Shaulene Stanley – Nurse Educator & Charge Nurse – Sustaining Motivation, Moving from Jamaica to the U.S., and the Need for Influential Nursing Leaders

In this episode, our guest is Shaulene Stanley, a charge nurse at West Penn Hospital and former nurse educator at the University of West Indies in Jamaica. Stanley has decades of nursing and education experience and decided to transition her life from Jamaica to Pittsburgh, PA. She discusses why she made a global career move, how she sustains motivation, the differences between healthcare in Jamaica and the U.S., and the need for influential nursing leaders.

How to Sustain Motivation (2:53)
Stanley made the decision to move to the U.S. after 20+ years as a nurse and educator in Jamaica. She was motivated by a desire to gain new experiences, fresh knowledge, and a deeper understanding of nursing. She shares the importance of being self-driven and having a clear goal to overcome inevitable obstacles.

Moving a Nursing Career from Jamaica to the U.S. (10:44)
Transitioning to any new country is difficult on its own, and Stanley accepted the additional challenge of moving from a nurse educator role to a hospital floor. She shares the good, tough, and often funny parts of practicing nursing in a new country. Everything from communication differences to workplace relationships required adaptation to succeed.

Healthcare Differences in Jamaica and the U.S. (19:54)
Stanley discusses Jamaica’s strong emphasis on primary, preventative care. This includes mandatory immunizations, neighborhood clinics, public nurses focused on rural locations, and frequent wellness checks and screenings. With her background in nursing education, Stanley talks about the shift to require a BSN. Because of an international nursing shortage, she shares tactics to ensure a steady workforce of nurses in Jamaica.

The Need for Influential Nursing Leaders (35:14)
Stanley recounts a childhood memory of caring for her siblings and sick mother that set her on a trajectory of making difficult decisions, which she considers a core competency in leadership. She also discusses the important role of influence when leading people.

Overt vs Covert Racism (40:12)
The conversation ends with a discussion on Stanley’s experience of being a Jamaican woman, and any racism she has encountered in the U.S. She and King discuss the difference between overt and covert racism that come through in the way people communicate or react.

Closing
Humans in Healthcare is produced by Shearwater Health in Nashville, TN, and hosted by Chief Marketing Officer, Nathan King.
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