photo courtesy st. jude children's research hospital
Robin Mutz, chief nurse executive with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
May 12, 2020, marks the bicentennial of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the British social reformer (1820-1910) considered the founder of modern nursing. She became famous for organizing the treatment of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Today, nurses also find themselves on the front lines, this time battling an enemy — the novel coronavirus that causes the deadly COVID-19 — that can’t even be seen. Well before the current health crisis, though, nurses were the men and women we came to depend on, working in tandem with physicians and other medical professionals, to ensure our well-being. Here, we profile four nurses from regional hospitals, asking what drew them to their profession, what they have gained from it, and where we go from here.
A native of Tennessee, Robin Metz earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina and her master’s degree from Birmingham Southern College. She began her 40-year career as the associate chief nursing officer for women’s services at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After that, she served as executive nursing director of the Children’s Hospital at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She joined the staff of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in April 2018.
What made you decide to become a nurse? Was there any person or event that inspired you?
As a young girl, my mother wanted to become a nurse. In keeping with the time, however, she set aside those dreams to raise a family. Growing up, I felt the same pull to nursing. Early on, I decided that I would follow her dream and be the kind of nurse my mother hoped to be. It’s a decision I have never regretted. Our profession instills us with a lion’s courage and servant’s heart. We carry this unique skill set with us at home, at work, and in our community.
Every year, it seems there is a nursing shortage. Why is that?
When I became a nurse 40 years ago, it was predominantly a women's profession, and women had limited opportunities of the careers they could do. You really had a choice: you could be a nurse or a teacher. But as the years have gone by and women have been viewed more equally in the professional world, it's limitless what a woman can do. Women found they could obtain other degrees, do other things, make more money, and work more regular hours, which was much more conducive to having children.
Nursing is not a glamourous profession. It’s a very intimate one, where you have to be comfortable touching other people, and being with those people in probably the most vulnerable times of their lives. It's very difficult. It's a 24-7-365 job, and even though the money is good, it's not fabulous. There are certain people who are cut out for it, but a lot of people choose things that are more glamorous or more predictable.
The other thing that has really impacted the nursing shortage is a lack of teachers. It's highly competitive to get into nursing school, and nursing schools are not able to turn out nurses in large numbers just simply because there aren't enough teachers to teach them.
The World Health Organization says by 2030 we are going to need about 600,000 nurses worldwide to replace those of us who are retiring and to care for an aging population that will live longer. A s there will be fewer nurses in the workforce and there are fewer new nurses going into the workforce, there is a tremendous need.
What can we do to correct the situation?
Millennials want to be in careers that make a difference. We have to modify the work hours to make them more conducive to a work/life balance. We have to continue to work hard to make sure that nurses are compensated equitabl y and fairly for their contribution. I believe these things — combined with highlighting the importance of the profession — can make a difference to the younger generation. Over the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of nursing has been highlighted. In the past it really wasn't highlighted, even though it ’ s been recognized for 17 years in a row as the most trusted profession. This medical crisis has shined a light on the importance of what nurses do. Nurses make a difference. Nursing is a profession that offers incredible joy and meaning.
The World Health Organization has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. This year is also the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. What do you think she would think of the state of nursing today?
I think if Florence Nightingale were alive today, she would be very happy to see that what she gave her life for is really coming to fruition. Nurses have always made a difference, but today, 200 years later, nursing is being viewed as a true discipline, a true profession of its own. Nurses are using information and data to create positive outcomes. And that was the work Florence Nightingale did in the Crimean war, in a very fundamental way.
Today, nurses have embraced that, and they own their practice — they look to the literature and they do their own research to create improved patient outcomes. I think that would make her very happy.
