On the surface, when nurses first start out in our career, we have a vague and admittedly idealized sense of how compassion will always be a core driver in why and how we care for our patients. But we quickly discover that navigating our emotions over our work is fraught with complexity and mixed messages, … Continue reading How Much Emotion in Nursing is Too Much?
ICU Nurse
Caring for Non-Accidental Traumas as a PICU Nurse
Whenever the child abuse cases, or “non-accidental traumas (NATs)” come into our unit, a very tender unsettledness, laced with anger, descends upon all the staff. We hate all kinds of suffering that our little patients endure, but the suffering that comes with intent and disregard from the hands of the very adults who are supposed … Continue reading Caring for Non-Accidental Traumas as a PICU Nurse
Captain of the Ship: On Being PICU Charge Nurse in a Stormy Season
I sat at the helm in a swirl of chaos captain of the ship for the day coming dangerously close to bringing too much weight on board * lives on the verge of going under we were trying our best to bring them to shore to steadier ground to brighter days * and to keep … Continue reading Captain of the Ship: On Being PICU Charge Nurse in a Stormy Season
From a Fellow ICU Nurse: Honoring Alex Pretti
Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse, just like me. We ICU nurses look at life and all its darkest shadows with eyes wide open, and close up, bearing regular, intimate witness to the multitude of tragedies that befall people. We go to them, think about them, and we think about our lives and our role … Continue reading From a Fellow ICU Nurse: Honoring Alex Pretti
The Heart of Nursing 