Join us for powerful, uplifting and sometimes challenging stories from some of the world’s leading innovators in employee, patient, caregiver, and human experience and gain inspiration from the mo-ments that connected them to their true calling.
Darlene Cunha is a nurse, transformational healthcare executive, author, and caregiver who has spent her career reconnecting healthcare leaders with their healing purpose through Caritas-driven leadership. In this conversation with Geoffrey Smith, Darlene shares how her philosophy of love expressed through action, care expressed through attention, and dignity expressed in everyday moments has shaped the way she leads teams and transforms patient experiences across health systems. Darlene walks through real examples of how leader presence on the floor, relational engagement practices like starting meetings with three good things, and cross-departmental collaboration drove measurable improvements in employee engagement, patient satisfaction scores, and financial outcomes at a two-hospital system in Rhode Island. She also reflects on the formative influence of a nurse named Mary Wakeling, who showed her at age 12 that one moment of authentic presence can change a life forever.
Additional Resources:
Connect with Darlene Cunha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darlenecunha/
Visit Mo-Ments of Experience’s website: www.mo-mentsofexperience.com
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Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com
Key Takeaways:
- Leader presence on the floor, not programs or added dollars, is what shifts employee engagement and unit culture in healthcare settings.
- Starting team interactions with relational questions like “tell me three good things” builds trust and connection that drives performance.
- Employee engagement should be measured as a living, dynamic process that changes shift to shift, not as a once-a-year survey event.
- Cross-departmental collaboration between nursing, food service, social work, and psychiatry creates the extraordinary patient experiences that improve outcomes.
- One moment of authentic presence can shape a person’s entire career path, as Darlene experienced with nurse Mary Wakeling at age 12.
Geoffrey P. Smith
Inspired by host Geoffrey P. Smith’s faithful 14-year-old beagle Mo whose unwavering spirit and love lifted his family during challenging times, the Mo-ments of Experience podcast highlights the meaningful mo-ments that shape us, move us, and inspire us to pursue our purpose. Join us for powerful, uplifting and sometimes challenging stories from some of the world’s leading innovators in employee, patient, caregiver, and human experience and gain inspiration from the mo-ments that connected them to their true calling.