As the pandemic wears on, finding ways to connect and show kindness to each other matters more than ever. While we don’t always hear about the examples, our caregivers are being thanked and supported by their peers in big and small ways each day. Whether it’s sharing food, sending a note of encouragement through Kudos, or helping others in need through Intermountain’s PTO donation program and the Caregiver Assistance Fund, there are numerous ways to support fellow caregivers.
“Acts of kindness uplift the giver as much as they do the receiver,” says Emily Stirling, caregiver social well-being manager. “Acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude have been shown to increase happiness. They’re also a great way to let someone you work with feel seen, heard, and valued. Plus, they have a ripple effect. When you’re kind to a fellow caregiver, the impact of that kindness ripples through the work they do with patients and others.”
Here are a few examples from across the system of caregivers lifting each other’s spirits.
Josh Watts
Josh Watts, a CT technologist, hosted a barbecue on his own dime for his fellow caregivers at Layton Hospital at the end of August.
According to Josh, the idea came to him initially while working a graveyard shift and seeing the emergency department was getting slammed with patients. He said he knew they weren’t the only ones feeling this way, so he decided to take action.
“A lot of our staff is getting hammered with COVID and everything else going on,” Josh says. “This was something that was easy to accomplish, affordable, and a good way to connect with my fellow caregivers.”
Josh says he grilled up hot dogs at lunchtime, and then again at dinner time, providing his coworkers with approximately 85 meals throughout the day. He says he was just glad he could do something for somebody else.
“It went pretty well,” Josh says. “I got my grill, some supplies, made a flyer, and bought a bunch of hot dogs and chips.”
Additionally, Josh is spearheading a caregiver support program at Layton Hospital to help caregivers that need a little bit of support from a peer. His supervisors say Josh is always going out of his way to help others.
“He’s always thinking of others, and what he can do to make people happy,” says Lindsay Cutler, imaging services manager at Layton Hospital. “He used to host luaus for caregivers at LDS Hospital and is always looking for opportunities to be kind.”
Josh started working with Intermountain approximately nine years ago as an imaging technologist at LDS Hospital. He transferred to Layton just over a year ago.
Shannon Rhodes (top) and Natalya Bailey
At Logan Regional Hospital, a group of Intermountain Homecare & Hospice caregivers recently purchased pizzas for caregivers to help lift their spirits.
Shannon Rhodes, social worker, Natalya Bailey, RN, and Darron Fletcher, hospice chaplain, along with other Homecare & Hospice team members, provided pizzas for the medical floor, ICU, and transitional care unit, and the care management team at Logan Regional.
“Natalya and I had gone to evaluate a patient on the ICU for hospice the day prior and the staff were warm and friendly to us despite looking super exhausted,” says Shannon. “I’d never seen the hospital so full as that day in my 17 years working here. You could tell they were beyond capacity and everyone was doing their best to care for the patients.”
Shannon let the staff know they were all rock stars, but she felt there was more to do.
The next day during a staff meeting with department leaders, the Homecare & Hospice team talked about doing something more for Logan Regional’s staff and decided on providing pizzas. They pitched in money and even hand delivered some of the pizzas.
Shannon says when the pandemic first began, someone anonymously left a pizza on her doorstep. “It reminded me that we’re all in this experience together,” she says.
Leslie Perkins, RN, says, “The hospital staff was forever grateful for this act of kindness in the hard times. It really helps them feel like we’re together as a team and we care about each other.”
“My hope was this small thing could help boost their spirits just a little more to keep going and keep caring,” adds Shannon.
Janalyn Loper (left) and Jamie Nelson, along with the prescription for cookies
Caregivers from Cassia Regional Hospital Medical Imaging recognized the R1 staff with some milk and homemade cookies.
Janalyn Loper and Katie Smith, imaging schedulers, and Jamie Nelson, ultrasound tech, want to show their appreciation for the R1 staff that supports them so well. They put their heads together and decided to bring some homemade cookies to the R1 staff.
“They’re our front line at the hospital and we appreciate all that they do, and we enjoy working with them daily," says Janalyn. “We coordinate with R1 as they register our imaging patients and help us with insurance verification for pre-authorizations. We work well together and we wanted to do something nice for them.”
Over a weekend, Janalyn, Katie, and Jamie all made homemade cookies for R1 staff so they could be delivered on Monday, while Lindsay Smith, imaging manager, brought in milk.
“We thought what better way to start off the week than with cookies and milk delivered on a Monday,” says Janalyn. “We also attached a cute ‘prescription’ card to take cookies as needed. I think we could all use a prescription for cookies at the start of a busy week.”
Janalyn says the R1 team was happy to receive the cookies and be recognized and appreciated. “Thanks R1 for all you do,” she says.
Do you have an example of kindness you’d like to share? Leave it in the comments.