In my line of work, I get to meet a lot of nurse leaders and hospital administration folks. This makes me really lucky because, well, if you’re drawn to the work of healthcare, you’re probably the compassionate, caring type who feels called to help ease the suffering of humanity.

Cindy is one of these people; a nurse leader somewhere south of the Mason Dixon line.

While she doesn’t do direct patient care, Cindy knows her job is to care for the nurses who take care of the ill and injured.

We sat down in Cindy’s office and, there on her desk, sat a big honking bowl of candy. Do you have one of these on your desk? I don’t because, well, I have zero self-control and the bowl would always need a refill.

Cindy said, “When I moved into this position, I always wanted to have candy here and available for my nurses. I needed to get to know each nurse and, well, nurses love chocolate.” (I didn’t point out to her that EVERYONE loves chocolate!)

Cindy continued, “Every nurse in our hospital knows this is here and they can come get some candy any time they want. Everyone here in administration knows that, too. It’s kind of funny; there’s a direct correlation to the amount of stress in the office with the amount of candy in the bowl. When it’s time to set the annual budget, it’s almost like there’s a hole in the bowl.”

Rapidly changing gears…

Math has never been my strong suit. Guess it’s not shocking that I’m a writer and not an accountant. But, I always found real world application to some math word problems. You know the ones…like, if there is a tank that holds 50 gallons, but there’s a one inch hole in the bottom, how long will it take to fill up the tank if water flows into the tank at five ounces per second? Living on the family farm, I could actually visualize this since, well, I filled up a 50 gallon tank for watering cows every morning.

The nurses under Cindy’s administration are lucky. Not because of the chocolate, but because they have someone who always wants to “fill them up” metaphorically speaking. When Cindy sits down with any nurse from her facility, she is reminding each how much they matter. She’s encouraging them to always remember those moments they make a positive impact in the lives of their patients.

Why? Because Cindy knows that this sacred profession is tough. It’s physically, emotionally and spiritually demanding. She knows that being on one’s feet for 12 hours per day is hard. She knows that dealing with co-workers can sometimes be a challenge. She knows that when dealing with tough patients and families, the levels of anger, frustration and sadness can leave many nurses wondering, “Why do I do this work?”

Think of how horrible it has to be to be a pediatric nurse treating a child who is the victim of abuse…or dealing with a patient’s family member who shows up to the hospital drunk and causing altercations. Those problems are the holes where the spirit can drain out. Cindy is there to help nurses fighting through those difficulties to remember their, “Why?”

Friends, I hope you have a Cindy in your life. Your Cindy may not be your boss. Maybe yours is a friend or family member who reminds you why you do what you do. And, if you don’t have a Cindy in your life? The best way to get one is to become one. Can you look around to people near you who need encouragement? Or a reminder they are valuable? Or those who might just need a hug?

We get what we give. Today, I hope you’ll be like Cindy and make it your mission to support someone who needs it.