Associate Dean for Clinical Scholarship; Professor; Nurse Practitioner

Joined March 2015
231 Photos and videos
Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
May you thrive. May you flourish. May you shine 🌤️ Image: instagram.com/artofbrillianc…
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Great to celebrate at NONPF 2026 with @VanderbiltNurse colleagues @AprilKapu @VUDeanJeffries
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
You deserve all the good you give to others. Talk kindly to yourself too Image: instagram.com/lynn_giunta
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
Life is happier when we go outside and get active. Join us for Active April and find ways to keep moving forward 🌤️🚴‍♂️🏃🌿 actionforhappiness.org/activ… #ActiveApril
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Happy to serve as a Gold Sponsor for the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care with @AprilKapu as keynote @VanderbiltNurse @VUDeanJeffries
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
Deep breath in, deep breath out. No matter how busy or overwhelming life feels, we can choose to slow down, notice and make the most of life's precious everyday moments. Join us #MindfulMarch actionforhappiness.org/mindf…
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
This man was the ranch owner, & his daughter brought him among his horses so he could be surrounded by his friends in his final moments. Every being should know a loved one pass away rather than disappear without explanation.

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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
You are always one decision away from a different life
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
We can never really know what it’s like to walk in each other’s shoes. But, we can listen and show empathy Image: instagram.com/allontheboard
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
Most change initiatives don’t fail in the plan - they fail in what leaders don’t notice. I want to reflect on a new Manfred Kets de Vries article: “You look, but you don’t see: leadership & the paradox of perception,” for leaders of change. It reinforces that change initiatives are rarely governed by the “visible layer” (methods, metrics, milestones, RAG, governance, etc). These may appear “under control” while the most decisive forces remain under the surface: anxiety, fear, grief, resentment, rivalry, shame. What is labelled “resistance” may be self-protection; “alignment” may be passive compliance; “clarity” may be premature closure. Leading change is not only about implementing the plan but reading the emotional system the plan is landing in. The article’s core idea is that “seeing” is an active leadership discipline, needing patience & humility. Change is less likely to be derailed by technical error than by psychological blindness: familiarity is mistaken for understanding, data for perception & analysis for awareness. Curiosity must override certainty. Certainty is seductive, signalling competence, control & momentum. It also shuts down sense-making, especially if people are anxious. Curiosity keeps leaders open to contradiction & surprise. It reframes “what’s going wrong?” into “what’s being protected here?” & slows premature action. We should use ourselves as instruments of "seeing": noticing what others evoke in us & treating it as data rather than noise. Feeling bored, confused, irritated or anxious in a meeting can be data about what’s happening relationally (avoidance, unspoken conflict, dependency, power etc). How can leaders of change put on leadership glasses & see more clearly? 1) Build regular reflection time into change efforts (e.g., before key decisions & after difficult meetings) so we can notice patterns rather than just react. 2) Ask, “What emotion is driving this?” & “What might people be protecting?” to look beyond stated positions. 3) Use our own reactions as data: treat our feelings as signals to explore what’s happening in the relationship or group before pushing ahead. 4) Replace certainty with curiosity by framing early conclusions as “working theories,” then test them with questions like “What doesn’t fit?” & “What else could be true?” 5) Practise humility out loud: admit what we don’t know yet, invite challenge & revise our view openly so the system learns that learning is safe during change. Too often, we look but we don’t see. “Seeing” means practising an enhanced kind of leadership: paying attention to human dynamics beneath surface data; making space for what doesn’t fit; holding tensions, contradictions & uncertainties & staying open to the unexpected. What becomes visible to those who practise “seeing” often determines whether change becomes movement rather than just motion. The article in @Medium: medium.com/@manfred.ketsdevr….
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
We need each other more than ever 💕🌍 Join us for Friendly February and take action to boost your relationships and be a good friend to others actionforhappiness.org/frien… #FriendlyFebruary
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
It’s okay if something is taking more time than you thought Image: instagram.com/hugging.museum
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
Happier January - Day 1: Find three things to look forward to this year actionforhappiness.org/happi… #HappierJanuary
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
Be the type of person who crosses paths with another and makes their day better Image: instagram.com/newhappyco
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
Want to have the best year ever? Try some of these tips! 🥳
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
23 Dec 2025
Introducing the Sleigh380. Santa's going long-haul this year! Merry Christmas from Emirates. 🎅🎄🎁
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
As you pick out presents this year, remember - your presence is one of the greatest gifts you can give Image: instagram.com/headspace
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
21 Dec 2025
Working this weekend as the medical physician - the best part by far is sending patients home for Christmas 🎄🥰
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Ruth Kleinpell retweeted
For when you're writing your letter to Santa this year. #upturnedmicroscope
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