Each morning before she sets her feet on the floor, Sherri Hails, RN, makes a list of five things she’s grateful for, a habit that guides her attitude of gratitude for the entire day.
“Just five simple things,” she said. “It can be big. It can be little. It can be, ‘I’m alive!’ Or that the kitty cat’s here. Or that I’m not cold, and I have a roof over my head.”
Then, she slips a handful of unique stones into the pocket of her scrubs and heads to work.
Hails is a registered nurse in the Clinical Research Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, assisting both adults participating in clinical research studies in the Round Wing of Medical Center North and children at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
According to CRC Nurse Manager Lana Howard, BSN, RN, CCRP, Hails is “loved by patients of all shapes and sizes” and brings light wherever she goes.
“In our area, we have a number of very rare disease patients, and many have little to no treatment options,” Howard said. “Part of our work is to research new treatments that might improve quality of life for these rare disease populations.
“Sherri is always the life of the party. She can belt out with a song and dance on the spot and cheer up any patient.”
Part of that cheer involves those special stones she carries tucked in her pocket. Heart-shaped, semiprecious stones in every color of the spectrum. Some have distinctive patterns prescribed by nature and some have a bold, singular color. Rose quartz, jasper, turquoise, malachite, tiger’s eye, agate, labradorite and many more.
These simple rocks clicking against each other as she takes patients’ vitals and works with them on studies represent a critical pivot point in Hails’ life. And they’re a tangible symbol of the gratitude she shares with others every day.
Just over three years ago, Hails was not feeling quite herself.
Her colleagues were so alarmed about the changes in their typically spry co-worker that they insisted she get to a doctor immediately.
In just over a week, she went from having a treadmill cardiac stress test to open-heart bypass surgery due to life-threatening blockages discovered in her coronary arteries.
“I’m so deeply grateful for my co-workers because they recognized signs that I was in complete denial over,” she said. “And I received so much love and support from them that it kept bubbling to the surface that I was so profoundly fortunate and blessed.
“They did big things, and they did little things. There was prayer and donated PTO, money collected, visits, flowers, food, phone calls, texts — just everything. I have a great tribe!”
As she spent long weeks at home recovering, Hails had time to meditate and contemplate her blessings.
She’s been a nurse since 1980, working in the emergency room and critical care. She knew she was lucky to be alive. And in those hours, she said “gratitude bloomed.”
Just before returning to work, Hails stopped at a store that sold gems and crystals. She’s always loved rocks, so she decided to give her friends and colleagues beautiful stones to show her thankfulness for their support. That initial idea became even more meaningful when she discovered a profusion of heart-shaped stones.
“The most wonderful thing about them is that they aren’t perfect,” she said. “They have ‘inclusions,’ or marks that happen when something gets trapped inside. They have little nicks and spots and cracks. I don’t share this with everyone, but I really like the ones that have marks. I think it represents how brave humans were to pick up a lump of dirt and chip away at it to reveal something really beautiful inside.
“That prize is there that our creator left for us to find if we’re curious enough and if we’re brave enough. We all have flaws, and it’s only by grace and mercy that we get the privilege of getting back up tomorrow and trying it all again.”
Every day now, Hails reaches into her pocket and pulls out heart stones that convey her gratitude, acknowledgement and encouragement.
If you’ve encountered her on the Medical Center’s Main Campus, you might have received one.
She began giving the stones to investigators and research coordinators who come to the CRC to complete studies because she sees how hard they work to advance science and how kind they are to patients.
She began giving them to physicians because of the respect they give her and the other nurses as they work with them on research projects.
She began giving them to patients in appreciation of their big hearts as they participate in research studies that might change the future of medicine.
“Sometimes, I give them to random people,” she added. “Hopefully, I’m paying more attention, and I can pick up on what kind of mood people are in. I realize I’m not alone on this planet, and I really want to help others have a better day. It really blesses me if somehow, I can give them a kind word. Gratitude practice changes the way the world sees me, and it definitely changes the way I see the world.”
Howard said Hails’ seemingly simple act of handing out her beautiful stones along with words of appreciation and affirmation is really at the heart of what VUMC is all about.
“This gesture really shows our commitment and culture at VUMC,” she said. “While our mission is to advance research discovery and improve treatment and health outcomes for our patients and communities, it really can’t be done without our compassion and connection to those we serve. What stands out the most to me is that everyone seems to feel heard and appreciated when Sherri stops to tell them her story or gift them with a rock.”
