QUALITIES OF A TRAILBLAZER : The Spirit of Enquiry.

Do you wake up each morning to see, and hear about new exploits around the world, and wonder who the masterminds are? Have you ever wondered how these important and useful developments in the various fields of life came to be?

Even in the nursing discipline, have you ever wondered who those people behind the several advancements and progress in the field are? These people are referred to as trailblazers.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, a trailblazer is the first person to do something or go somewhere; who shows that it is also possible for other people to do the same. The Collins Dictionary defines a trailblazer as a person who is the leader in a particular field, especially one who does a particular thing before anyone else does.

This means that a trailblazer is a pacesetter; a frontier; an inventor. They do seemingly impossible things, take huge risks, and create new things; showing others that it is possible to do the same. 

Trailblazers have excellent qualities including: courage, hardwork, determination, discipline, and patience. But the most important quality of all, is the spirit of enquiry, or inquisitiveness. Before the other qualities can come to play, the spirit of enquiry must be present. Without enquiry, the person won't even see the need to do something new in the first place.

But what does it mean to enquire? 

Enquiry is the British spelling of the word "inquiry." Both words mean the act of asking questions to gain information. It is also a process, or design used to gather information in the hope of gaining an answer of some sort.

This means that before a solution can be provided, a question must be asked first!

The good news is that there are trailblazers in every aspect of life. For instance, Leonardo Da Vinci, the Italian artist famous for his 'Mona Lisa' painting; Louis Pasteur, the French biologist, who discovered the cure for rabies, and also a means to preserve milk, called Pasteurization. Orville and Wilbur Wright, the American inventors, who designed, built, and flew the first powered aircraft. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was Africa's first elected female head of state in Liberia. 

There are trailblazers in the field of nursing as well, who helped pave the way for better nursing practices. Some of them include Florence Nightingale, often referred to as the founder of modern nursing; Mary Eliza Mahoney, who was the first African-American nurse to graduate from a nursing school in the United States. Virginia Avenel Henderson, who was an American nurse, best known for developing the famous nursing theory known as the “Henderson Model” or the “Definition of Nursing.”

These people all have a peculiar thing in common, which is, the spirit of enquiry. They observed the environment they lived in, detected a defect in various aspects, and developed systems to solve them. These trailblazers asked themselves questions at some point. They dared to think about what they could do for a change, and then, they made it happen. 

As a nurse, you can be the next trailblazer. All you need to do is believe you can, and go for it! The good news is that you can even become a trailblazer in other fields, too!

I'll be providing a simple acronym for the word E-N-Q-U-I-R-Y, for easy recollection:

E- EXPERIENCE: It is important to gather enough experience in your field of study, so you can easily detect what is defective, and how you can help!

N- NOTICE: To be a trailblazer, you must be sensitive enough to notice any opportunity to make an impact, and then go for it. 

Q- QUESTION: No solution can be provided if questions are not asked, so be inquisitive enough to keep asking questions. 

U- UNITY- Do not attempt to be a lone ranger. Learn to work with others, as well. Their contributions are very valuable for your success. 

I- INTEREST: Ensure you have an area of interest! The fastest way to achieve success is by doing what you love. 

R- REVISE: Keep revising your plans. Even after deciding on what you want to do, you need to revise your plans again. Seek for help if necessary, to ensure everything is in place. 

Y- YARDSTICK: Have a yardstick; a standard that you plan to meet. With this in mind, you would be able to walk in line with it. 

Having said all these, I believe that several trailblazers will begin to rise from nursing, that will not only improve nursing standards, but also serve as major influences in other spheres of life. See you at the top!