The Conductor’s Journal | Thanksgiving Week, From Inside the Shift

Thanksgiving season in the back office, real edition.

The Conductor’s Journal | Thanksgiving Week, From Inside the Shift

If You’re Working This Week… We Know Your Chaos

Let’s be honest: holiday weeks in healthcare are not good.

Some days feel surprisingly calm.

Some days fall apart before 7:01 AM.

Someone forgot a signature.

Someone else called out.

Four different people almost lost an eye over the phrase, “I love pumpkin spice!”

And somewhere, a pie shows up in the break room with no note and no explanation.

This is a week when normal rhythms get scrambled, and somehow it’s still on you to keep things moving.

So if you’re here — whether you’re providing care, coordinating care, or keeping the whole place standing — just know:

we hear you.

Holidays are a disaster in healthcare.

The Cracks Get Bigger This Time of Year

Families are stressed. Patients feel the season in their own way. Admissions spike for strange reasons. Discharges take longer. Staffing thins. Your family misses you.

And somehow the copier breaks exactly when someone needs discharge paperwork.

If a few fell things fell through the cracks today? You’re not alone.

Wherever you land in this mix, we’re sending something simple your way:

You ARE doing enough.

You ARE holding too much.

And you NOT invisible.

This week may not be calm or graceful or festive — but you are getting it done.

A Tiny Moment That’s Actually Yours

You've earned the muffin.

If you get even a small pause — a sip of warm coffee, a seat for thirty seconds, a hallway breath, a wistful smile at your family picture —

Take. It.

Not because you “should be grateful.”

Not because it’s Thanksgiving.

But because you deserve a moment that doesn’t ask anything of you.

Your day won’t stop. Your rhythm won’t magically smooth out, but one quiet moment can still belong to you.

“Take the minute. You’ve already earned it.”

Continuo. Where care performs in time.