💭 What Is This Teaching Me? Who Am I Becoming?

🌅 The Unexpected Start to My Morning

Hey boo hey 💜

You ever have one of those days where you have to sit back and ask yourself, “What is this teaching me? Who am I becoming?”

That was my day today.

I arrived to work a few minutes before 6 a.m., ready to start strong. The moment I walked in, one of my nurses grabbed me for help.

By the time I made it upstairs, there were already a few more issues waiting. I hadn’t even settled in yet, and the day was already demanding my full attention.

⚡ A Wi-Fi Problem That Sparked Preparedness

When I finally sat down, I learned I had no Wi-Fi. Forty-five minutes later, the issue still wasn’t resolved. But here’s the positive: my nurses were still able to perform their functions seamlessly.

Having no Wi-Fi also reminded me of something important — if we lost power completely, what would we do? We hadn’t yet set up our EMAR backup system, and that realization lit a fire under us to get it done.

Because in leadership, you don’t wait for failure to happen — you prepare to prevent it.

Before I knew it, it was time for morning meeting — and guess what? I hadn’t had a chance to read anything. 

So, I pulled everything up right there in the meeting, and something beautiful happened: the managers stepped up. They handled everything that needed to be done.

💪 The Lesson Hidden in the Chaos

After that, I completed admission chart checks and hit the floor with everything that required my attention.

You know those days — when the family needs you, the nurses need you, and the residents need you. It was one of those days.

Before I realized it, it was 2 p.m., and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. I felt like I needed a pair of roller skates just to keep up.

But in the middle of all that — the running, the requests, the interruptions — I paused and asked myself again: What is this teaching me?

It taught me the importance of growing your team — giving clear direction and then trusting them to execute. That’s exactly what happened today. My team followed through.

“Leadership isn’t about control — it’s about creating leaders who can stand on their own.”

🌸 Becoming a Leader Who Trusts Her Team

And who am I becoming in the process? A leader who provides autonomy and trusts her team to complete the mission.

As a Director of Nursing, you will have these days.

Days where it feels like you didn’t get anything done — but the truth is, you did. You built a team that moves because of your consistency, your expectations, and your leadership.

You didn’t just survive the day — you developed leaders. 

You built DONs of their units. 💜

So, the next time your day feels like a storm, pause and ask yourself —

What is this teaching me? Who am I becoming in the process?

Lead with Love,

💜 Your Fav Nurse Leader, Bilquis Ali