End the Silence - Stories of Nurses

As nurses in today’s medical workforce we need to stand up and speak out, and no longer just sit down and be quiet, hiding in the shadows and the shame of our struggles. 

The reality is there are unlimited options available for nurses if we can only find the way to expand our beliefs about our potential and how we should show up in this world.

We push ourselves in so many ways that it will eventually and inevitably result in us hitting a brick wall. We are only intended to do so much, but the pressure and expectations are heavy and create a fear driven intensity to push ourselves to the limits.

It’s time that we pay attention to what our body’s are telling us and seek the support we need now.

If you can relate please join me and my guest Jane Van Brunt, nurse and corporate healthcare leader and the host of “The Dear Spin Sisters'' podcast and author of the “Nightingale Gene'' and the co-author of “Shut Your Mouth” for today’s episode where we discuss ways to take back control of your nursing career.


SANDRA’S TAKEAWAYS:

Intro (00:00)
Burnout (6:43)
Women Can Do Everything (14:15)
Art Of Nursing (21:45)
Letting Someone Speak For Us (27:53)
Talking About Quitting (32:22)
Work On Yourself (41:51)


MEET JAYNE:

Jayne Van Brunt is a nurse and corporate healthcare leader and the host of the Dear Spin Sisters podcast - a podcast about mothers and daughters, nurses and storytelling. She is the author of The Nightingale Gene and the co-author of Shut Your Mouth. She published the Nightingale Gene in 2018 as a love letter to nurses and caregivers and was somewhat prophetic as she wrote of her fears heading into 2021, not realizing the mass exodus of nurses due to retire in the U.S. would be exacerbated by the pandemic. Jayne learned the hard way what stress and burnout can do to a body when she was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome and was paralyzed for 2 weeks. She coaches nurses to look for less stressful ways to use their degrees, running workshops to identify business opportunities that support their mission to reinvent themselves. 

Recent article published by SRCA. https://burnout.spinsavorsoar.com

To schedule a free consultation with Jayne: https://spinsavorsoar.com/schedule/

 https://socialresponsibility.substack.com/p/meet-our-members-jayne-van-brunt?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=direc

MEET SANDRA PAYNE:

Sandra Payne is a Nurse and Master Certified Holistic Wellness Trauma Informed Coach and the owner of Sandra Payne Wellness and founder of the exclusive Nurse Rx Coaching Program. 

After 13 years working within the traditional health care system and experiencing first hand the challenges that come with nursing, Sandra has a keen understanding of the heavy unrealistic expectations in nursing, the moral distress, and the stigma that keeps many nurse’s struggles with depression, anxiety, and trauma hidden in silence. 

Out of this intimate understanding was born the Nurse Rx Program through which women nurses learn and practice a host of skills and exercises to manage stress, process emotions, and heal trauma within a safe group collective of other nurses. 

Join the community of support - Facebook group Surviving Nursing https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847

 Connect with Sandra Payne and download a copy of the Surviving Nursing live workshop here: https://www.sa

I'm so excited to be back again with the relaunch of “End the Silence” season two to share with you some powerful, brave, vulnerable and inspiring stories of actual nurses in our society. They are our colleagues, our mothers, our daughters, our friends, and it is such an honor to be able to hold space for them and for their stories here on this podcast.

So who am I? My name is Sandra Payne and I am a certified holistic master coach with the International Association of wellness professionals. I nursed as a registered nurse for 15 years from which I have experienced the long list of psychological, emotional, traumatic, moral distress and injury that so many nurses are still experiencing today.

It is my hope that through this podcast nurses will see and understand that they are not alone and definitely not stuck.

There is hope for them and no longer do they have to suffer in silence.


SANDRA’S TAKEAWAYS:

Intro (00:00)
Who Am I? (2:10)
Working 9-5 (4:59)
Left My Position (8:46)
Nurses Are Struggling (15:24)
Created This Podcast (20:26)
This Is My Mission (26:26)



MEET SANDRA PAYNE:

Sandra Payne is a Nurse and Master Certified Holistic Wellness Trauma Informed Coach and the owner of Sandra Payne Wellness and founder of the exclusive Nurse Rx Coaching Program. 

