Building Healing Connections: Small Moments That Matter
Nursing can sometimes feel like a solitary journey. Between busy shifts, documentation demands, and personal responsibilities, meaningful connections with colleagues can be rare. Yet, in my experience, even small moments of authentic connection can make a profound difference in our professional resilience and patient care.
The Power of Simple Connections
The reality of nursing is that we don't always have structured communities or regular gatherings with colleagues. My own experience has been limited to occasional farewell parties for departing nurses and rare weekend meals with coworkers. Yet these simple points of connection, though infrequent, have provided surprising strength during challenging times.
Meaningful Moments in Limited Time
The Farewell Lesson
At a colleague's farewell gathering after three years in spinal cord rehabilitation, something unexpected happened. As we shared stories about our departing friend, the conversation naturally evolved into reflections on why we became nurses and what kept us going during difficult times.
One nurse shared how she used breathing techniques between patient rooms to stay centered. Another mentioned keeping a gratitude journal where she recorded one meaningful patient interaction each day. These casual exchanges of wisdom happened not in formal support groups, but in the ordinary space of saying goodbye to a friend.
I realized then that community doesn't require elaborate structures—just authentic moments of sharing our individual journeys.
Cafeteria Connections
Some of my most valuable nursing insights have come from impromptu lunch conversations. A quick twenty-minute meal shared with a colleague can become a micro-mentoring session, a chance to problem-solve a challenging case, or simply a moment to feel less alone in our experiences.
In the retirement home where I now work, I've made it a practice to occasionally invite a colleague to share a coffee break. During one such break, I mentioned my interest in EFT tapping for resident anxiety. Though skeptical at first, my colleague later asked to observe a session. This brief conversation eventually led to another nurse implementing similar techniques with her own residents.
Creating Connection Without Community Structures
Not every workplace has strong nursing communities, and our busy lives often make creating them challenging. Here are simple, realistic ways to build meaningful connections within the constraints of real nursing life:
1. Five-Minute Check-ins
Before or after shift handover, take five minutes to genuinely ask a colleague how they're doing. This isn't about extensive sharing—just a moment of human connection that acknowledges we're more than our tasks.
2. Skill Exchange Moments
After learning how EFT tapping helped my residents with anxiety and sleep issues, I offered to demonstrate the technique for interested colleagues during a break. These informal skill-sharing moments create connection through mutual growth.
3. Celebration Notes
When a colleague manages a challenging situation well, I leave a brief note acknowledging their skill. These small recognitions create threads of connection even when our paths rarely cross outside work.
4. Digital Touch Points
A simple text message before a difficult shift can create a sense of connection. "Thinking of you during today's shift" requires minimal time but creates a meaningful link.
Finding Support Within Limitations
The reality is that many of us won't have robust nursing communities or regular gatherings. Family responsibilities, distance, and scheduling challenges often make traditional community-building difficult. But even within these constraints, we can create meaningful connections.
My experience with occasional weekend meals with nursing colleagues has taught me that even rare connections can provide lasting support. During one such dinner, months after a particularly challenging case, a colleague shared how she had implemented a coping strategy I'd mentioned in passing. I hadn't realized my casual comment had made such an impact.
Self-Care Within Limited Community
When robust nursing communities aren't available, self-care becomes even more essential. I've adapted my EFT tapping practice to address the challenges of limited professional support:
Setup (Karate Chop): "Even though I sometimes feel isolated in my nursing journey, I deeply accept myself and my path" "Even though I wish I had more connection with colleagues, I honor my own wisdom and experience" "Even though nursing can be solitary, I create moments of meaningful connection where possible"
Tapping Sequence:
Top of Head: "This feeling of professional solitude in my nursing practice..."
Eyebrow: "Wishing for more connection with other nurses who understand..."
Side of Eye: "Finding my own way through healthcare challenges..."
Under Eye: "Valuing even brief moments of sharing with colleagues..."
Under Nose: "Creating my own support system however I can..."
Chin: "Honoring my unique nursing journey and contributions..."
Collarbone: "Finding strength within myself when external support is limited..."
Under Arm: "Open to connection when possible while nurturing my own wellbeing..."
If you’d like to explore EFT tapping as a way to support emotional healing, I highly recommend this EFT tool. It’s an easy-to-follow resource that has helped many people overcome stress, trauma, burnout and sleep difficulties.
Small Beginnings
If you're inspired to create more connection in your nursing practice, start with manageable expectations:
Invite one colleague for coffee after a shift
Share a helpful technique during a lunch break
Create a simple text check-in with a trusted coworker
Acknowledge something you've learned from a colleague
Looking Forward
The ideal of robust nursing communities is beautiful, but the reality is often more modest. By valuing the small connections we can realistically create, we honor the authentic path of nursing as it exists in our lives today.
Remember: Even a brief moment of genuine connection can sustain us through challenging times. In a profession dedicated to caring for others, these small threads of mutual support weave a subtle but meaningful fabric of resilience.
This concludes our series on sacred nursing practice. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely trust and believe will benefit my readers.
#NursingConnections #RealisticSupport #NurseLife #SelfCareForNurses #MeaningfulMoments
[About the Author: Combining experience from spinal cord rehabilitation, MSK rehab, and senior care with energy healing practices for whole-person care.]
