The Changing Minds, Changing Lives (CMCL) program expanded significantly in 2024, reaching more than 100 participants – including LNAs, RNs and LPNs – and engaging 25 trained facilitators. Rooted in a writing-based approach to resilience, the program invites nurses and clinicians to explore their personal and professional strengths using the Gallup CliftonStrengths survey. The CMCL program, created by Ginny Chandler, PhD, RN at UMass Amherst and brought to our hospital by Cynthia Peterson, PhD, RN, offers a deeply reflective experience that fosters self-awareness and empowerment.
“Each session becomes a space where nurses feel comfortable connecting, sharing challenges and supporting one another in meaningful ways,” says Cynthia Peterson. “In a short period of time, CMCL has had a ripple effect in nursing, improving individual experiences and overall team culture as well.” Program outcomes from the recent program expansion will be shared at the 2025 American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Conference with The University of Vermont Medical Center as a national leader in this type of wellbeing initiative.
The 10-week interactive course is built around themes of resilience, self-awareness and shared strength. Participants are invited to step back, reflect on their experiences and engage in transformative discussions with their colleagues that spark new perspectives and restore their commitment to nursing. Continuing education credits are offered, and this work is supported by an internal UVMMC grant to support nursing team wellbeing.
Weekly, participants reflect on their top five strengths and how they can apply them in their work and personal lives. Nurses are encouraged to build on their existing strengths, recognize their emotional responses and share in a non-judgmental, inclusive, and supportive learning environment along with trained facilitators, many of whom are former participants themselves.
“Our goal is to create a safe place so our sessions can help our participants explore personal and professional challenges with compassion and creativity,” says Heidi Pecott-Grimm, who trained to become a facilitator after taking the course herself. She was among the leaders to recently help expand CMCL to ambulatory nursing, presenting the results at 2025 American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing national conference, “We saw that ambulatory nursing is often siloed from colleagues elsewhere at the hospital, so this has been a great opportunity to bring people together from many different clinics and sites.”
“Whether navigating daily stressors or larger career transitions, this program equips participants with tools to handle it all more effectively,” says Susan Tschorn, RN, who also helps to facilitate the Ambulatory CMCL cohort, along with Pecott-Grimm and Leilani Schnoor. “So often, nurses are just expected to put their head down, show some grit, get in there, keep going. This is about softening, realizing others have similar experiences – that it’s OK to be vulnerable and open up to colleagues about that.”
This initiative supports the Professional Development standard by building both leadership and self-awareness through structured learning. It also exemplifies the Well-Being standard by nurturing emotional resilience and a sense of belonging and community. Programs like CMCL are vital in cultivating sustainable and fulfilling nursing practice.
Program Expansion