After 13 years working within the traditional health care system and experiencing firsthand the challenges that come with nursing, Sandra has a keen understanding of the heavy unrealistic expectations in nursing, the moral distress, and the stigma that keeps many nurse’s struggles with depression, anxiety, and trauma hidden in silence. 

Out of this intimate understanding was born the Nurse Rx Program through which women nurses learn and practice a host of skills and exercises to manage stress, process emotions, and heal trauma within a safe group collective of other nurses.

Join the community of support - Facebook group Surviving Nursing https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847

 Connect with Sandra Payne and download a copy of the Surviving Nursing live workshop here: https://www.sandrapaynecoach.com

Interested in becoming a Certified Holistic Wellness Coach check out the IAWP here https://iawp.ontraport.net/t?orid=91998&opid=28

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What a gift to have Fola as a guest on the podcast.
Just being in her presence made me feel all kinds of warm and fuzzies inside.

She gives embodiment to merging spirit into everyday life.

Fola is an RPN in Alberta and has been working in mental health and addictions for over 11 years dedicating herself to promoting wellness through the integration of both traditional healing methods and modern scientific knowledge.  

She has been on her own personal journey as many healers have been, myself included, experiencing depression and anxiety and then moving through a psycho-spiritual emergence in 2015.  She explains her emergence vs emergency, which is what she has witnessed many of her patients experiencing, in such a way that it offers a perspective of those who society has labeled "crazy" and institutionalized.  

It brought to the forefront for me the experiences of mental health and our system and how when our basic needs are not cared for and we are in pure survival mode in life a spiritual download or connection can be very challenging to navigate and how grateful I am that when I personally went through this time I was in a supported place to move through it all. 

For me this emergence Fola talks about was an awakening.  A clearing of my lens to see the world, the institutions and systems, and myself through a whole different view.  One I believe in my soul is aligned with truth and not the illusion that our world has purposefully designed for us to try to fit into.  Again for me, this trying to fit in, was quite possible the source of much of my and many others suffering.  Trying to be something we are not so that we can belong and feel worthy of love.  

Is it possible that this desire to be loved and belong can lead us down dark paths that shadows who we truly are and leads us into what we call depression???

This is something I have been sitting with for years now and I truly believe that it as truth.

Come check out more on the Nurse Rx Coaching Program https://www.sandrapaynecoach.com/health-wellness-services/nurse-rx-coaching-program/

Check out Fola at Deep Mind Squared https://www.deepmindsquared.com/about

Join us together in Surviving Nursing on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847

What a gift to have Rachel on the show.

I met Rachel back in January after an online workshop I held on Nurse Burnout.  She displayed a keen awareness of the cycle of the abuse and toxic overworking pattern in her nursing career and that they were taking her on a slippery slope towards burnout.  

Working with Rachel the past few months in the Nurse Rx Coaching program has been so inspiring.  Her courage to speak honestly and openly about the toxic culture of nursing as well as her own deeply rooted patterns of beliefs and behaviours is something to not take lightly.

It's not easy to look at the dark places of our life, but every day Rachel does so with grace and openness.  

In this episode Rachel talks about how when we don't listen to the little signals our body is sending us, then our body will only get louder and make the decision for us and the blatantly obvious reason why we don't listen is the STIGMA.  

She and I team together as we shed light on the realities of mental and emotional health challenges and it makes me so proud as these conversations are what is needed to blow up this stigma once and for all.

To check out the Moral Injury video I mention https://youtu.be/L_1PNZdHq6Q (I don't necessarily align with all he talks about the the realities of moral injury I certainly do)

To learn more about the Nurse Rx Coaching Program check out https://www.sandrapaynecoach.com

Join the private Facebook nursing support group Surviving Nursing https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847/

Piroska has been nursing for over 31 years in multiple areas and roles.  She has focused in her career on connecting with her patients through authentic humanity and meeting people on a deep level through some of the their most difficult and terrifying moments.

Piroska is currently completing her Master in Arts in Counselling Psychology and also holds the designation as Certified Professional Coach, Licensed Practitioner and Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming and is a NSP Hypnotist and a Reiki Master/Teacher and Therapeutic Touch Practitioner.  

