Professional Development and Humor for Nurses

Nurses motivational speaker Kay Wagner, DHA, MSN, RN,  speaks from the heart and with humor to nurses about professional empowerment, stress, humor and nursing today.

Kay has been a registered nurse since 1985. Her career has spanned over three decades which has led her down various paths. After some time in the clinical setting, Kay transitioned into leadership which began with house supervision, expanding to managing workforce development for a health system, to her current role as the Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety for MidMichigan Health. She received her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing Degrees from Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) and her Doctorate of Health Administration from Central Michigan University. She is the business owner of CommuniKay which began in 1998 and has presented professionally at the local, regional, state and national level to diverse populations.

Kay is the author of the book Kara’s Courage, and is a case contributor to Numbers and Degrees — challenges for the nursing workforce. Her research includes a thesis entitled Empowerment: The lived experiences of nurses in acute care and her dissertation: Exploring the use of Social Network Analysis to Identify Physician Engagement in Quality Improvement in the Hospital Setting which was also published in the Physician Leadership Journal.

Humor and health come naturally to Kay. As a mother of three, a nurse since 1985, and just your average normal human being living here on earth, Kay has an eclectic assortment of experiences, stories, and life lessons to draw upon for her presentations. She believes that all life experiences, whether good or bad, can ultimately empower people to become more compassionate, caring and courageous individuals.

“Nothing brings me greater joy than to know that I might be able to inspire and motivate others by sharing some of my own real life experiences with meaning, energy, humor and a smile. I’d like to believe that my years as a mother, nurse, entrepreneur, author and speaker have provided me with opportunities, experiences and obstacles that can be shared to help motivate, uplift, inspire and entertain others,” she says.

It was as both an audience and committee member, that Kay realized the value of motivational presentations, and listened to the call of the podium. Her first and natural choice for a topic was the benefits of humor on health because everybody needs and deserves a boost from time to time to enhance their overall sense of well being.

Her eldest daughter’s diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor in 2002 tested all of her coping skills. Her book, Kara’s Courage: A nurse’s story of her child’s experience with cancer viewed from the other side of the stretcher, is a story of courage, faith, inspiration and facing fear. If it helps just one other individual to seek treatment, gain hope, or simplify their research trail, then Kay feels its purpose will have been met.

As a nurse, Kay is delighted to speak to other nurses — she presented at the AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses) NTI (National Teaching Institute) and her program was later chosen by the national organization to be one of only 25 for their pilot web based learning modules.

“I feel that audience members appreciate hearing real life stories from others to enhance their own personal lives. My presentations afford the opportunity for others to sit back, relax, and escape the demands of their busy lives if only for a few minutes. As an audience member at one of my presentations, my ultimate goal is to provide you that boost needed to continue being the best individual you can possibly be both personally and professionally,” Kay says.

Kay’s proudest accomplishments include her 30+ year marriage to Jeff and their three daughters Kara, Lauren & Brooke and the most recent addition to their family son-in-law Brian Stark and grandchildren Graham and Madison.
 

Most Popular Topics:

Jest to See You Smile: Humor a Facet of Holistic Care

(Title can be changed as appropriate to audience IE: Loosen Up By Getting a Grip on Humor, Humor for the Health of It! )

Humor in the twentieth century, has gained a great deal of recognition as an alternative form of therapy in holistic care. It is a tool that promotes the overall well being of an individual. This presentation will examine humor and its many benefits. This ancient form of expression can empower any individual to cope with and enjoy everyday life.

Redefining the 5 Senses: Increasing Your Personal and Professional Growth Potential

For many, the busy society that we live in today prevents us from taking time to care for ourselves. This hectic lifestyle, however, can drain an individual both physically and psychologically if not equipped with the proper tools to maintain an overall state of well being. In order to care for ourselves and others in a respectful, caring environment, and to contribute to that environment at an optimal level, we must create such an environment in our own personal life.

Redefining the 5 Senses: Increasing Your Personal and Professional Growth Potential includes A Sense of Self, A Sense of Ability, A Sense of Direction, A Sense of Humor, and a Sense of Accomplishment. Choosing alternative means of looking at our senses will help build our personal and professional accountability, our integrity, promote innovation, generate commitment, and embrace life-long learning to continually strive to improve as an individual as well as a professional.

Sabotaging Stress: Turning Distress into Eustress

It’s difficult in today’s world to keep ourselves balanced in a healthy state, both physically and psychologically. We are faced with the challenges of keeping a balance between home, work, family, and friends. More often, we forget to balance ourselves and fall ill to the many stressors of our environment. We must learn to put some of these same stressors to work for us in a positive fashion in order to maintain a total sense of well being.

A New Era in Nursing: Enabling Professional Empowerment

Historically, nursing has been viewed as an oppressed profession. An understanding of oppressed behaviors may be the first step in overcoming the obstacles that prevent nurses from becoming empowered professionals. The phenomenon of empowerment will be explored as it relates to the culture of nursing.