Nikki Helms, DNP, MBA, RN, CCRN-K’s Post

Today, I want to share a story of mine. Early in my career, a healthcare professional with decades of experience, shared a piece of advice that has profoundly influenced my approach to patient care and professional growth. "In healthcare, we don't just treat symptoms; we care for people. Always remember that behind every chart and diagnosis is a human being with hopes, fears, and a unique story." This simple yet powerful insight has been the cornerstone of my professional journey. It has taught me to look beyond the immediate medical concerns and consider the whole person—their lifestyle, emotional state, and personal circumstances. This holistic approach has not only improved my diagnostic skills but also enhanced patient trust and compliance. It's reminded me to listen actively, to ask the right questions, and to involve patients in their own care decisions. Moreover, this advice has shaped my leadership style, encouraging me to see my team members as individuals with unique strengths and challenges. It's fostered a more empathetic and collaborative work environment, leading to improved team performance and job satisfaction. In an era of rapid technological advancements, this human-centric approach serves as a vital counterbalance, ensuring that compassion and empathy remain at the heart of healthcare delivery. #Mentorship #Healthcare #PatientCenteredCare #Healthcare #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth #ActiveListening #HealthcareCommunication #Business #Relationships ##nurse #human #dedication #HealthcareHeroes #Compassion #ElderCare #NursingInspiration #AboveAndBeyond #Healthcare #eldercare #homecare #Livefly #PatientCare #CustomerEngagement #healthcare #eldercare"

𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬—𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 ❤️ 👉 “You don’t have to move mountains to make a difference in someone’s day.” This video is a powerful reminder that sometimes, it’s the 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 that leave the 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. A comforting smile 😊, a listening ear 👂, a moment of empathy ❤️—these are the true cornerstones of care. At 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐇𝐂𝐑, we’re dedicated to bringing 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 into every role we fill. We don’t just match professionals with jobs; we build 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 every day. 🌟 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 🫱🏽🫲🏾, making patients feel valued and safe. 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐞 💪, creating a positive work culture. 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 🕰️ that resonate long after the day ends. At 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐇𝐂𝐑, we know that in healthcare, compassion isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. We support facilities in building 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 and go beyond the basics to make a difference. ✨ Let’s create a culture where every interaction counts. Partner with us to bring 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 to healthcare. #HealthcareWithHeart #EvolveHCR #CompassionateCare #HealthcareStaffing #MakingADifference #PatientFirst #TrustInCare #HealthcareProfessionals

𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬—𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 ❤️ 👉 “You don’t have to move mountains to make a difference in someone’s day.” This video is a powerful reminder that sometimes, it’s the 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 that leave the 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. A comforting smile 😊, a listening ear 👂, a moment of empathy ❤️—these are the true cornerstones of care. At 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐇𝐂𝐑, we’re dedicated to bringing 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 into every role we fill. We don’t just match professionals with jobs; we build 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 every day. 🌟 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 🫱🏽🫲🏾, making patients feel valued and safe. 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐞 💪, creating a positive work culture. 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 🕰️ that resonate long after the day ends. At 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐇𝐂𝐑, we know that in healthcare, compassion isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. We support facilities in building 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 and go beyond the basics to make a difference. ✨ Let’s create a culture where every interaction counts. Partner with us to bring 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 to healthcare. #HealthcareWithHeart #EvolveHCR #CompassionateCare #HealthcareStaffing #MakingADifference #PatientFirst #TrustInCare #HealthcareProfessionals

When did we stop listening? 🙉 In clinic management, everyone talks about metrics, efficiency, and outcomes. But here’s the truth: the most transformative moments in my career didn’t come from numbers—they came from listening. I’ve had patients share stories of losing a loved one, staff members confessing they were on the verge of burnout, and even one who simply needed to vent about running over their neighbor’s cat (yes, that really happened). The power of listening isn’t just about making someone feel heard—it’s about showing you care. It’s what keeps patients coming back, builds loyalty with staff, and makes every day meaningful, no matter how tough it gets. So, here’s my question: In your line of work, what’s one thing you do to truly connect with others? Whether it’s a team member, a client, or a patient—how do you make them feel seen? #LeadershipLessons #ClinicManagement #PatientCare #TeamBuilding #HealthcareLeadership #EmpathyInAction #WorkplaceCulture

🔎 In our journey of professional development, it's essential to acknowledge the power of expanding our perspective. While our own viewpoint may feel comfortable and even correct, understanding others' perspectives and paradigms opens doors to unparalleled growth. 💪 Here's the deal: empathy and emotional intelligence aren't just buzzwords; they're cornerstones of effective healthcare delivery. When we take the time to truly grasp where our colleagues, patients, and communities are coming from, we enrich our practice immeasurably. 👩⚕️ Let's face it: healthcare isn't just about administering treatment or conducting procedures. It's about fostering connections, building trust, and ultimately, improving lives. And guess what? None of that can happen in a vacuum. 🌈 By embracing diverse perspectives, we not only become more culturally competent but also more emotionally intelligent. We learn to navigate complexities with grace, communicate with clarity, and most importantly, cultivate an environment of inclusivity and respect. 🏃♂️ So, let's challenge ourselves to step outside our comfort zones. Let's engage in meaningful conversations, actively listen, and above all, remain open-minded. Because when we do, the possibilities for growth and impact are truly limitless. #HealthcareLeadership #EmpathyInPractice #ProfessionalGrowth #InclusiveHealthcare #NurseLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence

At Shifting Frames Consulting, we use evidence-based strategies to provide organizations and healthcare professionals with the tools to interrupt bias in their daily work. Implicit and explicit bias impacts healthcare interactions everyday. Despite many explicitly held professional codes of ethics and personal values, patient and provider interactions often reveal disparities across many identities. Unfortunately, these disparities break down patient trust, negatively impact patient outcomes, and can also contribute to provider burnout due to decreased connection and distress regarding outcomes. We know healthcare environments are complex and healthcare professionals deserve the time and resources to continuously improve their practice within a system committed to health equity and provider wellbeing. We want to highlight an impactful article which used simulation to understand healthcare professionals’ perspectives on communication feedback on patient encounters. So often, we do not know how something landed for a patient or colleague, we may not ever get feedback that is actionable. Emily Bascom, Reggie Casanova-Perez, Kelly Tobar, Manas Bedmutha, Harshini Ramaswamy, Wanda Pratt, Janice Sabin (she/her), Brian Wood, Nadir Weibel and Andrea Hartzler published excellent work which outlines communication feedback tools that are most appealing to providers regarding implicit bias in patient encounters. Providers in the study shared they preferred a dashboard available to providers on overall communication skills and individual patient encounters. On the dashboard, providers can see the number of interruptions in a visit, amount of eye contact, their dominance in the conversation, and signs of rapport and warmth. 🌱 The dashboard method promotes a growth mindset and counters a shaming mindset. One participant stated they liked the ability to see their overall performance and performance by different patient demographics, stating “It has less to do with the certain group of patients but the way I relate to them”. Providers shared they can use this information to interrupt their biases before a visit, and promote their growth in changing patient experience over time. Overall, this paper provides great insights and there are copious opportunities to apply what was uncovered to further transform the workplace culture. 🎁 It is a gift to receive feedback from others, and this practice can be integrated into our daily work, even when a dashboard may not be available. Thank you to the authorship team for sharing their work! #HealthEquity #ImplicitBiasInterruption #RealisticPractice #SeenHeardAndValued #DailyWork Graphic created by Megan Murrell Illustration  © Shifting Frames Consulting, LLC

As an emergency physician, I feel the complexity of the healthcare system during every busy shift. 🏥 It is heartbreaking to know there are such stark disparities in the outcomes of the patients I serve based on their intersectional identities including but not limited to racial, ethnic, ability status, gender, or religious identities. 🆔 This quote really struck me and is a reminder that we are all doing our best and still can welcome opportunities to do better - “It has less to do with the certain group of patients but the way I relate to them”. 🤔 Check out this article that highlights a potential tool, a personalized dashboard, that I could use to reflect on how I'm showing up in real time, recognize my biases, and adjust my behaviors. 🔎 Practicing bias interruption skills in simulation and then translating these skills to the bedside can help us to do better for everyone we serve. I appreciate the opportunity to show up as a better clinician and human for my patients and colleagues. 💟

Creating exceptional experiences is not just about delighting our patients and clients, it's about starting with our staff. When we prioritize the well-being and engagement of our team, we lay the foundation for a culture that naturally extends outstanding service to those we serve. Restorative practices are at the heart of this approach, which focuses on building strong relationships and fostering an inclusive environment. By nurturing empathy and open team communication, we're better equipped to resolve conflicts effectively and collaboratively. Investing in our staff's growth and satisfaction leads to improved morale, enhanced collaboration, and ultimately, superior patient experiences. Let's champion a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. Together, let's transform healthcare by putting people first! #PatientExperience #RestorativePractices #HealthcareLeadership #TeamEmpowerment

🌟 Daily Reminder: You’re Doing Great In the healthcare sector, sometimes we face challenges with balancing positive and negative feedback. This graphic reminds us that while we may quickly believe negative feedback, it’s crucial to embrace and celebrate the positive feedback we receive. To all the healthcare professionals out there, your dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed. Every day, you make a significant impact on patients lives, providing care and support with compassion and expertise. ✨ Let’s take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge the incredible work being done ! #HealthcareHeroes #PatientCare #NeverStandStill

In healthcare, technical skills and clinical knowledge are essential, but emotional intelligence (EI) is what truly enhances patient care and team dynamics. Being able to recognize, understand, and manage emotions -both our own and others’- is what often separates good healthcare providers from great ones. When we develop EI, we’re better equipped to: • Build trust and rapport with patients, leading to more open communication and better outcomes. • Navigate high-stress situations with clarity, making more thoughtful decisions under pressure. • Foster stronger collaboration and teamwork, creating a more supportive environment for everyone. Healthcare is about people, and emotional intelligence is key to delivering care that’s not only effective but compassionate and patient-centered. #Healthcare #EmotionalIntelligence #PatientCare #Leadership #Empathy