She is a passionate speaker, educator, and leader in the nursing profession and is dedicated to excellence in patient centred care, evidence based practice, best practice guidelines and working collaboratively to create models for outstanding customer service with integrity, humanity, respect, and dignity.

Piroska actively supports and coaches nurses to assist them with their experience of trauma and stress working through this pandemic.  

Her passion is to ensure that nurses can and do work in all areas of health care and are at the decision making table and influence with their holistic view of human health, wellness, and the direction of health care.

To connect with Sandra Payne and the Surviving Nursing FB Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847

Read all about the Nurse Rx Coaching Program https://www.sandrapaynecoach.com

Apply to be a guest on the End the Silence Podcast https://www.sandrapaynecoach.com

Kelly Cronin is a Registered Nurse in Ontario Canada and has practiced in areas such as family medicine, urgent care clinics, the coronary care unit, outpatient cardiology, cancer care, and it curing working in palliative care.

Kelly shares with us her journey through nursing and how she has navigated depression to find thriving balance by prioritizing her self care and setting boundaries.  She has found significant healing by leaning into humour and finding the joy and connection that allows us to create feelings of safety and release the emotional stress that builds over time.

Kelly also introduces a beautiful concept of "wise effort", taught to her by a yoga guru that is a beautiful meditative approach that allows a person to evaluate where their energy is going, you won't want to miss this nugget of wisdom!!

If you'd like to join the private nursing FB community head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847/

Check out all the offerings of Sandra Payne Wellness at http://sandrapaynecoach.com

If you would like to be a guest on the End the Silence Podcast please complete this form and we will be in touch to book an interview time https://www.jotform.com/assign/210437992218055/210619013819048

Kinnon is a registered nurse working as a clinical nurse leader in the urban health program at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver B.C.  Kinnon was drawn to St. Paul's by the exceptional work they do supporting the most marginalized populations of Vancouver - in particular the hard reduction programs being developed for people who use drugs.

Kinnon shares much of her story as a young girl growing up struggling with self esteem,  body image, and bullying and how she found alcohol as a way to cope, numb her pain and anguish, as well as release some of her emotional pain.  This coping followed her into her adulthood and her nursing career and evolved into a significant addiction that impacted every area of her life.

in 2016 Kinnon bravely surrendered her nursing license as her own addition to alcohol and stimulant substances took over her life and made her incapable of carrying on her role as a nurse.  After ongoing intensive treatment for addiction, Kinnon returned to work unaware that the pre-existing trauma that she was holding was still yet to be revealed.

Back at work Kinnon experienced a psychological injury related to a traumatic incident at work that unraveled the years of traumatic experiences and exposures.  Kinnon has spend the last 5 years cultivating her own strength and courage to share her truth and the realities of coping with substance use and addiction as a nurse. 

Kinnon believes that nursing has always been the driving force in her journey back to herself and it is through working with patients that she has learned true empathy, self compassion and acceptance. 

Her hope is that through sharing her story, other nurses who are struggling with trauma and addiction can find a way to tell their stories and know they don't need to suffer in silence.

If you wish to join our Surviving Nursing FB Community please do -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847/

To connect with Sandra Payne Wellness and learn more about the Nurse Rx Coaching Program  or to be a guest on the End the Silence podcast -> http://sandrapaynecoach.com

Katrina Stephenson is an RN in Alberta Canada.  She has dedicated her nursing career to working within a harm reduction model of care and primarily marginalized individuals with histories of trauma and challenged by concurrent disorders.

Katrina's work began to mirror her own experience when she developed symptoms of work related PTSD.  After recognizing her struggle was getting worse and trying to get the support she needed she wrote an article for her union magazine that was published. 

Read Katrina's Article here
https://www.una.ca/files/uploads/2020/7/NBSummer2020.pdf

After her article was published Katrina received an outpouring of support and also nurses who reached out to her to tell her that they were so grateful for her sharing her story because they had thought they were alone in what they experienced.  This sparked the founding of the Nurse 2 Nurse Peer Support Group.  Katrina shares the belief that allowing others to share  their story is powerfully transformational for the negative climate surrounding many health conditions in nurses.

