resilient
\ri-‘zil-yənt\ adjective
able to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, or significant sources of stress; able to tolerate disturbance without collapsing, rebuild when necessary, and to improve when possible
Dear Sigma members,
During these unprecedented times, I want you to know that you are in our hearts and in our thoughts, regardless of where you live or work. If there is one thing I know about nurses, and Sigma members in particular, it is that we are resilient. I have seen it over the course of my 40-year career and our resilience is being tested in ways it has never been before. I also know and see that Sigma members and nurses in general are stepping up and providing care in ways that leave me humbled. If you are like me, it can be hard to explain to family and friends what this is like for our profession. They try to understand but may not get the full impact. Know that we understand the current impact and are trying hard to provide you with support and services that will help you during this time.
Here is the part of the definition above that gives me the most hope: “rebuild when necessary.” After this is over (and it will end!), the rebuilding will be critical in how we move forward as a profession and as a global community. I am confident that the rebuilding will incorporate the lessons we learn from this crisis (“improve where possible”) and that even though our world will not be the same as it was before, nursing as a profession will be seen in the way we have seen ourselves, as #NurseHeroes. (Also, it is time to get rid of our humility of “just doing my job.”)
In closing, we see you, we hear you, we’re so proud of you, we’re supporting you—let us know how else we can help.
#WeAreSigmaNurses #WeAreSigmaStrong
All my best,
Liz
Elizabeth “Liz” Madigan, PhD, RN, FAAN