The Speaking Grief Initiative is doing such important work in recognizing and validating the reality of grief in our world, both personally and professionally. I'm so grateful to be a panelist in this upcoming webinar on "Minimizing Burnout in Death Care Professionals." While this webinar speaks first and foremost to the experience of funeral directors, … Continue reading Upcoming Webinar with Speaking Grief: Minimizing Burnout in Death Care Professionals
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New Blog Post for AJN: How to Support the Nurse in Your Life, May 2022
Nurses, this latest blog post I wrote for American Journal of Nursing is for sharing with your friends and family, who may be struggling to know how to support you. Of course we don’t expect our friends and family fix all our woes, but here are some tips for them in what - and what not - … Continue reading New Blog Post for AJN: How to Support the Nurse in Your Life, May 2022
Finding Effective Means of Rest as a Nurse and Mother
Ever since I had my first of two children almost nine years ago, I switched from full-time (three 12-hour shifts per week) to part-time (two 12-hour shifts per week). With my husband working four 10-hour days per week, this arrangement has allowed our family the incredible privilege of not needing childcare outside of the family. … Continue reading Finding Effective Means of Rest as a Nurse and Mother
Can Grieving Loss of Idealism in Nursing Give Room for New Hope?
It is no secret by now that the pandemic has dealt blows to morale in nurses like never before. The issues are being voiced everywhere - nurses find themselves overworked, understaffed, underpaid, disrespected by both the healthcare system and many in the general public in sometimes deeply startling ways. As professionals who come to work … Continue reading Can Grieving Loss of Idealism in Nursing Give Room for New Hope?
A PICU Nurse’s Gratitude for Frontline School Nurses
I’ve been a PICU nurse for just over 11 years and I became a mom three years into my nursing career. Now a mom of two elementary-aged girls, I went part-time as a nurse after my first child was born and have been fortunate enough to maintain a fixed work schedule since then, thanks to … Continue reading A PICU Nurse’s Gratitude for Frontline School Nurses
Shamelessly Acknowledging Our Weight Limit as Healthcare Workers
We’ve spent some time thinking through what it can look like to hold space for rhythms of professional grief. While my specific rhythms will certainly be different than yours, I hope you’ve been encouraged to consider the validity of your professional grief and that you’ve taken time to consider where and how it shows up … Continue reading Shamelessly Acknowledging Our Weight Limit as Healthcare Workers
Holding Space for Rhythms of Professional Grief: Part 2 of 2
In my last blog post, I shared my short-term response to the common questions I get as a pediatric ICU nurse, “How do you deal with all the sad things you encounter at work? How do you separate your personal life from your work life? How do you stay in that environment and not completely … Continue reading Holding Space for Rhythms of Professional Grief: Part 2 of 2
Holding Space for Rhythms of Professional Grief: Part 1 of 2
From time to time, people will ask me how I deal with the saddest, hardest patient cases I encounter as a pediatric ICU nurse. Related questions also take the form of, “How do you separate your personal life from your work life?” or “How do you keep working in an environment with so much suffering … Continue reading Holding Space for Rhythms of Professional Grief: Part 1 of 2
Remembering the Moments that Drew Me Here
It's been an extremely complicated time to be a bedside nurse. Disillusionment about the profession and reasons for it are real and in many cases, very legitimate. Like everyone, I continue to process through all that's going on with the system, the politics, the pay, the staffing issues, all of it. But for today, I … Continue reading Remembering the Moments that Drew Me Here
Bringing the Voice of Grief into the Room
Because of the nature of events that precipitate grief, we often understandably believe that the voice of grief is one dimensional – dark and intensely oppressive, and therefore unwelcome in the room. There is no denying that it can feel this way in its sharpest moments. Even in its gentler moments, it’s still hugely uncomfortable. … Continue reading Bringing the Voice of Grief into the Room
The Heart of Nursing 