Yesterday, I was in a space with a group of healthcare workers exploring the topic of "Why I Stay." I hoped for some inspiration, some rekindling or stoking of a fire that feels in danger of being extinguished. It was a sobering slap of reality to hear more unexpected silence than active engagement in the … Continue reading Wrestling Hard with Why I Stay
teamwork
PICU Nursing, Dec 2022: A Day in the Life
I was supposed to be charge nurse yesterday. But because staffing remained incredibly tight, and we had some extraordinarily sick patients in our unit right now (four on CVVH, a nurse-driven specialized form of slow dialysis; and one little baby on ECMO, the ultimate heart-lung machine for the sickest of patients), one of our wonderfully … Continue reading PICU Nursing, Dec 2022: A Day in the Life
Podcast Episode about PICU Nursing with “The Silent Why” is Now Live!
I am overjoyed to finally be able to share this podcast episode with the world. Claire and Chris Sandys reached out to me all the way from England earlier this year to invite me to record a conversation with them, where we go in deep about my work as a pediatric ICU nurse. They are … Continue reading Podcast Episode about PICU Nursing with “The Silent Why” is Now Live!
A Mini Collection of Lighter Moments
By nature, a pediatric ICU sits heavy about 95% of the time. That's held true, and then some, for what's going on in our unit this week. But once in awhile, we can have fun too, and with the backdrop of such heaviness and grief, I cherish those light moments all the more. Here are … Continue reading A Mini Collection of Lighter Moments
New Blog Post for AJN: Loss from Nurse Attrition Goes Deeper Than Numbers
There's obvious stress that comes with the ongoing short staffing issues in nursing, but as I wrote this latest blog post for American Journal of Nursing, I realized my real ache in seeing colleagues leave, is something different and deeper. I support each colleague w all my heart, and yet my heart feels all the … Continue reading New Blog Post for AJN: Loss from Nurse Attrition Goes Deeper Than Numbers
New Blog Post for AJN: The Gift of Feedback
My latest blog post for American Journal of Nursing is up, titled "The Gift of Feedback." I take a look at a couple experiences where I asked for - and was asked for - feedback in the most gracious ways, and yet still struggled to find open, smooth venues of communication. It takes ongoing practice, … Continue reading New Blog Post for AJN: The Gift of Feedback
New Blog Post for AJN: How I Would Prepare my Daughter to Become a Nurse
My kids have been asking me surprisingly specific questions about my work as a nurse lately. I really enjoyed writing this blog post for American Journal of Nursing because God knows the two occupations that have consumed my days and thoughts this past year have been nursing and motherhood. And at the end of the … Continue reading New Blog Post for AJN: How I Would Prepare my Daughter to Become a Nurse
A Letter from a Parent to Teachers in the Time of COVID-19
It only made sense this year of the COVID-19 pandemic for Nurses Week and Teacher Appreciation Week to fall into the same period of time. As nurses, we are so aware that the general public will never fully understand or appreciate our jobs. I believe this must be true for teachers as well, especially now. … Continue reading A Letter from a Parent to Teachers in the Time of COVID-19
From PICU Nurse to Foster Camp Nurse: A Reflection
This summer, I had the unique experience of switching my nurse hat from PICU nurse to volunteer camp nurse for a 5-day sleepaway camp for foster kids through my church and Royal Family Kids Camp. For 5 days, 42 volunteers staffed a camp for 28 foster kids, ages 6-12, to give them a week where … Continue reading From PICU Nurse to Foster Camp Nurse: A Reflection
This Odd Simultaneous Pursuit: On Teamwork and my Honest Inability to do it All
I’m not cut out for this job. Not entirely, not always. My ego bristles against that truth, fights that truth with all its emotional strength. There are days when I picture some unreal, superhuman nurse who knows everything (as I approach the still very young two-year mark into my nursing career), who has the skills … Continue reading This Odd Simultaneous Pursuit: On Teamwork and my Honest Inability to do it All
The Heart of Nursing 