In my last blog post, I took a birds-eye view with some thoughts on why we don’t know what to do with grief. I’m not trying to talk us out of grief by rationalizing. It only makes sense that we don’t readily know what to do with grief. It can hurt like hell. Its existence … Continue reading Grief and the Good and Hopeful Life
joy
Anchor for the Years
Ten years into being a pediatric ICU nurse, I find I still grieve the saddest patient cases the same way I did from day one. It hits the day after with unpredictable tears, and I'm discombobulated as I try to reorient myself to my "normal" life and all its demands on me as mama, while … Continue reading Anchor for the Years
Newly published article in AJN Reflections column: “Beholding the Returning Light”
We see a lot of really hard things as pediatric ICU nurses. But sometimes, we get to see miracles. My article for the Reflections column in the American Journal of Nursing has been published, and is free to access through the month of November! It is also available on the site as a podcast. … Continue reading Newly published article in AJN Reflections column: “Beholding the Returning Light”
Papi, Read the Story: The Nurse’s Privilege to Witness Beauty
The curious and perhaps inevitable effect of a major health crisis on any family is its power to elicit affection, emotion, and perhaps long-resisted efforts at connection from those most directly involved. Reserved personalities crack open, reach out. Estranged relationships build bridges, sometimes temporarily for survival, sometimes repentantly for healing. Close relationships sometimes buckle, sometimes grow … Continue reading Papi, Read the Story: The Nurse’s Privilege to Witness Beauty
The Heart of Nursing 