She was a supervisor for a busy hospital unit. She came to my class not really wanting to be there. She sat up front, arms folded and scowling. I understood. I think it’s fair to say that as a nurse, she had sat through many training classes by “experts” who told her how to do some intricate part of her job. I hope I never forget the feeling this nurse expressed. I well remember feeling it myself.
Hoping to soothe her concerns (and the concerns of others like her), I started with a couple of simple questions that I was going to ask when I finished presenting: Is it doable? And does it make sense?
I bring these questions to every class-teaching opportunity I have. They are meant to anchor learning in reality—the reality of healthcare today.
About 15 minutes into my presentation, I saw the nurse’s arms unfold and a smile come to her face. True to my word, at the end I asked if what I had covered was doable and if it made sense. She immediately offered her perspective. She said she thought she knew everything about patient rounding, but this was different and seemed logical. I like to be logical. Now I was smiling, too.
A month or so later, I got to return and observe her doing what I had taught. She took what she learned and added her personality to make it even better!
In healthcare, I regularly hear thoughtful, compelling, and well-designed ideas—ideas supported by evidence, best practices, and good intentions. Yet often, those ideas never move beyond the classroom or the conference slide. Not because the people receiving them lack motivation or capability, but because they are simply too hard to execute in the conditions in which healthcare operates.
Today’s healthcare environment is defined by complexity, competing priorities, staffing shortages, regulatory pressure, and constant change. When we introduce concepts that require extraordinary effort, perfect conditions, or additional time that simply doesn’t exist, we unintentionally set people up for frustration and failure. At that point, even the best ideas lose credibility.
That is why doability matters. If an idea cannot be realistically applied during a busy shift, amid interruptions and real-world constraints, it will not be sustained. Teaching what is impractical—even when it is theoretically sound—creates a gap between knowing and doing that healthcare cannot afford.
Equally important is whether an idea makes sense to those expected to carry it out. If it does not resonate, if it fails to connect to their daily experience or clearly improve the care they provide, it will never take hold.
We must hold ourselves to a higher standard. Ideas should not only be evidence-based; they must be usable, understandable, and relevant. If it isn’t doable, it won’t last. If it doesn’t make sense, it won’t be embraced.
Making ideas doable starts with pressure-testing them before rolling them out. Ask: Can this be done on a busy shift with interruptions, staffing constraints, and competing priorities? What would need to be removed, simplified, or adapted for this to work in real life? Then ask whether it clearly connects to the problems people are trying to solve every day.
The goal is practical application—ideas that leave room for individual judgment and personality. When leaders translate concepts into small, realistic actions and invite frontline adaptation, learning moves from theory to practice.
Good ideas matter. But ideas that can actually be used—by real people, in real conditions—are the ones that change healthcare.
This is the truth at the heart of the Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future Conference, set for April 28-29 in Atlanta. It’s meant to help leaders at all levels figure out what is and isn’t working—and replace outdated processes and tactics with doable, usable ones that make sense and can be put into practice right away. I hope you’ll join us.
