It's been more quiet than usual here but that's because I've been busy writing for my online Narrative Medicine program with Columbia University. I thought I'd take a moment to share the (virtual) practice of Narrative Medicine that we have been participating in for the program. It's a beautiful approach to using creative arts to … Continue reading Example of (Virtual) Narrative Medicine Exercise
empathy
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
Discovering Narrative Medicine
I first discovered the concept of Narrative Medicine when I began to search for journals to which I could submit writing for potential publication. I stumbled upon Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, and was so taken by the depth of self-reflection, honesty, vulnerability, and intentionality in considering the patient/practitioner dynamics, I knew I had … Continue reading Discovering Narrative Medicine
AJN’s Nurses Week 2019 collection of favorite articles
There are certain patient cases that never leave you as a nurse. They are the experiences that hold - and shape - the indescribable art of nursing as you learn how to read significant cues, listen to the unspoken, and hold another's heart while also holding your own as it comes undone. American Journal of … Continue reading AJN’s Nurses Week 2019 collection of favorite articles
New Blog Post for AJN: The Nurse’s Temptation to Fill in the Patient Handoff Narrative
In my latest blog post for American Journal of Nursing, I share a reflection on how easy it is for me as a nurse to presume I know a patient and family's full story when I don't know it at all. What happens to the nuances of our care when we are or are not … Continue reading New Blog Post for AJN: The Nurse’s Temptation to Fill in the Patient Handoff Narrative
A Word for New Nurses: The Best and Most Vital Thing You Can Give Your Patients
I had the privilege of speaking to our hospital's recent cohort of RN Residency New Graduate Nurses as they have completed orientation and will now be working independently in their respective units. One of the things I was most excited about was the opportunity to also briefly address the many friends and family members of … Continue reading A Word for New Nurses: The Best and Most Vital Thing You Can Give Your Patients
When Brokenness Transforms Nursing: Guest Post for American Journal of Nursing
The tendency for nurses, I feel, is to depend primarily on our sense of internal strength, resilience and coping to be effective in this profession. But is it possible for the nurse to find the inner recognition of his/her own brokenness as a transformative gift to strengthen his/her nursing practice? My latest guest post for … Continue reading When Brokenness Transforms Nursing: Guest Post for American Journal of Nursing
How to Support the Nurse in Your Life: Guest Post for American Journal of Nursing
I've been thinking a lot about why it can be so challenging for very well-intentioned friends and families of nurses to support us when our work takes its toll. My guest post for the American Journal of Nursing blog, Off the Charts, provides some suggestions for support that nurses may not always know how to directly … Continue reading How to Support the Nurse in Your Life: Guest Post for American Journal of Nursing
The Heart of Nursing 