For more than 40 years, nursing was my life’s work.
I experienced the privilege of caring for patients and families during some of the most meaningful and vulnerable moments of their lives.
I also experienced the emotional weight that comes with that responsibility.
The exhaustion.
The stress.
The difficult cases that stay with you long after your shift ends.
The challenge of continuing to care deeply while feeling like your own needs keep getting pushed further and further down the list. At this point, you may have forgotten you have needs or at the very least, what they are!
If you’ve ever wondered whether you can continue doing the work you love without losing yourself in the process, I understand.
Because I’ve asked myself the same question.
I Know What It’s Like To Love Nursing And Still Feel Depleted.
Nurses Need More Than Clinical Skills.
Early in my nursing career, I worked on an oncology and medical-surgical unit that offered something unusual: a support group for nurses.
At the time, I was a brand-new nurse trying to navigate a demanding profession while unknowingly managing ADHD.
I needed that support more than I realized.
Those conversations became a lifeline.
More importantly, they taught me something I carried through the rest of my career:
Nurses need support too.
Not just education.
Not just training.
Not just another wellness tip.
Real support.
Connection.
A place to process what they’re carrying.
That lesson would shape everything that came next.
The Work I Loved Most Was Also The Work That Asked The Most Of Me.
The Work I Loved Most Was Also The Work That Asked The Most Of Me.
Eventually I found my way into hospice and palliative care. It felt like home.
I loved building relationships with patients and families. I loved helping people navigate some of life’s most difficult transitions. I loved being part of a care team that focused on quality of life, dignity, and compassion. But hospice nursing also comes with a reality many people don’t fully understand.
You witness grief every day.
You support families through heartbreak.
You carry stories that don’t simply disappear when your shift ends.
You continue showing up professionally, even when you’re emotionally exhausted.
Over time, I realized that caring for others was really taking its toll. (wasn’t enough). I needed to consider me and ways to care for myself(too). Not because I wanted to become a better nurse.
Because I wanted to care for myself too while doing this work.
What Helped Me
The Answer Wasn’t More Willpower.
Throughout my career, I explored support groups, imagery, meditation, relaxation practices, connection, community, retreats, and many other approaches to wellbeing.
Some helped more than others.
What mattered most was not finding a perfect formula.
What mattered was learning how to listen to myself, understanding what I needed., finding support, building meaningful relationships with other nurses.
And learning (creating) practices and making them my own that fit into my real life.
Over time I noticed something important:
The nurses who seemed to sustain themselves weren’t necessarily doing more.
They were staying connected.
Connected to themselves.
Connected to others.
Connected to what mattered most.
WHY I CREATED
Nurturing Nurses
Because Nurses Deserve The Same Care They Give Others.
Toward the end of my nursing career, I found myself reflecting on a simple question:
How can I support hospice nurses?
The answer eventually became Nurturing Nurses.
A place where hospice and palliative care nurses can feel seen, supported, understood, and less alone.
A place where emotional recovery matters just as much as professional competence.
A place where nurses can reconnect with themselves while continuing to do the work they love.
Because the goal isn’t simply preventing burnout, it’s to recover and reconnect to themselves.
Experience and Areas of Expertise
BSN, University of San Francisco
40+ years of nursing experience
Hospice & Palliative Care Nursing Certification
Training in Integrative Imagery
Member of the American Holistic Nurses Association
Member of the Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association
Former retreat facilitator and nurse educator
Experience in oncology, home health, assisted living nursing director, hospice, and palliative care,
You Don’t Have To Carry It Alone.
If you’re a hospice or palliative care nurse who feels emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or unsupported, I’d love to help.
Start with my free masterclass or learn more about The Empowered Nurse Program.