Julie Talley

I attribute my success to my family. I wanted to set a good example to my kids and my grandkids that if you work hard, and you keep your faith, and you believe in yourself and your worth, that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to.

The best career advice I received was from my mentor through Oklahoma Heart Institute. We spoke once a week, and when my youngest daughter was in high school, my mentor asked me if I had ever thought about enhancing my career. I told her I would love to, but life was just so busy and I needed to get my daughter through school first, and then I'd look at that. She told me that at some point, you have to put yourself first, because 5 years from now, you can either be wishing you were in the position you wanted, or you can be living the life that you want to live. That day, I enrolled for my bachelor's program.

My advice is to be the person who is willing to help. Being a nurse doesn't mean that you don't have to do certain jobs, it just means that you can do everybody's job plus your own. If you are a team player and you're willing to get out there and help those that are in the throes of it, you will earn more respect. I think it is important for them to understand that you will build better relationships with your team if you show them that you're willing to get out there and do the work alongside them. I remember when I was a supervisor at a long-term care facility and the kitchen person didn't show up. I put on a hairnet and made breakfast for 75 residents because it needed to be done. My staff asked why I did that, saying it wasn't my job. I told them that my job means I'm here to take care of the patients and to be a support system to them, so if that means today I'm a cook, then today I'm a cook. Don't ever say 'that's not my job' because you're a team. At the end of the day, we're there for the patients, to make sure that they're safe, they're happy, and they're healthy. Understanding the integrity that goes along with nursing and never losing sight of that is something I really tried to instill in those that are younger than me.

I think the biggest challenge is that everything is very technologically driven. I came from the generation where you had to read a book, and if you didn't know the answer, you had to research it. Students today have everything they need at the tips of their fingers. I think it is important for them to learn how to store that information in their own thought processes, because there are times when you need to be able to have that recall and not just be able to rely on a smartphone, or a tablet, or a device. You have to understand the body systems and how they function and how to take care of it. That has to be from you, and then if you have a question, you can rely on technology. But I think that's one of the areas where students seem to struggle because it's such a quick fix. When I would have students do a discussion question, I would tell them I want to read this and know that you're talking to me, not that you asked AI. I think that is an opportunity for improvement as well as a challenge.

I think open communication is huge. Being respectful and understanding and trying to use active listening is very important. A lot of times people get very caught up in trying to formulate their thoughts when someone is speaking and be ready for that, that they miss a lot of the key things that are being spoken. So, learning the value of listening with intent and then giving yourself that time to pause and really answer the question that's being asked is essential to me.