Healing in Every Hug: Nurses Bring Inclusion and Comfort to the Bedside

At Community Hospital East, a small act of compassion from nurses has grown into a movement of comfort, connection and cultural inclusion. Their idea – to introduce ethnically diverse, hand-sewn dolls to patients – has blossomed into the Doll Therapy Project, a heartfelt initiative helping patients feel seen, soothed and supported during their stay. 

The project began during a discussion with Community East’s nursing leadership team about reducing patient falls among older adults. “We started thinking about what else we could do to meet our patients’ emotional and physical needs,” said Amanda McCalment, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, clinical nurse specialist at Community East. The team realized that while comfort items existed, few reflected the diversity of the patients they served. 

The dolls, gently weighted for calming reassurance, help patients relax and stay still during care. “When we give a patient the choice between two dolls – and tell them they get to keep one – the joy on their faces says it all,” said inpatient geriatric team nurse Emily Brewer, BSN, RN. The Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) team, specifically Emily’s expertise, were pivotal to the project’s success. 

Drawing on the creativity of their volunteer network, they envisioned dolls that mirrored the faces and cultures of those in their care. “We wanted every patient to see themselves in the care we provide. Something as small as a doll can remind someone they matter.” Emily added. 

One patient, who was struggling with delirium, named her doll Sunny and held perfectly still during an X-ray so that “Sunny could stay still, too.” Another, who had been restless and nonverbal, relaxed completely once a doll was placed gently on her chest. These quiet transformations reflect the healing power of empathy in action. 

Moments of connection have extended beyond patients, too. Emily recalled one experience that stayed with her – a patient’s husband who had been protective and hesitant about his wife’s care. “He was understandably worried and didn’t want anything unfamiliar introduced,” she said. “I hesitated to even ask about giving her a doll.” But when she explained that each one was handmade by hospital volunteers and meant as a comfort gift, his expression softened. He agreed. When his wife held the doll in her arms, her face lit up with joy – the first smile he’d seen in days. Seeing her peace, he smiled, too. “That moment reminded me,” Emily said, “how something so small can change the entire tone of care – not just for the patient, but for the family as well.” 

Each doll is handmade by volunteers led by Tammy Hartley, manager of volunteer services at Community East and winner of Community’s Society for Nursing Excellence’s 2024 Excellence in Support Services Award. Every doll is unique – stitched with eyes, freckles, hair textures and skin tones that reflect the diversity of the patients they comfort. 

“Just as I’d want my loved one to have something that represents us,” said Emily, “I want the same for my patients. Those differences – our cultures, our colors, our stories – are what make us beautiful.” 

Amanda and Emily presented the Doll Therapy Project at the 2025 Network Nursing Research Symposium, highlighting how it combines evidence-based strategies for reducing patient anxiety, agitation and falls with compassionate, culturally inclusive care. Their work has inspired other facilities to adopt similar approaches – proof that innovation often begins with empathy. 

It’s an intervention that makes a positive impact without restraints or medications,” Amanda said.  

“Programs like this remind us that healing comes from both skill and spirit,” said Jackie Roberts, DNP, MSN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN, Network Director of Professional Nursing Practice. “Amanda and Emily have turned a simple idea into a lasting symbol of what it means to care – not just for patients’ bodies, but for their hearts.” 

About Amanda: Since 2019, Amanda has worked as a clinical nurse specialist at Community Hospital East. She joined the network in 2017 in the Clinical Education department and brings a strong background in transplant and critical care nursing to her role. Amanda earned her master’s degree as a CNS in 2015 and her nursing degree in 2008.

About Emily: For three years, Emily Brewer, BSN, RN, has been an inpatient geriatric team nurse at Community Hospital East. Previously, she spent several years as a nightshift house supervisor at Community Rehabilitation Hospital North and has over a decade of nursing experience outside of the network. Emily’s dedication to patient-focused care helped inspire the creation of the Doll Therapy Project.