Meaningful Reflections: June 2025 Human Sunshine Awards
Having our own coping toolkit ready for those difficult days helps us personally to cope as we are also searching for ways to help others.
By Kim Crawford Meeks
Spiritual Health & Counseling Manager
In order to serve as human sunshine for others, we need to continually work on our own coping toolkit. Representing sunshine does not mean that your own day is necessarily bright. Often, as we choose to serve as light for others, we begin to feel joy and hope within ourselves. As we pour out to others, we begin to receive that same kindness in return.
Sometimes, we have to think a bit outside of the box to find a way to find or to be the light. Something different to do, to focus on, or to share with others is very helpful as we cope and seek hope. Having our own coping toolkit ready for those difficult days helps us personally to cope as we are also searching for ways to help others.
Those items or ideas may be common coping mechanisms, or perhaps the something different we need in coping is a goose. Keep reading and you will understand!
Mackenzie Bouler, R.N., University Hospital
What is your role at USA Health and how long have you been with the academic health system?
I am a registered nurse in the Trauma ICU at USA Health, and this is my seventh year as an R.N. working in this unit.
What do you love about your job here?
I love the people — both the patients and the team I work with every day. Working in the Trauma ICU, we meet people on what is often the hardest day of their lives. Being able to offer not just medical care but compassion, presence, and a little light in those dark moments means everything to me. I also love the sense of camaraderie here. We lean on each other, laugh when we can, cry when we need to, and always have one another’s backs.
Does your role impact patients, families, and employees? If so, how?
Absolutely. As a nurse, my role extends beyond clinical care. For patients, it’s about being a steady, calming presence and an advocate when they can’t speak for themselves. For families, I try to be a source of reassurance, empathy, and honest communication in the middle of uncertainty. And for my coworkers, I aim to be the person you can count on — whether that’s helping with a tough assignment, offering a quick laugh, or just checking in to see how they’re holding up. It’s those little human connections that ripple out and make a big difference.
Do you find fulfillment from your role, if so, how?
I do. This job reminds me daily of what truly matters. The privilege of caring for people in their most vulnerable moments is humbling and grounding. Even on the hardest days, when you see a patient make it through or hear a family’s gratitude for simply sitting with them and holding their hand, it fills your cup in a way that’s hard to explain. I find fulfillment in knowing that while I can’t always fix everything, I can always show up with kindness, skill, and heart.
Our theme for Spiritual Health and Counseling this year is "If you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine." When the world is bleak around you, how do you find the sunshine?
When the world feels heavy — and in trauma care, it often does — I try to focus on the small, good things. Sometimes things in our unit are dark and sad, which was the purpose of bringing in Ms. Gussie (the Goose). Her presence has brought some of the biggest smiles out of my coworkers, patients and family members. Even in the darkest situations, there’s always some sliver of light if you look for it. Or in our case, bring it to work.
Is there someone who you think of when you think of human sunshine?
I have a 5-year-old Golden Retriever named Archie who is the light of my life. My husband, family, and of course, all of the wonderful people I get to work with are all definitions of human sunshine. I'm truly blessed and thankful to have them all in my life.
Is there a quote that brings you sunshine on a cloudy day?
“If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.”
Hannah Walker, R.N., University Hospital
What is your role at USA Health and how long have you been here?
I am a nurse in the operating room and have been with USA Health for about two years now!
What do you love about your job here?
I love working at University Hospital because there are so many great learning opportunities this hospital provides. Not a day goes by that I am not learning something new, which is one of the best things about my job! Every employee also has a focus to create the best environment for the patients/staff here at USA Health.
Does your role impact patients, families, and employees? If so, how?
I believe my role as an OR nurse does impact patients in many ways. Even though my patients are under anesthesia for most of our encounter, my job is to be their No. 1 advocate throughout their entire perioperative process. I am not communicating with them directly for most of the journey, but I still have their best interest in mind. Although I only get to talk to them in pre-op before surgery for a few minutes, I still cherish each and every conversation. Along with the patients, I also communicate with friends and family to provide updates throughout surgery to help ease their minds. Although I am not able to share as many interactions with the patients and family compared to other specialties throughout the hospital, the few words I do get to share with the patients have such an impact on my role as a nurse.
Do you find fulfillment in your role, if so, how?
I find fulfillment in my role here at University Hospital because it has taught me many things. Each day as an OR nurse, I am using skills such as collaboration, patient advocation, prioritization, and many more vital career long requirements. The skills I have learned here at USA Health will hopefully follow me throughout my career as a nurse.
A lot of times, the operating room can be a fast-paced and high-stress environment which can lead to negative experiences for not only patients, but staff as well. A goal of mine is to find the positives in every situation. It's also very easy to associate the hospital with being a negative place, but there are so many positive life-changing events that take place in this hospital! That being said, I try to remind everyone to look at the positive experiences even when it seems to be the worst situation.
When the world is bleak around you, how do you find the sunshine?
As an OR nurse we have to be the sunshine and a positive light for our patients and their families, as having surgery can be one of the scariest days for them. No matter how big or small the procedure may be, what the patient's story is, or even how they interact with me, I will always try my best to help shed a bright light on the patient's medical journey whenever possible.
Is there a quote that brings you sunshine on a cloudy day?
"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.” This is a quote that we could all be reminded of each day. We never know what someone is going through, especially in the environment that we work in. Sharing a smile is such a small act but can flip someone's day around in a second!
Learn more about Spiritual Health and Counseling at USA Health. Patients, family members, and USA Health associates are encouraged to call the Meaningful Reflections Line at 251-445-9016 for a daily recorded word of encouragement.
