Learning to Pivot: Finding My Space and Occupying It

This year has been unlike no other.  Due to the pandemic, many of us have had to change and adjust to new ways of learning, working and conducting business.  Business owners in particular have had to come up with new means to recreate what they do and how they offer their services.  Pandemic or no pandemic however, how do you as an individual "pivot" when faced with something that you feel is beyond you; something that is not of your particular skill set? This is an issue I have been battling with for sometime now and the realisation of how I fit into this new endeavour is about to be revealed.  I hope.

 

Let's dive in.  To start, I'm a Nurse (aka....Bad Ass Lifesaver).  I love being a Nurse, everything I approach, I approach as a Nurse.  Put me in the hospital at the bedside on a unit and I am in my zone.  This is where I feel most confident.  This is where I feel fierce.  This is where I feel unstoppable.  My husband on the other hand can be placed anywhere and feel confident in his skills.  He is an all around entrepreneur.  From day one he has been a jack of all trades.  This is one of the many things I have always admired and continue to admire about him.  He has the ability to move from one business to the next with confidence and surety.  He has been involved in the real estate and hospitality industries as well as managing several small businesses.  Me on the other hand, your friendly neighbourhood lifesaver and Nurse knows very little about the real estate and hospitality industries.  Nursing is my bag.

Recently, my husband and his best friend (more like brothers) came up with the idea to go into business together.  It is shaping up to be a parent company with multiple subsidiaries.  One of those subsidiaries is a restaurant.  Friends from primary school, they have always wanted to come back and do something to uplift the community that grew them both.  I could have told anybody that this was inevitable and of no surprise to me.  This is right up my husband's alley.  He is very business minded and it seems to come naturally to him what will work and what won't.  His best friend is an economist and as such knows the financial aspect of the business.  His friend's wife is very stylish and into decor and all things fashion.  She has years of experience in the corporate world.  And then there's me, your Nurse.  The one in the scrubs most of her working life, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, no makeup, no high heels.  Don't get me wrong, I clean up very nicely.  However, I'm neither an economist, entrepreneur or a corporate fashionista.  My Twitter profile even suggests my confidence level or lack thereof, as a "budding entrepreneur". 

Now we four are all in business together and about to embark on something big.  I feel like everyone is fitting into their respective roles, but here I am the awkward fourth wheel.  The spare tire maybe (at least that's how it feels).  Throughout the whole business planning process, including the writing of the business plan, the design of the space, the financials, all seem outside of my realm of knowledge.  Nothing worse than being an over achiever and finding yourself in a place where you feel lost and frankly out of sorts.  During the whole planning and execution phases of our company's development I questioned myself and my knowledge of what was taking place.  I noticed I spent and currently do spend a lot of time doubting my importance in all of this.  There is a big part of me that wants to support my husband because we have always been in the business of supporting each other.  He was the one who encouraged me when I wanted to advance my Nursing degree but felt I couldn't because at the time we were 3 children deep.  The third one was still on the breast.  He looked at me and told me to go, go, go!  And go I did.  He always expresses confidence in me even when I am unable to see it in myself.  Even now he says he can't understand why I worry so much about how I fit into this new entrepreneurial enterprise.  I told him I know about my budget for the house, but a company....nope!  I know about the inner workings of the human body and how to write a Nursing plan of care, but flow charts and business plans...nope!  Let's not even talk about "branding".  My head hurts!  

After weeks and months of agonizing over whether or not I could be involved in all of this I started to think differently.  I had to think about what skills I know for sure make me an awesome Nurse.  Skills like critical thinking, organizational skills, the ability to pick up on minute changes that can cause major issues.  Thinking about those skills was easy enough.  Now the hard part, how do I move those skills into a field that has nothing to do with healthcare or Nursing?  Let's accentuate the positives:

1. Communication Skills:  As a Nurse knowing how and when to communicate is critical.  The process of writing detailed nursing notes is important when conveying information to doctors and other staff members.  Further it is a legally binding account of what was done on behalf of my patients.  Its accuracy and clarity is a must.  Not only is clear communication critical for patient care, it is also a necessity when solving problems between patients and staff or between Nurses.  
2. Detail Oriented:  Attention to detail is very important as a Nurse.  If I don't pay attention to small changes in my patients it could literally be the difference between life and death.  I have to almost be able to see into the future.  "Forecasting"...hey, isn't that a term they use in business?  Details are also important to ensure that patient movement through the healthcare system and the continuity of care is timely.
3. In The Clutch:  I find that I turn into a Super Nurse in the clutch.  When the shift gets rough or when a patient is heading downhill, I find all my senses are heightened.  The level at which I am able to make quick decisions is on 10!  Not to toot my own horn, but I am always the go to Nurse during my shift when things get rough.  Toot toot!  I'm that team player that comes through in the clutch.
4. Problem Solving Skills:  Whether it be staffing issues, patient issues or family issues, the ability to problem solve in my profession is paramount.  When you are the Charge Nurse, or Head Nurse, everyone is looking to you to fix their problems.  I have been in this position quite often and this is one area I will admit I have always felt comfortable......when on the unit that is.  
5. Organizational Skills: As a Charge (Head) Nurse, I have to coordinate the care of patients, patient transport, bed management, staffing and movement of patients from critical levels of care to lower levels of care and vice versa.  This also calls into play decision making capabilities.  As Charge Nurse I am also on code duty which means anywhere in the hospital there is a code blue, I have to be in attendance to decide which patients can be moved in order to make space for a critically ill patient.
6. Team Player:  This goes without saying.  There is no way you can be a Nurse and not be a solid team player.  Taking care of patients is a team sport that consists of fellow Nurses, Nurses Aids, Doctors, ancillary staff and patient family members.  All players have to be on the same page in order for there to be optimal patient care.

As I consider the above list, I know exactly how these skills relate to my career as a Nurse.  The task now is to re-purpose those skills and fit them into the field of a business owner and an entrepreneur.  This will be an ongoing process that after writing this I feel a bit more confident in tackling.  As we get closer and closer to making this new entrepreneurial endeavour a reality, I have no choice but to show up, find my space and occupy that space the best way I know how.  I have to be present and contribute with the skills I already have.  All this while still being open to learning new skills.  Wish me luck.

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Has there been any point in your life where you have had to change careers or have been put in a situation where you felt lost?  Comment below.  Thanks for taking the time to read.  Be blessed and remember that life is not set in stone.  It is forever changing, forever evolving.