Healthy Organizations

 

As I worked through this week’s material, I found myself asking: what does it take to build a healthy organization, one where staff feel supported and patients feel truly cared for? Culture isn’t accidental—it’s built day by day, in the way we show up as leaders, teammates, and caregivers (Albert & Pappas, 2025).

Setting the Standard in Positivity

Ryan Leak’s reminder: “I don’t match the energy, I set the standard,” struck a chord with me (Leak, 2023). Negativity can be contagious within an organization. I’ve had coworkers try to pull me into complaining; it’s tempting when you’re running on fumes. Instead of giving in, I refused to participate. At first it was awkward, but over time they realized I wouldn’t engage. That taught me something important: one of the few things we truly control is consistency in our attitude, and it can change the whole tone of a shift.

Setting the standard shows up in small, everyday choices. It’s redirecting gossip instead of feeding it. It’s saying thank you to a teammate who steps in to help, so encouragement spreads instead of frustration. It’s choosing to face a tough day by centering on what’s within our control, rather than allowing negativity to set the tone.

It’s walking into a patient’s room with calm presence, even after chaos outside. Those moments may feel small, but they set the tone for everyone else.

I think of leaders I’ve worked with who embodied this kind of stability. Even on the hardest days, they modeled steadiness and positivity. They didn’t deny the challenges, but they refused to let negativity take the wheel. That kind of consistency built trust, and it made the shift feel lighter for everyone.

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Working with Difficult People

Leak also reminded me that we all have “complicated people” in our lives. It’s easy to think that category doesn’t include us, but sometimes, I’m someone else’s complicated. I know I’m not a morning person. I know I can get off track and easily become distracted. Those quirks may frustrate the people I work with.

Realizing that has softened how I see others. If I know I can be someone’s “complicated,” then I can show patience when others are mine. A healthy team isn’t one where we all think the same; it’s one where we respect each other enough to disagree and still move forward together (Maxwell Leadership, 2023).

Learning from My Anger Style

The Anger Profile Survey confirmed what I already suspected: I’m a stuffer. For years, I thought staying quiet was the “peaceful” choice, but I’ve learned the hard way that silence isn’t neutral. When I bottle up frustration, it doesn’t go away—it just comes out later in unhealthy ways.

Part of this came from what I saw in leaders around me. I watched people explode in anger, and it made me afraid of the emotion itself. I equated expressing anger with losing control, so I swung to the opposite extreme and avoided it altogether.

What I’m learning now is that anger itself isn’t the problem: it’s a signal. It’s information that something matters and needs to be addressed. The challenge is how I respond. If I take a moment to pause and process, I can choose to face the issue directly instead of letting it simmer. Sometimes that means leaning into a crucial conversation—addressing the problem early, with respect and clarity, before it grows bigger.

Managing my anger in this way ties back to emotional intelligence. It’s about self-awareness, regulating my response, and approaching others with empathy. I may always lean toward “stuffing,” but I’m learning that healthier leadership comes when I face conflict instead of avoiding it.

Rethinking Health with Dave Moen

Dr. Dave Moen’s TED Talk changed how I think about working with patients. He explained that real behavior change happens in three steps: believe, know, and act (TEDx Talks, 2012). Too often, healthcare jumps straight to know: we give instructions, prescribe medications, and expect results. But without belief, knowledge doesn’t take hold.

I’ve seen this in patients discharged with stacks of paperwork and long lists of medications. On paper, they “knew” what to do. But without belief that change was possible—or without trust that their provider truly understood them—the plan usually failed.

That’s where listening comes in. Patients don’t just need more information; they need us to hear their story. Not just as a patient, but as a whole person shaped by environment, relationships, and experience. When we listen holistically, we can connect care to what matters most to them. Encouragement, small wins, and genuine support help belief take hold. And once belief is there, knowledge finally has something to stand on.

For me, Moen’s reminder is simple but powerful: healthcare isn’t only about treating disease, it’s about helping people believe change is possible, by seeing and supporting them as whole human beings.

Patient Satisfaction vs. Patient Experience

Fred Lee’s TEDx talk gave me another “aha” moment. He explained that satisfaction is about expectations being met, but experience is about how patients feel (TEDx Talks, 2011). That difference really matters.

Hospitals are not Disney World. Nobody comes here for fun—they come during some of the hardest days of their lives. Patients walk in fearful, anxious, and vulnerable. A checklist or a nice amenity might help a little, but it doesn’t take away that fear. What makes the difference is how we treat them in those moments.

In my own practice, I’ve seen this again and again. Patients rarely remember the medication I hung or the lab I drew, but they remember the little things. I think about times when I’ve taken a minute to explain what’s happening, made steady eye contact, or simply said, “I’ll be with you through this.” Those small gestures don’t take away the hard stuff, but they can turn fear into trust.

I was reminded of this recently when I was the patient. Before an endoscopy, I felt nervous and uneasy. What stuck with me wasn’t the equipment, the paperwork, or even the procedure—it was the nurse who noticed my anxiety and offered simple, reassuring words. In that moment, I felt cared for, and that’s what I remember most.

And that’s the point Lee was making: making patients feel cared for isn’t just “extra”—it’s central to their healing. When people feel safe and connected, they’re more likely to trust us, to follow through, and to heal. Healthy organizations understand this. They don’t just chase satisfaction scores—they build cultures where compassion is as essential as competence.

