Rev. Marilyn Cummings on refreshing the staff

Random Acts of Tea

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa has a unique way of refreshing their hard working staff. The chaplain brings random acts of tea to nurses’ stations, three times a year. Staff never know when she’ll appear with her special tea cart, draped with an embroidered tablecloth. It is laden with a basket of an enticing variety of tea bags, a silver tray with gourmet cookies, cream, lemon slices, sweeteners, stainless steel spoons, decorative napkins, and a vase of fresh flowers. Plastic and styrofoam are banished. This treat projects respect and appreciation for quality staff. The tea is served in elegant tea cups, personally donated by staff members. As they take a moment to sip their tea, they listen to an inspirational children’s story. Then they briefly discuss the various meanings they found. Even during a tea break, staff must attend to patient needs. The tea and story time is flexible, with some staff coming and going, and coming back again to finish their tea and hear the story read again, so they can hear the ending.

Tea has been served to housekeepers, therapists, pharmacists, cancer researchers, nurses, unit secretaries, managers, child life specialists, social workers, patient care technicians, physicians, and the hospital’s board of directors. In three years, the chaplain has served tea over 132 times to 1,049 people. The effect has been beyond all expectations. Sipping tea sets a quiet, calm atmosphere, while the story brings perspective on life. These few minutes of thoughtfulness help people value themselves, their work, and those around them.

After experiencing this in a manager/director meeting, one person commented, “You gave us space, which we never get in this work. You gave us space to think about who we are and what we’re about.” A speech therapist, who was frazzled from a demanding work schedule and the stress of having just purchased a condominium, finally let herself listen to the story and have tea. She visibly relaxed. At the end of the story she said, “You know, houses really aren’t the important thing. It’s this… the people you are with and the good you can do for them in the present moment.” A nurse shared her reaction after a Christmas tea. She said, “I was so stressed with this work that I was ready to quit. Then you came with your tea and that story. It really made me think. You saved my career.” The director of patient services supports this program wholeheartedly, for she found that, “Once I sat down to enjoy the tea, I immediately felt my heart rate decrease and was then overwhelmed by the sincerity of the story she read. At the end of it all I truly felt renewed…it was a very spiritual experience. Clearly this tea service is caring for the caregivers at our best.”

Do you have thoughts about professional practice you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail info@PlainViews.org.