Katrina believes it is essential for us as health care providers at all levels to be trauma informed and to understand and care for people with mental health and substance use challenges in such a way that reduces stigma and discrimination.  And to support this she and other nurses have collaborated to develop the trauma informed, non-judgmental peer support group for nurses to prevent, mitigate, and support nurses who are experiencing mental health and occupational stress injuries.

Join the Nurse 2 Nurse Peer Support Group   https://www.facebook.com/groups/1691448007684481/
Reach out to Katrina and join the meetings
[email protected]

Katrina and I also touched on the subject of bullying in the nursing profession which of course is a whole conversation of it's own but I mentioned a project running through the UNBC that I invite everyone to read through.  It will offer a perspective through the lens of both the bully and the bullied because we need to find compassion for both.  Abused people abuse people, and nurses in this profession are often terribly abused.

UNBC Bullying in the Nursing Project
https://letsact.ca/

For more information on working with Sandra Payne Wellness in the Nurse Rx Coaching Program visit https://www.sandrapaynecoach.com

Join out private Nursing FB Community - Surviving Nursing
https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847

My guest is Michelle Howard! A Registered Nurse from British Columbia Canada who has bravely worked the emergency rooms and trauma centers of BC's largest hospitals.  Watching two of her three daughters entering the nursing workforce has lit a spark in her to be the mentor that so many nurses need in their early careers to create an environment that supports them and protects them from the bullying that so commonly takes place in our health care system. 

Michelle is inspiring, self aware, and honest as she takes us through her own journey of what I can only take away as hope in this career. Hope  that balance and health is indeed a real possibility for all of us.

Critical to her ability to thrive in this exhausting and demanding career has been her capacity to adapt her work life to fit her lifestyle and her needs vs the other way around and is clear on the importance of knowing our values and setting boundaries for ourselves.

One of the most valuable resources Michelle notes for herself has been the connection and group support she found through her church group and the program she has found so much healing and growth through mirrors that which is provided through the Nurse Rx Program.

If you'd like to learn more about Sandra Payne Wellness and the Nurse Rx Program you can go to https://wellness360coach.com/sandra-payne/ or follow Sandra Payne on FB https://www.facebook.com/sandrapaynewellness/or IG.

If you'd like to join our private FB support group Surviving Nursing please do https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847/

If you would like to be a guest on the End the Silence Podcast to share your story and offer hope and inspiration to our colleagues,  I welcome you to contact me at [email protected] 

Together we are stronger <3 

Alysa Lamb is a Registered Nurse in Northern British Columbia Canada.  She has spent the past 13 years of her career using family centered care for the tiniest of our patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

In her time as an NICU Nurse with a sprinkling of Palliative Care she was gifted with the opportunity to experience both the best and worst of the human experience.  And that takes it's toll over time.  Coupled with the toxic work environment she was in Alysa found herself extremely burned out.

She knew it was time to find something else.  She knew her health was suffering.  It was spilling over into other areas of her life but fear kept her where she is. 

In this episode we relate this fear to that of an abusive relationship, which many nurses experience. 

After nearly 2 years of suffering she found the courage to leave the NICU and take on a new role in the community public health sector.  She retells finding this courage when she surrounded herself with the supports she needed to make the leap.  And although she was still terrified, she took the jump, and found that the wings she needed appeared for her.

This episode tugs at my heart.

As an ex-NICU RN I have countless memories of babies and families I cared for.  I have still pain and grief in my heart for those devastatingly traumatic times but also a light of joy as I remember the good times, the little smiles, the beautiful eyes, and the countless snuggles with the most precious souls.  It truly is a remarkable job and one I look back on with tears of joy and sorrow in my eyes. 

Those little hearts, and big hearts for that matter will find a way into YOUR heart.  And that doesn't just go away because of time or distance.  That impact stays forever.

Remember if you'd like to join our community of support on Facebook head over to this link  https://www.facebook.com/groups/638818697054847

Follow Sandra Payne Wellness at https://www.facebook.com/sandrapaynewellness/

Be sure to register for the upcoming Nursing Burnout Online Workshop coming up on March 23 2021 at 10am PST.  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUufuyorDwjHt2ybmrkKLDsnkvLxrX8WCC2