“When my husband was hospitalized, he had two kinds of nurses — those who went about the business of his care and those who cared for him on a deeper, more human level,” says Barbara Glanz, author, consultant, and speaker on the subject of generating workplace spirit. “The nurses who did the extra things — making him feel special, asking to make me comfortable — are the ones I remember.”

Nurses everywhere are grappling with increased patient loads, reduced staff, and budget cuts. It’s logical that stress in the healthcare industry seeps down to caregivers, and Glanz thinks she knows why. “I see employees who are depressed, confused, fearful for their jobs, stressed by having to do more with less, and overwrought from constant change,” she says. “It translates to an overall lack of hope and of caring. I believe that in the last eight to 10 years, many organizations have spent so much time and money focusing on systems and processes that they’ve forgotten their most important resource — people,” says Glanz. “We must regenerate the spirits of creativity, hope, caring, a personal sense of meaning, and fun in our workplaces, if our organizations are to survive.”

Glanz has developed a plan to restore kindness and gentleness into today’s workplaces. And like the best things in life, most of them are free (or nearly free) of charge.

The Business of Caring

Glanz speaks about two levels of human interaction: the business level and the human level. She sees the business of caring as the projects or tasks at hand. Usually, whatever this “business” may be, it’s the reason the interaction must take place at all. The human level is all about how the participant feels about the interaction.

“How often do we only interact on the business level, leaving people feeling cold, unimportant, and invisible,” says Glanz. While it’s the business level that’s related to productivity and profit or the bottom line, Glanz says the human level makes an impact on a person’s morale, sense of self-esteem, and purpose. “An interaction is not whole unless both levels are fulfilled,” she says.

“Think about the times you’ve needed medical care yourself,” says Glanz. “How many times have you been treated only on the business level? How did it make you feel about that interaction. Have you ever been managed by someone who managed you only on the business level? Did you do your best work for this person?” Glanz encourages nurses to think about all their interactions and to become aware of the choices they can make to improve interactions by considering the human level of their patients’ care.

Charting Your Course

First, Glanz suggests that you make a three-column chart with “negative,” “zero,” or “positive” as headings and then record every interaction you have as either negative (—), zero (0), or positive (+) for a week.

Did you scream at the lab staff? Score the interaction as a negative. Did you take your patient’s vital signs without even saying “Good morning?” — give yourself a zero. Did you use your human touch to remember someone’s name or something special about them? Bingo. You’ve scored on the positive side. At the end of one day, look at your chart. Negative scores indicate you’ve discounted others throughout your day, and zeros indicate you’ve done your chores like a robot. More positives indicate you’re probably treating others in a way that spreads kindness throughout workplace.

“Really try to listen to your patients’ needs,’ says Glanz. “But listen for more than just the business of their care. As we develop our ability to truly listen to each other, we create connections that lift people up on a higher level.”

The Emotional Bank Account

Most everyone can understand the concept of a bank account, but Glanz encourages us to take the concept one step further — imagining our own emotional “bank accounts.”

“We all have emotional bank accounts, and we get deposits and withdrawals all day long,” says Glanz. Have an argument with your spouse? It’s a withdrawl. Get the kids off to school on the wrong foot? Withdrawl. Get to work only to find you’re short-staffed? Withdrawl again. Glanz says that if asked, most nurses would agree that their emotional bank accounts are usually overdrawn each day. But, thankfully, she offers easy ways to bolster even those in the emotional red. The key is to know when you, as well as your coworkers, are running on empty and recharge.

“It’s important to recognize when your colleagues need an emotional deposit, and anybody can give them one,” says Glanz. Make them a cup of coffee, give them a compliment or a hug, or sneak a piece of candy into their pocket — sometimes the smallest things mean the most, she says.

“Just looking at a colleague and telling him or her something positive — that he did a great job with a patient or that you noticed something about her today — tiny things help bring them up,” says Glanz. But part of having an emotional bank account means recognizing when our own accounts are in the red.

“The good thing about being overdrawn is that you can always self-deposit,” says Glanz. “Write down three things that would give you a deposit — taking a short walk around the hospital on your break or calling a friend or anyone who makes you feel good about yourself are good ideas.”

For nurses, those for whom they care are in a great state of emotional overdrawl. Glanz says that this is even more reason to keep your own emotional bank account high.

“Understand that you’re doing your best to treat patients with medicine — that’s the business of their care — but you can also take a second to treat their human needs, too,” says Glanz. “Even though some patients will die, you can always meet their human needs by just being there, listening, holding a hand, and being honest. And don’t let anyone get away from you without feeling better about him- or herself.”