The baby came to us from another hospital with multi-layered complications since her premature birth. Her dad was absent, and her mom had two and a half strikes working against her in life. The other hospital had reached its limit in what they could do for the baby, so they sent the baby to us. … Continue reading A Different Kind of Expertise for a Different Kind of Healing
death and dying
What is Professional Grief?
I had a wonderful podcast interview last week with a pediatrician who wanted to explore the topic of professional grief in healthcare, and that made me think it would be good to write a new post with some refreshed thoughts on the topic. What are we referring to when we talk about professional grief? There … Continue reading What is Professional Grief?
The Story of the One Loved
You were conceived, and your mother loved you immediately with her whole heart. In your earliest days, your hair and your face would already be programmed to take on much of your mother’s likeness. But something in your nascent genetics would also go quietly awry, taking you and your mom on a trajectory that some … Continue reading The Story of the One Loved
FREE 7-Day E-Devotional: Gritty Gospel-Based Reflections for Nurses in the Trenches
As a Christian pediatric ICU nurse who has seen all the terrible things, I can’t stomach platitudes, including Christian platitudes. Those who have followed my writing here know that I have spent a lot of time wrestling with questions like "Where is God in the PICU - cases of injustice" and issues such as the … Continue reading FREE 7-Day E-Devotional: Gritty Gospel-Based Reflections for Nurses in the Trenches
Is Compartmentalization the Best Way to Manage our Emotions as Nurses?
I hear so many people say, "I don't know how you do your job as a pediatric ICU nurse." The advice I hear from so many around me about how to last for the long haul in this profession usually runs along the following lines: "Leave work at work." "When you clock out, you have … Continue reading Is Compartmentalization the Best Way to Manage our Emotions as Nurses?
My EndWell Talk is Live! Practioner, Parent, Patient
Being invited to speak at EndWell's annual symposium last year was such an incredible honor. I LOVED giving this talk. People say all the time, "I don't know how you do the work that you do as a pediatric ICU nurse without being overwhelmed by all the emotions." "I don't know how you can be … Continue reading My EndWell Talk is Live! Practioner, Parent, Patient
On Talking with Third Graders about Pediatric ICU Nursing
I recently had the opportunity to talk to my eight-year old daughter and her third grade classmates for their school’s Career Day. This was my first time talking about peds ICU (PICU) nursing with such a young crowd, and I was nervous. How do I hold their attention? How do I keep the descriptions of … Continue reading On Talking with Third Graders about Pediatric ICU Nursing
The Art of Timing in Caring for Dying Pediatric Patients
Knowing what time it is as a peds ICU nurse is a big deal. There’s the timing of med administration so you dose your patient safely. The timing of when your critical blood pressure and sedation medications are going to run out, and boy you better have your next syringe ready to go. The timing … Continue reading The Art of Timing in Caring for Dying Pediatric Patients
End of Year Thoughts
Life in this final month of this wild year has been appropriately chaotic (thanks norovirus!), so there isn’t sufficient headspace or time to pen a shiny, well-articulated post of reflection. Instead, just a few thoughts that are hopefully still worth your time and consideration: On our personal medical crises: We’ve weathered significant storms with my … Continue reading End of Year Thoughts
Part Two of Three-Part Series: Reckoning with Illness and Death
"In the first post of this series [for my church blog], I shared the story about how I received a breast cancer diagnosis just a few minutes before my friend Susan announced her benign results from her own recent biopsy. I confronted the reality that sometimes, God says no to our prayers for things to … Continue reading Part Two of Three-Part Series: Reckoning with Illness and Death
The Heart of Nursing 