LeAnn Thieman

“100 babies in open cardboard boxes, strapped in the belly of a gutted cargo jet!” It was 1975, Saigon was falling to the communists, and LeAnn was “accidentally” caught up in the Vietnam Orphan Airlift. Today, she applies life-changing lessons from her Airlift experience to the “war zones” of our every day lives — too much to do, too few resources, too much stress! How do we cope? In this poignant, yet humorous presentation, LeAnn motivates audiences and shares tools for life balance, living priorities, and making a difference in the world – and finding peace in their war zones.

A sign above a pediatric burn unit in Vietnam read, It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness. LeAnn reminds audiences they don’t have to fly into a war zone to make a difference in the world. No effort is too small. By lighting our single candles, we make a difference and set the world aglow with our goodness. By identifying, exploring, and sharing our gifts, we receive more than we give.

Most nurses didn’t choose their careers because of the great hours, pay, and working conditions! LeAnn reminds them why they entered the profession- – and why they stay. By sharing Chicken Soup stories, and those from her own 30 years of nursing, LeAnn encourages, uplifts and honors nurses and champions their daily contributions and sacrifices. By teaching tools for life balance, she offers nurses a “care plan” to care for themselves as they care for others. With love and humor, LeAnn re-energizes them with hope, health, and healing during these challenging times, inspiring them to continue their compassionate service. It’s estimated to cost $50,000 to recruit and train a new nurse. LeAnn’s presentation increases nurse retention – and costs less than most sign-on bonuses! When she spoke to graduating nurses at a hospital nurse recruitment event, over 50 percent signed up that evening!

While rewarding, care-giving requires tremendous emotional, physical and spiritual stamina, making burnout an everyday challenge. In Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul LeAnn offers remedies by encouraging caregivers to care for themselves as devotedly as they do for others. By sharing stories from Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul and her own life experiences she fills caregivers with hope, courage, and strength and honors them for the difference they make in the world.

Scientific studies prove positive thinking and visualization promote mental, physical, and spiritual health. By sharing medical research and her Airlift experiences, LeAnn empowers audiences to improve their health by improving their attitudes. A former childbirth educator, LeAnn teaches how labor tools – breathing, relaxation, positive thinking and visualization, and management of time, – apply as we “labor” through everyday life.

LeAnn shares her conviction that, just as God led her to Vietnam, He leads us all when we trust in His guidance. While we’re working with a few pieces of the “puzzle,” God sees the lid of the box! When people make the right, but not always easy, decision today, God will take care of the rest.

This decade is the first time in American history that four different generations are working side-by-side in the workplace. “Generational tensions” is ranked among the top major issues affecting U.S. workers. In this fun, entertaining, highly educational keynote, audiences will learn the history, traits, and values of the four generations and identify ways to relate to, manage, and even appreciate the differences. This information is critical, not only to better understand coworkers, but to attract, interview and hire the right staff. Sharing this knowledge with all workers and caregivers decreases negativity, resentment and turnover in the workplace and increases cooperation, communication and productivity. Boost patient satisfaction scores and improve care for those we serve…our ultimate common goal.

This interactive breakout session gets nurse leaders brainstorming on ways to keep their best and recruit new nurses that align well with your goals and vision. With 55% of the current nurse workforce planning to retire by 2020, our nation is expected to be short nearly 1/2 million nurses. But nurses can help reverse this crisis. If every nurse recruits or helps retain one nurse, we can end the shortage. LeAnn’s Each One Reach One Nurse initiative gives recruiters, and nurse leaders the tools to do just that. In this session, participants will learn LeAnn’s proven strategies for recruiting and retaining nurses, and brainstorm more solutions. Attendees will leave with 20 or more substantiated strategies to find and keep their best and brightest colleagues! LeAnn firmly believes that a nurse cannot deliver that which she or he does not have inside. The best patient care is that which meets the patient’s physical, mental and spiritual needs. A balanced, positive nurse brings that touch to providing compassionate, competent patient care. This increases patient safety, care, healing and recovery times. That translates to higher HCAHPS scores and reimbursements.

Most healthcare givers didn’t choose their professions because of great hours, pay, and working conditions! LeAnn Thieman reminds them why they did…and why they stay. Her new SelfCare for HealthCare™ initiative and keynote, teaches them specific tools to care for their minds, bodies, and spirits. She helps reduce burnout (40% of hospital healthcare givers score high in burnout); boosts morale (36% are dissatisfied with their jobs); increases retention (20% of nurses intend to leave their jobs within one year.) By sharing stories from her best-selling Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul, and her own 30+ years at the bedside, LeAnn uplifts, encourages and honors healthcare givers and champions their daily contributions and sacrifices. Renewed and recharged, they sign on and stay long, which bolsters recruitment and improves retention, patient care, and the organization’s bottom line.