By Kathleen Moriarty, RN, MSN, CCDS, CCM
Reflecting on my years as a member of the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) of Chicago, I reflect on some of my favorite times learning and networking with others. Gathering at Advocate Christ Medical Center on the south side of Chicago became a tradition for our chapter. We pivoted as appropriate, not letting disasters such as a global pandemic or 20 inches of snow on a cold January morning stop us. Seeing, doing, and teaching continues to be our motto. I remember the famous "See one, Do one, Teach one" saying that I first learned as a nursing student. The theory is that the best way to learn a new skill is to observe someone else doing it, then actually do it yourself, and finally teach it to someone else. It only sometimes happens like that, but the concepts are essential. Observe, Do, then Teach someone else. It takes all three, and peer teaching is the most important. This message has been shared repeatedly by famous and not-so-famous people. Benjamin Franklin reportedly said, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn. Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gough says, "I am always doing what I can't do yet to learn how to do it." As Case Managers, stepping out of your comfort zone and being comfortable with failure is essential if you want to learn and grow.
Case Managers can achieve great things for us and the patients/families we serve. Organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant's newest book "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things" Grant points out that we can achieve great things in life. He goes on to share the secret sauce within each of us. It is being uncomfortable with discomfort. Grant suggests "The best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort."
In Case Management, we all need great teachers, mentors, coaches, and peers to help us grow and reach our fullest potential. Our Case Management community is full of these individuals; we must seek them out and develop that relationship. These individuals are often the ones who provide excellent advice to allow us to achieve great things. No matter what practice setting you are in, we have the opportunity to teach.
I once coached an all-girls basketball team that became a big grade school powerhouse on the northwest side of Chicago. The girls worked hard to get to championship games, and I took my coaching job pretty seriously. Providing advice on where we could do better, hitting the gym to work on the basics such as dribbling, passing, layups, and free throws. Adam Grant notes, "Teaching others can build our competence. But coaching others elevates our confidence". He calls this the "coach effect". All of us could use a good coach in our lives, but even more critical is a teammate who performs a great post-move layup and shares it with someone else. Seeing exchanges like this allows coaches to sit back and take pride in the team and their accomplishments. Although it may take time to build up those coaching and teaching skills, it will be your confidence the more you practice. Studies have shown that we learn more from peers than experts. Experts need help describing and explaining how they do things compared to non-experts. Someone who sets up Durable Medical Equipment (DME) regularly is a far better teacher to a novice Case Manager than the department manager.
Can you share a skill or concept within the Case Management community? Can you coach someone new to the field? In Case Management, we do have the opportunity to do great things. You could also be the one to see one, so one, and teach one.
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Bio: Kathleen Moriarty has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years. She began her career as a staff nurse in medical/surgical areas before moving into Case Management. Kathy found passion within nursing in Case Management where she has taken on several leadership roles assisting to promote patient safety, quality of care, and cost-effective outcomes. Kathy is currently the Senior Director of Case Management at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She has her master's in nursing from University of Phoenix, Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Loyola University, Chicago. She holds dual certification in Case Management and Clinical Documentation. Clinical Documentation Specialist, and Sigma Theta Tau. Kathy works collaboratively with providers and members of the care team to capture the clinical severity to support level of services rendered to relevant patient populations. She is passionate about excellence in pediatric care and ensuring that the case management team has all the tools needed in order to make appropriate clinical care decisions while caring for patients, families and the transitions of care. On a personal note, Kathy enjoys cooking and baking. During the pandemic, her love for the City of Chicago allowed her to take advantage of take out treats from local restaurants, walking/biking in Cook County Forest Preserve Trails and watching livestream music events.