NOTE: This message was emailed to Ballad Health team members on Tuesday, Oct. 20:
Dear Colleague,
Being invested begins with recognizing that our growth matters, both personally and in the work we do each day. Through the B Invested skill, these weekly tips are helping us reflect on how we show up, strengthen the habits that support our well-being and bring greater intention to the experience we create for our patients, teammates and ourselves.
That investment also includes giving ourselves and others the grace when a moment does not bring out our best.
This week’s tip
Transforming Through Compassion Tip #3: Giving Yourself and Others Grace
Giving grace is not always easy, especially in the fast-paced world of healthcare. We regularly care for people who are experiencing pain, trauma and stress, while often managing pressures of our own. In difficult moments, any of us can fall short of being at our best.
A grace-giving culture begins with recognizing the person behind the moment. That may mean giving yourself room to pause, reset and try again. It may mean “peeling the onion” to look beyond someone’s immediate words or actions and consider what that person could be carrying.
Extending grace allows us to approach ourselves and others with patience and curiosity, creating room for understanding, accountability and growth. When practiced authentically, grace can soften difficult interactions, strengthen relationships and help create a culture where people feel supported as they work to do better.
Call to Action:
This week, notice when you or someone around you is experiencing pain, hurt or anger. Extend grace through your words and actions. If words feel difficult in the moment, begin by practicing grace quietly in your own mind and heart. With time, understanding can make space for softer words to follow.
As you go through the week, remember that extending grace often starts with a pause. We may not know the full story behind another person’s actions, and we may not always acknowledge the pressure we place on ourselves. By choosing patience, understanding and a thoughtful response, we can help create an environment where people have room to recover, reconnect and bring their best to the work we share.
Reminder: Complete your Advanced Team Collaboration Program by Oct. 22
The grace period to complete the Advanced Team Collaboration program ends Thursday, Oct. 22. Please make time to complete all remaining skills and tips in that program by that date.
To confirm your progress, open the Progress tab in the B Excellent app or web interface and confirm that your respective program shows 100% completion. Oct. 22 is the final day to finish any outstanding content, so please do not wait to complete your remaining tips.
New B Excellent Podcast
In the latest episode of the B Excellent Podcast, Josh and Aaron visit Johnston Memorial Hospital to talk with Connie Hensley, RN, nurse manager in the emergency department, and Becky Coley, director of patient care services at JMH.
They discuss the importance of providing the best possible care to every patient who comes through the emergency department, how they each found a calling in emergency care and the ways B Excellent has influenced how their teams interact with patients and one another. The conversation also explores how those changes have affected the patient experience at Johnston Memorial.
Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and on the Practicing Excellence app.
Team Member Perspective
Chasity Fine, RN at BHMA Family and Internal Medicine in Greeneville, shared this perspective on this week’s tip:
“Giving yourself grace is something a lot of us struggle with in healthcare. Most days are fast-paced, everyone needs something and no one wants to make a mistake. However, if we can extend grace to our patients when they need it, we need to be able to show ourselves that kind of compassion as well.”
Chasity’s insight is an important reminder that the compassion we readily offer our patients should not stop with them. Healthcare brings high expectations, constant needs and a strong desire to get things right. In that environment, giving ourselves grace can feel difficult, but it is often what allows us to pause, learn from a moment and move forward with greater care. Showing ourselves compassion does not lessen our commitment to excellence. It helps sustain it.
