crupp posted on May 10, 2021 18:20
Greetings, Colleagues!
I can’t believe it is already May!
As I begin this month’s news, thank you to everyone who made IMSH Delivers such a success. The level of participation and feedback we received affirmed, again, how IMSH is viewed as the pinnacle healthcare simulation conference in the world.
Also, my many thanks to those who participated in our virtual question-and-answer meeting a few weeks ago. I felt we accomplished our goal in finding another way to communicate with members about SSH’s current undertakings, our successes, and where we all want to see SSH go from this point forward.
Our plan is to have another similar event the first week of June, so please look for an announcement in the coming weeks so that you make plans to join us. Please feel free to email me at sshpresident2021@gmail.com with your ideas for potential questions and topics for us to cover.
The next SSH Board of Directors meeting is set for later this week – Friday, May 14. Virtually, the Board will review the 2021-22 proposed budget for the Society, along with other important topics. Highlights of the Board meeting will be shared at the next virtual event I explained above – one more great reason to join us in June!
Wednesday, May 12, is International Nurses Day, which also, not coincidentally, is Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Many know Nightingale as the founder of modern nursing, but one of her biggest contributions to healthcare was her statistical ability. Almost 200 years before Adobe Creative Cloud hit the market and infographics were something we all discovered we needed; Nightingale made data look beautiful.
She designed several ways of demonstrating data. However, her most famous design was the “coxcomb.” The coxcomb is similar to what we know as a pie chart, but more intricate. In a pie chart, the size of the slices represents a proportion of data. In a coxcomb, the length (measured by how far the slice extends radially from the center-point) represents the first layer of data.
In the diagram, which was developed from data obtained during the Crimean War, the chart was divided evenly into 12 slices that represent months of the year. The shaded area of each month’s slice is proportional to the death rate that month. The color-coding/shading indicated the cause of death in each area of the diagram.
Mental Health Month
Lastly, May is Mental Health month in the United States.
One of the major issues throughout the pandemic has been the mental health of our communities. In particular, our healthcare community is losing many individuals to suicide. In response, healthcare organizations are turning to the simulation community to assist in developing scenarios to help manage feelings of uncertainty during these difficult times.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a campaign entitled “You are not alone” and has some wonderful resources including this one.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling and/or feeling discouraged, please seek help and know there are many of your peers who can and want to be there for you. We all can be support for each other as we make our way forward. Take care and be safe out there!
Until next month …
Juli Maxworthy, DNP, PhD (c), MSN, MBA, RN, CNL, CPHQ, CPPS, CHSE, FNAP, FSSH
President, Society for Simulation in Healthcare