Networking: The only thing missing is you
By Patti Grant, RN, BSN, MS, CIC, Infection Preventionist, Addison, TX.
It is almost surreal that I' ve been in infection prevention and control (IP&C) since January 1990.
I couldn'
t have known that demoting myself from the head of a university hospital 34-bed cardiovascular step-down unit to become an "infection control coordinator" would open up a new professional path. It was a change I thought would be temporary – something to do until I got my Master of Science in Health Promotion and returned to nursing administration. Little did I know what I'
d learn about networking along the way. Hopefully sharing my experience will push you along much faster than it took me to learn, so you can benefit and help those you serve in the fight against infection.
Much of why I learned to appreciate this vigorous discipline of IP&C is because of my first mentor and manager, Jo Ellen Gilstrap. An amazing thing happened within six months of changing jobs and it involved going to my first international conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (APIC). The graduation date of Jo Ellen' s daughter was changed at the last minute and since the conference was already paid for, they let me attend in her place. I was excited and humbled by that experience. Seeing all those "smart people" give talks, doing posters, and watching friends — who obviously saw each other only at the annual conference — was electrifying. I was alone yet I didn' t feel lonely. Without knowing it the networking had already started just through watching and listening to others.
It is odd how life can steer us sometimes without our even knowing a huge change has occurred. One day, without even really recognizing the shift, I was being asked questions as an "experienced" Infection Preventionist. Of course, I was still seeking resources and help from those truly experience professionals that (still) know more than I. It took about four years before I realized, "This is how it will always be. I' ll be there for others while others are still there for me, and none of us can be an expert at everything."
IP&C is not a spectator sport. I quickly learned that with the power of APIC behind my practice I' m never alone, yet must continuously participate and seek to belong through networking and "paying it forward."
I' ve seen many changes (understatement) and I hope to be part of more improvements as we strive to improve patient safety through the vision of achieving an irreducible minimum of health care associated infections. Despite these changes the one constant has been accepting my limitations, figuring out how to access resources based on those limitations, and trying to remember names, faces, and the areas of expertise associated with those astute people.
Networking cannot happen in a vacuum and APIC has just made it easier to get started through a Mentoring Matching Program (see http://community.apic.org/Mentoring1/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/ for more information). Another useful homework assignment to get you started is calling the Infection Preventionist at the facility closest to you. Invite yourself to visit them for a question/answer session (with you buying them lunch as a 'Thank You' of course). It'll give you a chance to know him/her beyond the traditional job aspects of networking, as knowing the person is key to securing and sharing knowledge and expertise. It is a cliché, but seriously, there is power in numbers, and you need to be part of the IP&C network.
Although not one to promote many publications outside of scientific peer-review journals, about two years ago I stumbled upon an excellent book by James M. Penny called Networking Genius: Getting the people you know to make you more successful than you ever dreamed possible. (Just do a web search — it is not available in bookstores). This succinct and user-friendly publication has helped me organize my networking without added stress or frustration. My patient population has directly benefited from a wider networking base – as will yours!
It is almost surreal that I' ve been in infection prevention and control (IP&C) since January 1990.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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