Fit To Fight Infections
The photo on this page with my best mate Dee (far left) and friend Justine (far right) was taken in November 2007 minutes before we competed in the annual Noosa Triathalon. It was my first Olympic distance triathalon and represented a pinnacle of the past 18 months when I radically reviewed my lifestyle and health. There were multiple drivers and compelling circumstances that initiated the lifestyle changes. Throughout it all I have been and continue to be well supported and encouraged by wonderful friends and a great group of fellow fitness enthusiasts who coincidentally happen to be great coffee drinkers. Interestingly, I’ve noticed a direct parallel between increases in my physical fitness and increases in my professional growth and the career opportunities which have presented themselves.
Fighting infections and contributing effectively to a professional association like APIC requires enormous commitment and dedication. Planning is also critically important. Clarifying your vision, determining your mission and setting goals enables you to stay focussed and to gauge the effectiveness with which you are influencing behaviours and contributing to a safer patient care environment. They are critical elements of a succesful Infection Prevention program. Imagine then my amazement when I realised that achieving fitness and a healthy lifestyle and sustaining that lifestyle requires exactly the same skillset. The realisation was blinding and now seems so obvious.
Most days for me start with an exercise session. Typically it’s a ride or a run or a swim. Which activity it is is pre-planned according to a set program devised for me by an expert who also happens to be a great friend and a source of endless inspiration. Surrounding yourself with inspiring people who have expertise different to your own is another strategy that can help goal achievement. However, just having a program and being inspired is not enough, there comes that critical time each morning when it’s easier and much more tempting to roll over rather than to get up and hit the road or the pool. Staying focussed and staying motivated are good tools to keep you on the path at this point. Just like taking regular exercise, staying focussed on preventing infections is really tough these days especially when healthcare systems all around the world are underresourced and typically understaffed. How do you get around it? Well one way is to just keep thinking of your goals and asking yourself if the work you are doing is consistent with those goals. Does it get you closer or further to them? Being prepared and having contingencies is another good strategy. Think about possibilities. What would you do if all of a sudden the Chief Executive Officer of your hospital who was a long term supporter of your Infection Prevention program announced his/ her retirement? Would your program fold or flourish? If an outbreak of some dreaded disease hit your hospital how would you cope? If you had good contingencies in place you would survive and in planning those contingenices you are setting yourself up for success not failure.
So in these few mixed but hopefully wise words of the day I hope I’ve started you thinking about new ways to increase your Fitness To Fight Infections, it’s probably the biggest Marathon you will ever face. Stay tuned for more updates as the Australian season of Summer sports rolls out! Google Noosa Triathalon 2008 if you have an interest in triathalons, but most importantly - keep up your personal and professional fitness, it’s really really important.