Journaling: Tool for Career Advancement

Several years ago, before the bankruptcy of a large local health system became front-page news everywhere, I cultivated a cross-state friendship with a senior nursing service director at the system's flagship hospital. The hospital was the premier organization during all the health system's acquisitions in the late 1980s and '90s. It was the place where the empire building began. However, in the end, it too became mired in the scandal, suffered great financial losses for which many long-time, proud employees paid the price.

This director and I shared a few common bonds. We were both health system employees and had a passion for writing. We toyed with the idea of writing a medical mystery some day. In fact, the last time I saw her was when the health system scandal was escalating at a rapid clip, with at least three juicy rumors per day. I jokingly suggested that we collaborate on an investigative piece on the system's key players. We even considered the pseudonyms we would use. How prescient was I? At that time, she and her nursing colleagues in administration had already been through a few painful years of restructuring and downsizing, losing their CEO who had been a valued mentor to them, and having to provide leadership for the nursing staff when no position was safe. On this occasion, she was presenting at a nurse executive conference about the value of journaling as a tool for fostering personal and professional growth. Valuable Tool for Career Advancement This director was an avid journaler. It was part of her daily routine that she always found time for--like exercise and all of those things that many of us run out of time for. As I listened to her talk to these nurse managers and directors about how valuable this process had been for her, I realized how important journaling is to career advancement. In her talk, she revealed how during these crisis times, when stability in the system was hard to come by, she would diligently chronicle as objectively as possible what had occurred each day. Then, she would jot down her response to the situation, again in objective terms--and as honestly as possible, dialogue her subjective perception of the event. When she could, she jotted down questions or solutions to the situation. The nurse administrator usually worked 10-hour days and I recall that she journaled in the morning before she went to work. For some journalers, it's important to jot down their material as quickly as possible, so they don't have memory gaps. For others, a cooling-down period provides more objectivity to the events recorded. Taking Stock of Yourself What insights had the director learned when she reviewed her diary after a year? She told the group how amazed she was to read for herself how much she had grown in just one year-- for example, how her management skills had improved. She shared how her entries helped her to see patterns and trends that had evolved in her workplace. This information was a valuable asset for her--in being able to problem solve more effectively. Finally, I remember that she told her peers that when she looked back at her year, she couldn't believe that not only had she survived the turmoil, but she had racked up a lot of successes. Here was the tangible proof--journaling can be a wonderful tool for self-evaluation if the journaler's entries are honest. It's a great way to positively affirm yourself--or detect what changes have to be made. Today, faculty in many nursing schools require students to keep journals during their course work. Most find this assignment helps students to analyze their actions, evaluate their critical thinking skills and improve their writing skills--and, perhaps, motivate them to become life-long journalers. Use in Nursing Schools At East Carolina University School of Nursing, East Greenville, NC, Frances Eason, EdD, RNC, requires both her graduate and undergraduate students to journal specific experiences. For example, in the master's program, students in the teaching practicum spend 120 hours with a nurse educator. They are required to journal critical incidents during their clinical experience, then record how they would have handled the situation differently, and document a supporting reference. "Students learn to analyze problems, improve their research skills, and it's a great exercise to improve their writing skills," summarized Dr. Eason. There are many different ways to journal and many books to help you get started. But, probably the best way to get started is to begin writing. "I believe journaling is a way to access your inner thoughts and to find answers to lingering problems. Through journaling, your hand reaches into the depths of the self and allows for free expression," said Eldonna Bouton, author of Write Away: A Journal Writing Tool Kit (Whole Heart Publications, 1999). "Try journaling. Ask yourself a question. Now put your pen to paper and begin writing. It doesn't matter what comes out," encouraged the author. When I began writing this column, I searched for my director friend, but couldn't locate her. She left the health system some time ago. She could probably use her journals to write a best seller about the system's shenanigans. After all, she had a bird's eye view. Kay Bensing is a senior staff nurse consultant to ADVANCE.