Kathleen Bartholomew's Video

1) Healing Nurse-to-Nurse Hostility & Creating Healthy Relationships

   The expression “Nurses eat their young” is so far removed from our idea of the caring and nurturing nurse that we shudder to think it could possibly be true.  Bur the truth is, nurses are hurting each other.  Stories from the ‘front line’ cannot be ignored.  These stories are the voices of nurses telling the world about their experiences.  In addition, research shows that 60% of newly registered nurses leave their first position within six months because of some form of abuse from a co-worker.  The first step to healing our relationships is the most difficult: to recognize and openly discuss the problem.  Only by understanding the origin and reasons for our behaviors can we even begin to create the healing environment that is so desperately needed in nursing- for ourselves, as well as our patients.

·       Acknowledge that nurse to nurse hostility is a serious problem.

·       Explain why nurses experience un-caring behaviors from their peers.

·       List one action that you can take to build a culture of healthy relationships and/or decrease horizontal hostility in the workplace.

2) How Professionals Communicate

   As a culture, studies show that both physicians and nurses fall short of communicating their concerns to their colleagues because of a passive-aggressive style of communication and conflict avoidance. Clearly, if we are to deliver the highest level of safe, quality care and create the collegial relationships that will nurture and support each other, we must learn a new way of engaging with each other. Participants will leave this presentation prepared, empowered, and determined to engage in the conversations they have been avoiding.

·       List three situations that demand a conversation in healthcare.

·       Recognize the impact of culture on communication.

·       Describe a conversation you avoid and apply the DESC model to this situation.

·       State two behaviors that are not ‘normal’ and must be confronted in order to create and sustain a healthy work environment

3) Nursing Leadership: “If Not Us, Then Who?”
   The field of “Knowledge Utilization” has identified the optimal information needed at different points in an organization for people to best maximize their effectiveness.  According to this research, the ‘generals’ need the concepts and the ‘captains’ need strategies and tactics.  Unfortunately, the ever increasing demands of nursing leadership have not allowed nursing leaders the luxury of time needed to step back and look at the ‘big picture’ and lead today’s nurses.
   Using Professor Diamond’s framework (Collapse), for “How group decisions fail”, this presentation offers a fresh and fascinating look at the nursing profession within the American healthcare system as well as a ‘call to arms’ for rallying together in light of this crises.

·       List three reasons why groups fail at decision making

·       Discuss the impact of perception on patient safety and quality care

·       Identify two major concepts that would provide perspective and power to nursing leaders.

·       Understand how to maximize power and resources within a human institution.   

4) Improving MD/RN Relationships: “I’m OK, You’re A Doctor: The RN/MD Game”

   It’s the patient who loses when nurses and physicians are in conflict.  Research shows that not only do poor nurse-physician relations affect morale and retention, but also patient mortality.  In order to achieve best practice, we need to understand why we play this game and how it started.  Learn practical strategies for building good relations that will be ego-boosting for both nurses and physicians and leave this presentation with the courage and determination to improve your working relationships.

·       Identify two strategies you can implement to improve MD/RN relationships at your workplace.

·       Explain one reason for the source of physician-nurse conflict.

·       Describe a current situation in your practice where physicians and nurses play “the game”.

Kathleen Bartholomew's Bio

   Before turning to healthcare as a career in 1994, Kathleen Bartholomew held positions in marketing, business, communications and teaching.  It was these experiences that allowed her to look at nursing from a different perspective and speak poignantly to the issues that effect nurses today.

   Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN, a registered nurse and counselor, has been a national speaker for the nursing profession for the past six years.  As the manager of a 57 bed surgical unit in Seattle, Kathleen quickly recognized that creating a culture where staff felt a sense of belonging was critical to retention.  Throughout Swedish Medical Center Kathleen spoke to the numerous factors which propel our society toward isolation and encouraged staff to connect and value one another.  During her tenure as manager, staff, physician and patient satisfaction improved significantly as she implemented her down-to earth strategies for creating community. Despite the nursing shortage, Kathleen could always depend on a waiting list of nurses and nursing assistants for her unit. (Manion, J., Bartholomew, K.  2004. Community in the workplace. Journal of nursing Administration 34(1.)

    Kathleen’s Bachelor’s Degree is in Liberal Arts with a strong emphasis on Sociology. This background laid the foundation for her to correctly identify the norms and mores particular to healthcare – specifically physician-nurse relationships and nurse-to-nurse hostility. For her Master’s Thesis she authored “Speak Your Truth: Proven Strategies for Effective Nurse-Physician Communication” which is the only book to date which addresses physician-nurse issues.  Exceeding marketing expectations, Speak Your Truth was well received by staff nurses who could easily resonate with Kathleen’s narrative style and “down in the trenches” material.  Kathleen consistently captures her audience with the power of story as her participant evaluations illustrate.

   In December of 2005, Kathleen resigned her position as manager in order to write a second book on horizontal violence in nursing. The expression, “why nurses eat their young” has existed for many years in the nursing profession (and has troubled many in the profession).  In her book, “Ending Nurse to Nurse Hostility” (2006), Kathleen offers the first comprehensive and compassionate look at the etiology, impact and solutions to horizontal violence.  With statistics demonstrating that 60% of new grads leave their first position within six months because of some form of lateral violence, this subject cannot be ignored.  This summer Kathleen presented her work at the International Sigma Theta Tau Conference in Vienna.

   Kathleen’s passion for nursing is infectious.  Her thoughtful presentations inter-laced with research reawaken every nurse’s commitment and love of nursing. Her most ardent desire is to empower nurses through knowledge and the power of story.  Every nurse that hears her is inspired.