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
grief
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
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
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
Podcast Episode: A Year of Shocking Diagnoses
What is it like to be an average family - parents and two kids - in which your year begins with the mom receiving a cancer diagnosis, and then the dad suffers a severe spinal cord injury just as the mom moves into remission and preventative hormone therapy? This was our year. For the first … Continue reading Podcast Episode: A Year of Shocking Diagnoses
A Second Medical Crisis in One Year: My Husband’s Story
It was a simple outpatient procedure on Monday, July 24, to assess some airway and swallowing issues. Without going into excessive detail, the procedure seemed straightforward and my husband came home the same day with just the expected post-op soreness. But a couple of days after the procedure, his symptoms morphed from soreness in his … Continue reading A Second Medical Crisis in One Year: My Husband’s Story
Brief thoughts on walking with those who grieve and suffer
If someone comes to you carrying 200 pounds and says, "I've been carrying a heavy load for a while and I hurt," don't say, "At least you're not carrying 300 pounds!" or "Look on the bright side!" or "I don't know how you do it." Acknowledge the weight. Help carry some. Facilitate their rest.
The Heart of Nursing 