Facing Toxicity: Principles for Change

The textbook’s principles for minimizing dysfunction didn’t feel abstract—they echoed situations I’ve witnessed firsthand in nursing practice (Albert & Pappas, 2025).

Take walk the talk. I’ve worked with leaders who hid in their offices when things got tough, and their talk of “teamwork” rang hollow. But I’ve also had leaders who rolled up their sleeves, helped with admits, and answered call lights. Their actions matched their words, and because of that, they earned credibility.

Another principle is be willing to listen. When leaders take time to listen, they uncover what’s hidden beneath the surface: frustrations, concerns, and solutions waiting to be heard. I had a manager who practiced this well. He didn’t just nod when I vented; he asked questions, followed up, and made me feel heard. That kind of listening didn’t just build trust; it also gave him the clarity and courage to act on what really mattered.

And then there’s respect. I’ve seen units where its absence fueled toxicity—gossip, quick tempers, and tension hanging in the air. But I’ve also seen units where respect shaped the culture, and even the toughest days felt bearable because people gave each other grace.

The lesson for me is clear: healthy culture doesn’t just happen. It takes leaders who model integrity, listen with intention, and set the tone for respect. Toxicity is not inevitable; teams can recover when leaders reset expectations and rebuild trust. That’s the kind of transformative leader I aspire to be.

Lessons from the Rider and Elephant

The Rider and Elephant metaphor really stuck with me because it makes so much sense when you think about how people learn and grow (Heath & Heath, 2010). The Rider is the logical side: the part of us that likes structure, steps, and clear instructions. The Elephant is the emotional side: the doubts, fears, and motivations that can either give us courage or hold us back. Then there’s the Path, which is the environment around us. If the Path is supportive, growth feels possible. If it’s full of obstacles, even the strongest Rider and Elephant struggle.

What this means is that knowledge by itself isn’t enough. The Rider might know exactly what to do, but if the Elephant is scared or discouraged, nothing happens. On the other hand, the Elephant might be fired up and motivated, but if the Rider doesn’t have a plan, that energy goes nowhere. Real change only happens when logic and emotion are working together—and the Path helps make the next step clear.

As an educator, I’ll need to work with both. That means giving the Rider what it needs: breaking problems into manageable steps, offering simple frameworks to guide decisions, and pointing to a clear starting place. But I’ll also need to support the Elephant: encouraging students when they’re overwhelmed, normalizing mistakes, and celebrating small wins so they build confidence. And finally, I’ll need to clear the Path by creating a learning environment where it’s safe to ask questions, take risks, and even fail without shame.

For me, that’s what teaching in nursing really comes down to. It’s not just about giving students knowledge; it’s about helping them feel capable enough to use it when it matters most.

 

Looking Ahead: AI and the Future of Healthcare

The future of healthcare makes me both optimistic and cautious. AI is already showing promise—helping radiologists identify subtle abnormalities on imaging, catching details that the human eye could easily overlook. It is also accelerating drug discovery and processing massive amounts of data at an incredible rate. Used wisely, AI could make care more efficient, proactive, and personalized.

But over-reliance concerns me. Technology cannot replace the human connection at the heart of care. Algorithms can analyze patterns, but they can’t sit with a scared patient or understand the emotions behind their choices. And because AI is only as good as its data, it carries risks of bias and error. The truth is, AI can still make mistakes. Some things are better left to humans—like compassion, intuition, and moral judgment. We have to remember that.

The balance is this: AI should support, not replace. Healthy organizations will use it thoughtfully, leveraging its power while keeping compassion at the center. Technology may make us faster and smarter, but only people make care meaningful.

 

Reflection on Writing This Blog

Writing a blog was a new experience for me, and at first it felt overwhelming and somewhat uncomfortable. There was so much information to take in, and the style of writing was very different from what I’m used to. I’ve never really taken much time to reflect, and journaling has never been something I gravitate toward. That’s why I was surprised at how valuable it felt to pause each week and process my thoughts in this way.

What stood out most was how much I gained by putting my experiences into words. Nursing doesn’t often give us the time or space to stop and reflect—we move from one patient, one shift, one crisis to the next. Writing forced me to slow down and connect my past experiences with the leadership principles we were learning. In doing that, I began to see not just what I’ve walked through, but where I’m headed as a nurse and future educator.

I also enjoyed reading my classmates’ reflections. Their stories and perspectives reminded me that leadership looks different for everyone. Sometimes their experiences mirrored my own, and other times they challenged me to think in new ways. It confirmed that growth doesn’t happen in isolation—we grow by listening, sharing, and learning from each other’s journeys.

This blog became a powerful way to process, to learn, and to grow, and I’m grateful I had the chance to stop and reflect, even when it didn’t come naturally to me.

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References

Albert, N. M., & Pappas, S. H. (2025). Quantum leadership: Creating sustainable value in health care (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Switch: How to change things when change is hard. Broadway Books.

Leak, R. (2023, October 19). I don’t match the energy, I set the standard [Video]. Maxwell Leadership. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyOQnQn2hHY

TEDx Talks. (2011, April 6). TEDxMaastricht – Fred Lee – “Patient satisfaction or patient experience?” [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tylvc9dY400

TEDx Talks. (2012, August 9). The future of patient-centered care: Dave Moen at TEDxUMN [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUsyuloD198