It was about a year ago that I moved from the acute phase of breast cancer treatment to long-term hormone therapy. I was relieved to be done with the hardest physical interventions of surgery and radiation, and also so scared about what the hormone changes might do to my mind and heart. Little did I … Continue reading Reflections on Becoming Patient and Caregiver: One Year in Retrospect
empathy
The Privilege of Entering into Patient Stories
We’d never talked. She only knew I was one of the other nurses in the ICU. I knew she was the mom of the kid everyone was concerned about. She was leaning on a countertop, motionless and alone, while the whole medical team was in motion in her child’s room. I approached her, and lightly … Continue reading The Privilege of Entering into Patient Stories
The Tensions We Constantly Navigate as Healthcare Workers
My therapist recently noted how much inner work and wrestling I must be constantly doing as a nurse, without being fully aware of what is rumbling underneath the surface. Today I find myself feeling really tender, and I’ve got a feeling it’s because of the recent accumulation of patient stories that have gone unpacked, evoking … Continue reading The Tensions We Constantly Navigate as Healthcare Workers
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
Asking Beautiful New Questions as a Seasoned Nurse
Having worked in my current PICU for a little over 13 years now, I find that it’s easy for me to get comfortable with the way I’ve learned to go about things, without taking moments to approach my practice with a more curious, teachable heart. I’m discovering how refreshing it can be when I remember … Continue reading Asking Beautiful New Questions as a Seasoned Nurse
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
Encouraging Healthy Grief over our Patients
Yesterday, I gave my favorite lecture to young nurses who are about eight months into this wild profession. What follows below is a series of posts on Threads that I put up, as I reflected on the lecture. The lecture was on Bereavement and Caregiver Resiliency, because to this day we still have so few … Continue reading Encouraging Healthy Grief over our Patients
Wholehearted Nursing vs Codependency
How do you know if you’ve crossed the line from trying to be wholehearted and deeply empathetic, to being co-dependent? This was a question that came up in a couple of conversations at the recent (and incredible!) End Well conference. I’ve thought about it quite a bit over the years, as there is without doubt … Continue reading Wholehearted Nursing vs Codependency
The Heart of Nursing 