We started this “Nurses and Tech” series by talking about the importance of a good “mentorship relationship” in your journey into the world of tech. And we tried to establish core reasons why you need a ‘good’ mentor [stressing the ‘goood’ part…]
A mentor has traveled or is traveling the path that you want to travel.
They have more experience and have gathered enough exposure, which makes them qualified to lead & nurture you [they are not perfect, and are also on the same learning journey].
If you have not read the first article in this series, kindly check it out here.
In this edition, we will be looking at another element that we must consider as far as migrating into the field of technology is concerned.
And it is the Power of Community.
What Is Not Community?
“There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.”
Idowu Koyenikan
There is a definition of community that describes the true meaning of community. Unfortunately, what many call community does not qualify or fit the description.
Subscribing to the newsletter of a mentor you seriously admire does not necessarily qualify you as a member of their community [it’s a step, a good and recommended one].
It’s deeper than just subscribing to newsletters & buying courses.
Just as mentorship establishes you as a direct beneficiary of the wisdom of a mentor, community is the connection that we have with people who share our ideas and are ready to journey together with you towards achieving your goal.
The focal word[s] here is/are ‘connection’ [and people].
Community is a network that enriches you, nurtures you & strengthens you. If you are not being nurtured then it’s not a community, maybe it’s something else.
No man is an Island. We can’t know it all. We need the expertise, wisdom, and unique exposure of others to complete us.
One vital characteristic the nursing ecosystem lacks today is real communities that have what it takes to inspire, nurture, enrich & strengthen nurses in their leadership and innovation journeys.
Instead of communities, what we have are just groups or online gatherings that do not have a well-defined border or a solid vision. The nurses or healthcare professionals who find themselves in those groups or online gatherings are not being nurtured.
This is one thing Care City is striving to accomplish in the healthcare ecosystem [especially in Africa], to build innovative healthcare communities that will nurture nurses & healthcare professionals into their full capacities as leaders and innovators, especially in the world of digital health [we have that bias — a good one though].
The World of Tech Is Designed To Run On Community
“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals.”
Jean Vanier
This is the culture that has made it possible for the tech revolution to survive this age — the culture of ‘community.’
Without community, how do we share ideas & build systems that last? How do we network and interact with people who share our values?
In building systems, each man brings his idea, and as we sit down together to build, we are all contributing, and as we are contributing, we are each growing, it’s a network of sharing.
Does it make any sense to you?
This is the singular reason why corporations like Google & Microsoft are soo powerful today. They get their energy from a powerful community of people who believe in the vision and missions of the company.
The nursing profession has suffered from this lack because it has not been easy gathering nurses to think together.
They are only used to working together [which is great, but not enough to drive the innovative wheel that will cause the kind of change we desire].
Thinking together is the lifeblood of a community.
Now, can you evaluate that gathering you have been calling a community?
Have you been thinking together?
There are a handful of hospitals/healthcare institutions that have been able to conquer this problem.
However, you will discover that those institutions that have managed to develop to that level are hospitals and institutions that hold on tightly to the culture of leadership and innovation — they always have a strong history that speaks about their dedication to innovation and leadership.
And very few institutions or gatherings of healthcare professionals are entirely open to innovation and leadership, particularly in developing climes like Africa, where the idea of innovation and leadership in healthcare, especially among nurses almost looks like an alien idea to many.
Though it’s heartwarming to see initiatives like the Nursingnow campaign and Johnson & Johnson advocating seriously for the adoption of innovation and leadership in nursing communities, yet, more work still needs to be done.
If you are desperately serious about your migration to the world of tech, then you must understand the power of community.
Finding yourself in a good community will make it easier for you to transition into tech.
We are not going to jump straight into the technicalities of the world of tech just yet, because addressing these nuances, like mentorship, community and the likes is the most important thing we should focus on before more technical themes, like what kind of courses to take, how to study, finding your niche, etc.
Rough Road Ahead
It’s going to be a rough road. I am not going to sugarcoat it. I am going to be sincere with you. This is just the truth. For you to start reconditioning your mind to learn new concepts all over again will cost you a lot — in discipline, attention, practice, learning, and in DOING!
Nurses are soo used to doing things traditionally. Not just nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals who work guided by protocols and rules. They have a rigid belief in the tradition that guides them, and that’s why it’s a little bit difficult for the culture of innovation to thrive in healthcare.
For innovation to thrive in healthcare, they must be a gradual overhaul of certain concepts that have been passed down as sacred orders or methods. This is what research is changing, and we are excited that a new crop of healthcare professionals is growing into the system who understand what it is to innovate, to do things differently, to travel different paths, to think creatively.
And my work as a writer is summed up in trying to make nurses and healthcare professionals [especially in Africa] realize that they can do more. It’s that simple.
Benefits Of Joining A Good Tech Community
What a good tech community will do for you:
- A strong community will give you the courage you need.
- Nurture your strength and deal with your weaknesses.
- Give you a warm place for your ideas to develop.
- Connect you with people/professionals of thesame innovative tribe or culture.
- Connect you with mentors and coaches.
- Help you when you fail.
- Help you find your niche.
- Celebrate with you when you succeed.
- Give you ideas for your business and entrepreneurial engagements.
- Support you when you want to venture deeper into the world of tech.
- You can find partners, sponsors and volunteers who are ready to work with you.
- You will learn leadership skills specific to the world of tech.
- You will be exposed to tools and processes that help professionals succeed in the world of tech.
Communities serve as families providing the needed support, warmth, and environment needed for entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders to grow.
Finding A Community
There are practical steps that you can take in finding a tech community that will help in your journey into the world of tech.
In the next part of this series, we will bring together a list of some tech communities that are dedicated to inspiring and empowering nurses [and health tech professionals] who are interested in the world of tech. We will also let you know the characteristics of these communities.
Unfortunately, most of these communities are not even in Africa, that’s why Care City‘s Digital Health Hub [Carecode] is dedicated to helping nurses [we have a bias for nurses] and other healthcare professionals learn more about tech, and by so doing get inspired to take up careers in the digital health ecosystem, which will then place them in strategic positions to contribute to the development of the healthcare industry, whether in Africa or wherever they find themselves on the face of the planet
Carecode is that community you want to be in if you are a nurse or healthcare professional who is serious about migrating into the world of tech.
We will be holding a strategic digital health conference next month. And in that conference, we will host a couple of digital health experts from Africa’s digital health ecosystem.
Get more info in this article I published recently.
We want to bring that ‘silicon valley’ vibe into the world of healthcare. And we don’t want you to be left behind.
To register, fill out this form, and join the Whatsapp group through the link provided.
We can’t wait to have you on board.
If you have any questions or concerns or if you would like to volunteer, partner or sponsor, kindly send us a mail here [introducing yourself/company/organization and letting us know how you want to join the party].
Insider info…
I am going to let you in on one of our secret plans here at Care City.
Carecode will be starting a Digital Skill boot camp for nurses and healthcare professionals interested in migrating into the world of tech.
We will bring together a pool of tech professionals from various aspects of tech — from web design, graphic design, technical writing, to coding, cloud computing, etc. We are also going to place much attention on the “no-code tech movement” where you don’t have to know how to write codes before you can enjoy tech.
To get more details, you should sign up for our newsletter [below] or follow us on Twitter.
Come on, hop on board, we have got a lot in store for you…
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