You Can Lead a Nurse to Water But Then, What Ever Will They Bitch About?

I am the proud founder of Nurse Your Spirit, LLC, a holistic counseling and healing practice.  As a registered nurse, metaphysician and certified practitioner, my goal or my speciality if you will is to assist other nurses who are experiencing the horrors of burnout to recognize that this highly toxic experience is actually a gift.   Yes indeed, a gift in the form of subconscious choices that you have made along the way.  Choices which lead to opportunities for growth, the big red bow on the top being the resurrection of one's self worth, the ability to heal one's self and others from a place of compassion, comfort in the task to aid in the energetic healing of the planet.  The spontaneous occurrence of experiencing inner cohesion and happiness.  Doesn't that sound amazing? 
Knock Knock!  Doesn't it!?

Seriously.  Who wouldn't (in their right mind)  desire this?

Nurses. That's who. 

I have counseled massage and occupational therapists, pharmacists, Reiki practitioners and psychics, radio personalities, makeup artists and alternative healers, yet, not one nurse.



Do you know why?


Nurses are highly intelligent. Of course you do!

(This is a much simpler formula than calculation drip rates, seriously)...

Nurses love to complain.  If you fix yourself, there is no more blame.  Scary!

I can say this with confidence because I walked in those clunky clogs for over twenty years.   There are complaints about the paperwork, the insubordination of aides and patient care technicians, the nurse to patient ratios, the lack of managerial support.  The distaste regarding the aspect of nursing being "customer service", not being able to spend more time with your patients, the green -behind- the -ears  new know-it-all interns showing up in July, never getting a lunch break, disgruntled patients and family members....  I know I need not continue.

I am going to use a hospital environment as an example.  Working on a hospital unit is a creepy poison.  When it gets under your skin and into your veins, there is a sinister comfort.  Yes, that's right.  You drink the Kool-Aid.  You get locked into the web of darkness, and feel safe. 

You form deliciously delectable dysfunctional and codependent relationships and bonds with people who's company you'd probably never seek outside of the workplace.  You literally get off on talking about others behind their backs.  The private jokes are practically orgasmic!  The laughs and sense of connection you feel are more valuable than anything!  They like me.  They really, really like me!

If you look inward at your own dysfunctions ( yep, we all have em ), then you will have to take a good long look at yourself and hold yourself responsible for your own feelings and corresponding behaviors.  When you accomplish this, you realize that you cannot change the system, but you have the power to create a healthy way to survive in it, via personal accountability. There's serious power in this, yet therein lies the fear.

You lose the excuse to bitch and moan about everything under the sun.

Now listen, I am a really nice person and a caring counselor with compassion.  Yet this particular blog topic is imperative, so I give myself permission to be particularly snarky about it.

Sooner or later, the reality will set in.  You will run out of steam.  You will realize that this muck no longer serves a purpose.  The system will not change.  Your perceptions of it along with your corresponding behaviors will. 

With said compassion and because you are worthy, I will wait for you.

 When you are ready, visit Nurse Your Spirit. 

Giving Thanks for the Gift of Sweet Sweet Crisis

The idea that the recognition of crisis in one’s life serves as an opportunity for growth and joy continues to be validated in the most marvelous ways! When sources of stress and pain no longer serve a purpose, we are left emotionally peeled down and raw, energetically left with only our reality. In a sense, we back ourselves into a corner subconsciously, in an effort to heal from the inside out, from our spiritual core to our physical existence.


How long this takes naturally varies from person to person and issue to issue.

Often, the intellectual mind will spin our realities, offering us false justifications, a toxic vortex of smart sounding and witty rationales in an ultimately thwarted effort to remain stuck. We fearfully hide behind the veil of being somewhat of an enigma.  We may be lying to ourselves, but it’s hardly convincible to others.  Some never fully stop the spin, unfortunately.  Many do, and it is an honor to witness.

Why on earth would we want to remain stuck in pain?

Because we know that in that pain is a protective cloak. If we remain stuck, we don’t have to address our own demons. We know that doing this is hard work, and very emotional. We know that it will create inner turmoil because our relationships will be altered and mostly, we actualize that we must suddenly be accountable for our own actions. There will be no more blaming the system, the parent, the spouse, the child or the lover. We know that we will have to take responsibility for our own actions, emotions and behaviors. What we are unable to see while we are intoxicated by these self inflicted numbing falsehoods is that taking responsibility for one’s own life is not only a lot of  hard heart work, but it is beautiful and empowering.  A gift all wrapped up with your name on it, signed, sealed and delivered from the universe.  All you have to do is to have faith, and open it.

When one has backed themselves into this dark and murky corner filled with inner demons and cob webs, give thanks for the ability to actually see this darkness. Realize that on a level far beyond human comprehension, we are led to this place in order to heal, in order to crystallize our vision so that we may view our surroundings in a sublimely divine manner. In that crack of light is our invitation to self empowerment as a result of the beautiful and subtle energetic shifts which spontaneously occur during this process.

Show gratitude for the gift of Grace which allows us to grow and which stays with us when we are most afraid of this darkness. Stay spiritually and emotionally fit by continually being a living example of love and compassion. Guard yourself from negativities through boundaries, not walls. Love thyself enough to stay self empowered.

Above all, always remember to Nurse Your Spirit!