Because of the nature of events that precipitate grief, we often understandably believe that the voice of grief is one dimensional – dark and intensely oppressive, and therefore unwelcome in the room. There is no denying that it can feel this way in its sharpest moments. Even in its gentler moments, it’s still hugely uncomfortable. … Continue reading Bringing the Voice of Grief into the Room
death and dying
Why We Don’t Know What to do With Grief
In my recent interview for an upcoming NPR TED Radio Hour podcast (10/1) on “Heartbreak,” the host, Manoush Zomorodi, asked a series of insightful questions from many angles about my experiences with grief over the years as a pediatric ICU nurse. Those questions have sparked many thoughts that I believe are worth exploring and sharing … Continue reading Why We Don’t Know What to do With Grief
Upcoming NPR TED Radio Hour Podcast: Exploring Grief as a Nurse
Just finished my interview with Manoush Zomorodi for an upcoming episode of NPR TED Radio Hour, where she and I talk about grief and how I have learned to navigate it over time as a pediatric ICU nurse. While certainly not lighthearted, I promise it’s not all doom and gloom. Rather it’s about walking through, and … Continue reading Upcoming NPR TED Radio Hour Podcast: Exploring Grief as a Nurse
New blog post for AJN: The Bittersweet Reality of a Nurse’s Limits in Providing End-of-Life Care
My latest blog post for American Journal of Nursing is up. Working in pediatrics means I didn’t see the kind of mass casualty COVID deaths that adult hospitals saw, but death and dying are still a regular experience in our unit. While sobering, it’s important to think about death because it’s then important to think … Continue reading New blog post for AJN: The Bittersweet Reality of a Nurse’s Limits in Providing End-of-Life Care
Columbia University Narrative Medicine Volvox Presentation
Please join me, the editors of "The Healer's Burden: Stories and Poems of Professional Grief," and two other contributors to the book, Lara Ronan and Rondalyn Varney Whitney, for a virtual panel discussion in the upcoming Columbia University Narrative Medicine Volvox Presentation on Wednesday, October 28th, 2020, from 7-9 pm EST / 5-7 pm PST. … Continue reading Columbia University Narrative Medicine Volvox Presentation
Pre-Order Now Available: The Healer’s Burden
I am beyond thrilled to share that this book I had the privilege to contribute an essay to, The Healer's Burden: Stories and Poems of Professional Grief, is now available for pre-order. My essay is titled "Silent Intercession," and I am so looking forward to slowly making my way through the rest of the pieces. … Continue reading Pre-Order Now Available: The Healer’s Burden
Guest Blog Post for Crossroads: The Worthwhile Art of Careful Listening
In an incredibly noisy world - particularly for us introverts - the art of careful listening proves to make all the difference for my family friend hospitalized in the ICU who had only one silent but extraordinary way left to make his voice heard. My short Crossroads blog post for The Intima: A Journal of … Continue reading Guest Blog Post for Crossroads: The Worthwhile Art of Careful Listening
Essay for Spring 2020 Issue of Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine
My essay, Best Brother, published in the Spring 2020 issue of Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, tells the story of a long-time family friend who suffered a severe spinal cord injury last summer and, like so many of our patients and families, was faced with sudden life-altering decisions in the ICU. But with a … Continue reading Essay for Spring 2020 Issue of Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine
Advent is for Those who Grieve
Advent is for those who grieve, in a culture obsessed with happiness at all costs, especially during the Western version of the Christmas season. Advent is for nurses like me and my colleagues who said one final goodbye this past weekend to a patient who’d become the sweetheart of our unit, a joyful light … Continue reading Advent is for Those who Grieve
what I wish I could heal as your nurse
Would you give me permission to tell you without overstepping my bounds, personal, professional that this is not your fault. You were only trying to take good care of your baby; you didn’t know, you didn’t know. I see the protest in your eyes, Someone has to be to blame, and that someone is … Continue reading what I wish I could heal as your nurse
