EP. 161: How Nurse Leaders Build Joy, Belonging, and Psychological Safety at Work

Summary:

Joy sounds like the first thing to cut when healthcare gets hard. At Connecticut Children’s, it is what keeps nurses speaking up.

In this episode, Deanna Hill, manager of the Center for Professional Development’s New Graduate Transition to Practice program at Connecticut Children’s, and Sarah Matney, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, discuss how joy, kindness, and psychological safety get built on purpose. Deanna traces her interest in joy to a hard stretch in her own life, then shows how the IHI framework turned that instinct into measurable work. Sarah describes kindness as a daily choice, from turning a blame culture into a problem-solving culture to apologizing to a leader when a message did not land as intended. They also cover what happens when the belonging score dips, and how pairing new graduate nurses with medical residents in simulation builds the confidence to speak up.

Tune in to hear how two nurse leaders made joy and kindness something their teams can feel and their data can show!

About Deanna Hill:

Deanna Hill is an experienced nurse leader, educator, and innovator who leads the Center for Professional Development and serves as Nurse Residency Program Director at Connecticut Children’s. She is passionate about developing people, strengthening nursing practice, and turning creative ideas into meaningful improvements in healthcare. Her work includes leading Connecticut Children’s ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program and creating initiatives that support belonging, professional growth, and positive team culture.

About Sarah Matney:

Sarah Matney is Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Connecticut Children’s. She is a nursing executive focused on building connected, supportive environments where leaders and teams can deliver excellent care. Sarah is especially passionate about nurse leader wellness, psychological safety, and modeling accountable, compassionate leadership that helps teams grow.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• Joy comes out of difficult stretches rather than around them, and connection is what carries people through.

• Belonging and staff experience can be measured, and when the score dips, leaders go find the pebbles in their team’s shoes.

• Small signals carry culture, from playing a team member’s favorite song to starting and ending meetings on time.

• Kindness means assuming positive intent, owning a mistake out loud, and refusing to let bad behavior stand.

• Pairing new graduate nurses with medical residents in simulation builds confidence to raise concerns mid-conflict.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with and follow Deanna Hill on LinkedIn.

• Connect with and follow Sarah Matney on LinkedIn.

• Follow Connecticut Children’s on LinkedIn and visit their website.

• Email Deanna here.

• Explore the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Framework for Improving Joy in Work.

• Learn more about IHI’s “What Matters to You?” conversation guide.

• Read about the Three Good Things well-being intervention.

• Learn more about the Charge Nurse Program.

• Explore the HWI framework.

• Check out the 33 Scripts Guide to Address Disruptive Behavior here.

• Buy Renee Thompson’s book Enough! Eradicating Bullying & Incivility here.

• Grab a copy of Renee Thompson’s book Do No Harm Applies to Nurses Too! here.

• Learn more about the Eradicating Bullying & Incivility eLearning Program here.

Have a question for Renee?

Email us at wecare@healthyworkforceinstitute.com to have your leadership question featured in an upcoming Q&A episode!

Disclosure: The host may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products we link to. As an Amazon Associate, Coffee Break earns from qualifying purchases.

Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share it with your colleagues. Your support helps us reach more healthcare leaders working to create better work environments.