Great 100  nurse and a recent recipient of the Corporate Nurse of the Year award. And that I was a hell of a team player in the operating room. And that he had worked with me when I was at another regional hospital.

I am awkward and smiling and I shook his hand.

And bid them goodbye as I was sure there was more important people to meet and I had to get back to the OR.

Matt continued on with his tour with the finance man and the chief regional doctor. .

I can be political when it suits me. I like Matt, he’s done really good things at my hospital.

And, still clutching my now cold chicken fingers, I went back to work.