CLPNBC conference - Living Excellence in Practice

The CLPNBC conference was held at the Vancouver Italian Cultural Center. The Cultural Center was built on the site of an old dump, built with vision, collaboration, volunteer labour, and lots of determination.... it is an incredible site, providing great place for celebration and education. Fitting to meet there with the LPNs who are growing in leaps and bounds in their full scope practice, and meeting new challenges head on.

I was asked to speak about Living Excellence in Practice. The quotes I especially enjoyed include: Excellence, the state or quality of being exceptionally good.
Excellence is not a skill it is an attitude. Ralph Marston
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle
"To strive for excellence is to do the best that you can do" Betty Davies, RN, PhD

We discussed the idea that if excellence is an attitude, a habit, and a striving... then we can be excellent whether we are new grads, have a few years experience, or have been working for thirty years in nursing.

We talked about what excellence in practice and excellence in education feels like, tastes like, and looks like. We then talked about the LPN not only as a learner, but also as a teacher!

Being a hospice nurse, I could not talk without discussing death and dying, and ways that excellence might be included when caring for the dying and their families.

For example, excellence might include using the "D" word when touring a family through a residential care facility prior to the admission of their loved one, or talking about decreasing intake with family when they are concerned about their loved one not eating enough.

The energy and the input from the LPNs was inspiring.

Thank you CLPNBC for the invitation to speak, and thanks to all who contributed to the discussion and helped make it a great learning experience.

Regards,
Kath

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