Being a nurse and working in healthcare is not as glamorous as some portray it to be. The job includes hard nights and early mornings helping people through some of the worst times in their lives. Being great in healthcare requires hard work and determination. Transitioning from being a full-time bedside nurse into a professor of nursing education, I have had concerns about Generation Z.
Have you been around Generation Z? Have you heard what is said about them? Soft. Snowflakes. Unwilling to grow up. They dislike communication. These are the words and phrases used to describe Gen Z. But are they true?
What if we flip the script? Turn this around and hear other things said about Generation Z: independent learners, resourceful, the most educated generation. They provide an inclusive culture, bring values and beliefs into the workforce, have a voice, and are entrepreneurs. They have figured out easier ways to complete various tasks. They are working smarter.
Travel back in time and consider the people who brought healthcare to this point, perhaps two centuries ago. None of us were around, but think: what was surgery like then? What did healthcare look like? What did people do when they became ill? Recall with me a few world changers. In 1850, a woman named Florence Nightingale cared for those injured in the Crimean war and sparked the profession of nursing. In 1903, Marie Curie studied radiology. She won a Nobel Prize in 1911 and sparked the profession of radiology. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered the world’s first antibiotic.
Now, fast-forward: what if, in 2050, someone from Gen Z finds a cure for Alzheimer’s? Or in 2042, someone from Gen Z invents a new surgical improvement resulting in a three-month recovery for ACL repairs? What if, in 2030, every school in the United States has Gen Z athletic trainers? What if, in 2038, someone from Gen Z spurs on the research that leads to a cure for cancer?
How does Gen Z have a role to play in healthcare? Think about the attributes listed above. How could healthcare be affected by a student who is not only Gen Z but also a believer? Gen Z can be world changers through healthcare in the following ways.
Acts of Service. This generation is characterized by inclusivity. As a reminder, Jesus was the greatest servant who ever lived, no matter the character of those He served. In Matthew 9:10-13, we read the account of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus came for sinners. Gen Z can serve their patients to show them the life available in Christ. Doctors serve patients through diagnosis and treatment. Nurses serve patients through advocacy and quality care. Physical therapists serve patients by leading them as close as possible to 100% recovery after injury or illness. Radiologists serve patients by early detection of injury or illness. Psychologists serve patients by listening and advising. In a world that often seems uncaring, Generation Z can change the world through acts of service and a culture of inclusivity.
Providing Aid, Both Physically and Spiritually. Since this generation has been the most educated, they can provide better aid. Healthcare professionals encounter patients experiencing some of the worst (and best) moments of their lives. The aid they render may help patients through a difficult diagnosis or rehab from an injury to return to a sport they love. Their aid may help detect illness before it spreads. Gen Z can use their education and knowledge to expand and improve the aid offered in the future.
Integrity. Those working in healthcare are thought to be among the most trustworthy of people. Christian members of Gen Z can bring Christian values and beliefs into the workforce and positively change healthcare. What will healthcare look like with thousands of Gen Z believers working? Healthcare professionals should protect individuals and help them remain safe and healthy, and I pray believers of this generation will be at the forefront.
Advocacy. They can be advocates for change. They can stand up and champion patients who have no voice. Advocate for clients when it seems like their backs are against the wall. Be bold in advocacy and promote change that propels healthcare forward. Gen Z can push for what is right, just as Jesus did.
Innovation. We will always need healthcare. It isn’t going anywhere. Is Gen Z willing to take on the challenge and be innovative in the fields of medicine, physical therapy, nursing, and psychology? Generation Z is resourceful, entrepreneurial, and independent in their thinking and learning. In whichever healthcare profession they choose, their innovation can change the world.
Two centuries from now, someone from Gen Z could be the healthcare hero people are still talking about, the one whose innovations and creativity changed the course of healthcare. Maybe this generation will be known for its decision to take Jesus into every avenue of healthcare. Gen Z could lead hospitals across the country, pioneer research around the world, and spur on the cure for terminal diseases. Gen Z could work the sidelines at our schools and colleges to keep our athletes healthy.
As we emerge from the pandemic, many news articles describe healthcare workers as the greatest heroes of today. What if Gen Z is the best generation of healthcare workers in history? I believe with the right push they very well could be. Gen Z, are you ready to step up? Accept the challenge to be world changers in healthcare!
About the Writer: Katie J. Bryan, MSN, RN, teaches at Union University. She is the nursing representative for Welch College and the Welch College women’s head basketball coach. Learn more: welch.edu.
