In this issue...

Towards Ethical Leadership
A Message from the MHI President, Teresa Carale   
 
Feature Article
Mentoring with Murray Hill Institute
By Alice Trimmer
 
Women Transforming Culture: How They Do It
A Smile Can Make a Difference!
By Susan Reyes
 
Cultural Corner
Of Gods and Men, a Film Critique  
By Martha Swanzey

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Fall 2011 Newsletter

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Murray Hill Institute Newsletter
Fall 2011
Vol. 9 No. 1

Women Transforming Culture: How They Do It
A Smile Can Make a Difference!
By Susan Reyes

Working as a nurse in a cancer hospital, I deal with a lot of patients who are very anxious. In addition to the usual pressures of life, they have been diagnosed with a life-changing illness.

One of the challenges of my work is trying alleviate the level of stress they are going through. This shows in their facial expression and demeanor when I meet them for their appointment. I realized that greeting them with a friendly smile is all it takes to help them calm down and start feeling at ease. As soon as they feel at ease, they become more accepting and cooperative with the treatment and care that is given to them. I noticed that it affects not only the patients and their families but also my co-workers.

We all get bogged down by the work we have to do, so we can easily forget the people around us. The stresses of the work itself can make it more difficult to smile, and this can create a snowball effect on our dealings with others. So when I am caught up in a busy day, I try to remind myself of a quotation from St. Josemaria Escriva “Sometimes, a smile can be the best mortification.” I noticed that no matter how difficult things are, a simple smile does lift the burden off our shoulders at least for that moment.

Susan Reyes is a clinical nurse in Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City.