08/25/2026
One phone call change the course of my life.
Not because someone answered...
But because they didn't.
I'm still a practicing nurse.
But my heart is in coaching.
During COVID, I was working in the ER. After one particularly brutal shift, I got home and suddenly started sweating. My heart was racing. I couldn't catch my breath.
I genuinely thought I was having a heart attack....
I was in my mid-30s.
I called the employee mental health helpline, desperate for support.
After sitting on hold while hyperventilating, I was told the earliest someone could help me was... the next day.
In the darkest moment of my career, I reached out for help.
And I was turned away.
That experience changed me.
I realized three things:
✨ Giving everything I have to nursing doesn't mean nursing will be there when I need it.
✨ If I don't take care of myself, no one else will.
✨ Nursing is my profession. Not my identity.
From that day on, I started doing things differently.
I stopped sacrificing myself for the job.
I set boundaries.
I take my breaks whenever possible, and if I can't, I make sure my time is recognized.
I stopped picking up overtime just because it was available. The extra money was never worth sacrificing my wellbeing.
Before I leave the hospital parking lot, I listen to a 3-minute closing practice to help me leave work at work.
I meditate. I practice breathwork. I intentionally calm my nervous system so I can show up as the best version of myself. Not just for my patients, but for the people I love most. My family
And everything changed.
Now I have energy at the end of the day.
I'm more present with my family.
I have deeper friendships.
I wake up excited for my life more often than not.
That's why I became a Nurse Coach.
I didn't stop loving nursing...
But I know there are nurses who are surviving instead of living.
Nurses who aren't happy with how our career affects them but feel stuck.
Nurses who feel guilty for putting themselves first.
Those nurses are my people
Because taking care of yourself is selfless
It's what allows you to keep caring for everyone else.
💙 If you'd like my free 3-minute Closing Practice that helps you leave work at work,
comment "CLOSE" below or like this post, and I'll send it to you.
