ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Spotlight: Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN
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Nurse views life of service and nursing leadership as a privilege
#healthynurse Susan (Sue) Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, has an impressive career. She’s been an international adviser on nursing and was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal — the highest nursing honor given by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The American Academy of Nursing recognizes Sue as a Living Legend. She also helped change the direction of nursing as the emeritus directors of the Future of Nursing reports and the Campaign for Action.
The list goes on and on, including a number of lifetime achievement awards.
But beneath Sue’s high-level titles and impressive awards lies a simple truth: She loves to be of service to others.
“I have this need to serve,” Sue says. “And it’s not entirely selfless. It’s addicting to serve others. Truthfully, I get a lot out of it. I meet the most interesting people and learn so much from them. I get to help others, make a difference, and impact the world.”
Called to Service
Sue didn’t always throw herself into volunteering and serving others. The turning point occurred when she was 20 years old. Her parents were in Mexico City during a massive earthquake. Without cell phones or the internet, Sue panicked, not knowing if they were OK. She called the telephone operator for help, who connected her with the American Red Cross. Within an hour, a Red Cross volunteer delivered the news that her parents were safe.
Soon after, Sue walked into the American Red Cross office closest to her college campus at Florida State University and paid that kindness forward. Already an RN, “I jumped in with everything I had,” Sue says. “I explained that because of what the Red Cross did for me, I wanted to do whatever I can for them.”
Sue initially taught first-aid and CPR classes. As an American Red Cross volunteer, she’s done anything and everything, including:
- Helping military families through the organization’s mandate to provide emergency communications, such as the death of a loved one, emergency financial assistance, and social service referrals.
- Working on the front lines of national disasters, including 9/11.
- Serving as chair on several local and state Red Cross boards, as well as the National Board of Governors, where she chaired the 9/11 fund.
“When I’m in the midst of a disaster and in crisis mode,” she says, “I look at all the people there to help, and I feel an incredible calm. I’m struck by how honored and privileged I am to be a volunteer.”
Recognizing the Role of Nurses in Service
During her nearly 5 decades with the Red Cross, Sue’s career has also been punctuated by her support of nurses and the service they provide. Her role in the Future of Nursing reports and Campaign for Action changed the face of the nursing profession. But she’s also made it a point to encourage programs and actions that boost nurse engagement and leadership in the Red Cross. She supports and recognizes those endeavors with an annual grant as part of the American Red Cross Susan Hassmiller Nursing Award. She also founded the Nurses on Boards Coalition, an organization that now supports bringing nurses onto Red Cross boards.
“What’s important to me is keeping a steady drumbeat on the role of nursing in the Red Cross,” Sue says. “The voice of nurses can get lost when there are so many other volunteers. But nurses are critically important to the Red Cross and have been at its core since the organization began. Their work includes the civil war and all wars and disasters since then.”
Embracing the Challenges of Climate Change
Like all nurses, Sue recognizes the need to adapt to changing circumstances. It is one reason she accepted her newest position co-chairing the advisory committee for one of the American Red Cross’s newest national endeavor: the Community Adaptation Program (CAP).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) collected data showing that the number of natural disasters since 1980 continues to increase and intensify. “These disasters affect those who are least likely to have the resources to bounce back quickly,” Sue says. She notes that the Red Cross’s help after these disasters requires money based entirely on donations. “The financial commitment for the Red Cross is enormous, and we cannot ignore global warming and the effects on our citizens.”
The Red Cross is adapting its disaster response to involve established partnerships with other nonprofit organizations. Together, they prepare communities for disaster and coordinate their responses. They are testing this new method in approximately 20 targeted U.S. communities often hit hard by natural disasters.
Sue says the top concerns are health, hunger, and housing. By partnering with people in these communities around those issues, they hope to better prepare, respond, and recover from the next disaster.
“We’re realizing that there are a lot of people who want to help, who can help, and this is how we’re going to get it done,” Sue says.
Lessons From a Life of Service
Looking back at her career, Sue reflects on a few simple principles that helped her get where she is today:
- Be a generous leader: “As a leader, give back, share, teach, mentor, and help those you lead. Don’t do it because it always comes back to you, though it always does come back to you.”
- Recognize that service is a privilege: “What’s important? Giving back. We are so privileged to be on this Earth and given this life. I’m not asking people to give a million dollars, but everybody can do something to help during their time on Earth.”
- Say ‘yes’ more than you say ‘no’: “In my life, I said ‘yes’ because I’m enthusiastic. I said ‘yes’ because I want to help people. I said ‘yes’ because there are always interesting things to learn. Just say ‘yes’ more than you say ‘no.’”
Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, continues to serve the American Red Cross. As an ICF-certified executive/leadership coach, Sue advises and coaches health care leaders through her consulting company, Sulu Coaching.
Are you a #healthynurse who feels privileged to be of service to others? Share your stories with us in our discussion.
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Blog #healthynurse Spotlight
11/07/2024 4:24pm CST
The #healthynurse Spotlight is a shout out to nurses who are making changes in their lives to improve their health and wellness. You can too! Read their stories for inspiration here.
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