“Destructive tribalism, an us versus them approach” will not get us to our goal of finding “unity and solidarity.” These were some of my favorite words from Simon Sinek’s virtual keynote address at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress in Montreal.
This year, 6,000 attendees and 130 countries were represented at the event. As Sigma’s Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), I helped exhibit, present, and connect with colleagues to amplify the value Sigma brings to the nursing community. Attendees were excited to recall their own experiences on how Sigma had impacted them, from helping them be recognized for their academic efforts to developing them as global leaders.
I also had the opportunity to present a poster with our Colgate-Palmolive Bright Smiles, Bright Futures representative, Mary Kate Hannan Goldstein, highlighting the collaborative work Sigma and Colgate-Palmolive are doing to equip nurses to impact oral health inequities. This poster highlighted the continuing professional development webinars and courses available to all nurses aimed to close the gap between medical and dental professions.
Alongside Sigma’s past and present United Nations liaisons, Janice Hawkins, Patrick Chiu, and Mercy Mumba, I wrapped up the conference with a poster presentation regarding our recent research to examine registered nurses’ knowledge and attitudes related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and perceptions of relevancy to practice. Sigma is one of the few nursing organizations that has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) within the UN system, and having data to demonstrate nurses’ relationships with the SDGs may help to shape and inform other work.
My takeaway from Sinek’s keynote and the conference as a whole is that it is all too common in healthcare and amongst organizations designed to support caregivers to lose sight of the role of leaders. The role of a leader is not to care for the patient but to support the caregiver to do so. Coming together to share knowledge, trials and tribulations, research, and evidence contributes to nurses around the globe finding unity and solidarity.
Sarah E. Gray, DNP, RN, CEN, FAEN, is Sigma’s Chief Nursing Officer and a member of Alpha Chapter.