Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances we did not choose, but we learn from them. As a student, I was assigned to work with a surgical resident who had technical skills, but who was disrespectful to all medical team members. It was not a healthy learning environment. Years later, the surgeon took his life. I wondered, What if the disrespectful behaviors directed at students and nurses represented signs of mental illness? And what if I…

Healthcare is making remarkable advances in personalized care, thanks in part to artificial intelligence and other innovations. But some of the most important ways we personalize the patient experience have nothing to do with technology. They come down to how we treat the person in front of us. Here’s the challenge: We spend years teaching clinicians how to diagnose and treat illness, but devote far less attention to teaching them how to create an exceptional…

It’s no secret that healthcare workers have a lot on their plates. The easier we can make it for them to remember and do things, the better. I’ve noticed this is true for the people I work with. And I know it’s true for me! I saw this principle play out recently when I taught my granddaughters “My Favorite Things,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Julie Andrews made famous in The Sound of Music. I expected…

When faced with a new challenge, what do you do first? Do you start by gathering data? Do you talk it through with colleagues? Do you jump in and try something and adjust along the way? When learning a new skill, do you seek structured instruction or an opportunity to practice? We all learn differently. This (of course) applies to our leaders too. These differences can affect how well they do their job, which in…

When healthcare leaders think about advanced practice clinicians (APCs), the conversation often starts with staffing. Where do we have a gap? Where do we need more coverage? Where can we add capacity? Those are important questions. But I believe there is another question we need to be asking as well: Are we developing our APCs to lead? Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, and other advanced practice clinicians are essential to healthcare today. They are helping improve access, extend…