In healthcare, and especially in the emergency department, a lot can happen in a single moment.
Sometimes it’s a moment that adds weight to an already-heavy day. A rushed comment. A missed thank-you. A look that signals impatience instead of support. For a clinician already carrying a “backpack” full of stress, fatigue, and responsibility, even a small negative interaction can become another rock added to the load. Over time, these moments accumulate and can quietly erode morale, belonging, and resilience.
But the opposite is just as true.
Small positive, feel-good moments—what I like to call “glimpses”—can have an equally powerful effect. A colleague’s noticing you’re overwhelmed and stepping in to help. A leader’s stopping by to sincerely thank the team for a difficult shift. A patient’s expressing gratitude for compassionate care. These moments may seem small, but they can completely change someone’s outlook.
I saw this play out one night in the emergency department.
It was a particularly heavy shift. The waiting room was full, beds were tight, and the team had already managed several difficult cases. Everyone was moving quickly, focused on the next patient, the next task, the next problem to solve.
In the middle of that chaos, I noticed a young nurse who looked exhausted. She had just come out of a difficult room, and I could see the weight of the moment on her face. Before she could head to the next patient, one of the more experienced nurses quietly stepped beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, “You handled that beautifully. Take a breath; we’ve got you.”
It lasted maybe ten seconds.
But something shifted. The young nurse straightened a little, nodded, and walked back into the department with renewed energy.
Nothing about the workload changed. The waiting room wasn’t empty. The shift didn’t suddenly become easier.
But that brief moment of recognition reminded her she wasn’t carrying the day alone.
That’s the power of moments.
In the emergency department, people are constantly absorbing stress, emotion, and responsibility. Small negative interactions can add another stone to someone’s already-heavy backpack. But small positive moments, encouragement, gratitude, and reassurance can do the opposite. They lighten the load.
In high-stakes environments like the ED, leadership isn’t about only systems, metrics, or throughput. It’s also about creating moments that remind people they matter.
We can all create these moments. It doesn’t matter if you’re a leader, a colleague, or even a patient. Be a moment-seeker. Learn to notice when people are struggling and step in with assistance or offer a kind word. Also, notice when things are going well so you can help people see the difference they’re making. This is what loving care looks like in action.
Those moments may be brief, but their impact can carry someone through an entire shift.
In the emergency department, the work will always be hard…but the way we show up for each other, moment by moment, is what makes it sustainable.
Regina Shupe will present on Rewiring the Way We Care for Our Team Members and Rewiring the Emergency Department: Designing the Future of Emergency Care at the Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future Conference, to be held April 28-29, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about the conference, to see the detailed agenda, and to register, please visit RewiringHealthcare.com.
