Vol. 19, Issue 3   May 7, 2021

During National Nurses Week, we celebrate nurses and this year in particular, we infuse that celebration with gratitude. With courage, compassion, and resilience the 4 million+ nurses and LPNs in the U.S. as well as nurses across the globe have persevered during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for the rest of us.

Our skilled professional speakers — many who are nurses or have healthcare or patient experience backgrounds — are intimately familiar with the stresses of nursing, and they relate personally to their audiences.

They excel in translating their knowledge and their hard-won experience into uplifting messages – and in some cases uproarious comedy from the trenches – that rekindle the flames and put smiles back in the hearts and faces of the nurses they touch.

Today we present a short article by Deb Gauldin, RN, one of our nurse speakers, as she reflects on 30 years of entertaining and encouraging nurses in over 20 countries.

 

The Eyes Have It

by Deb Gauldin, RN

Looking deeply into the eyes of nurses around the globe has been a profound privilege.

Whether from a brightly lit stage or huddled around a dimly lit nurses station in the middle of the night, the spirit of nursing transcends circumstances and shines through even the weariest of eyes.

Weary doesn’t begin to describe the utter exhaustion felt by our colleagues during this time of unthinkable loss and moral injury. How can we come together in support and appreciation of our frontline healthcare teams?

The enormity of such a task can immobilize us or spur us into action. Here are 3 easy ways to show support and gratitude.

• Drop a personal note of appreciation to the nurses in your life. 
• Use social media to give an occasional shout out to nurses.
• If you are part of a healthcare team yourself, raise morale and improve everyone’s health by finding ways to laugh more. Be intentional. You don’t have to be funny, just see funny.

Meeting in person once again will surely feel like a soothing balm for the soul. To bask in the warmth of and witness the love shining from one another’s eyes will be an important part of our collective healing.  Shine on. Crack yourself up.  I can’t wait to see you soon!

Meantime, enjoy this creative 2-minute video  (click here) by Deb celebrating in song and pictures her nursing career path as she followed in Florence Nightingale’s footsteps.

SOCIAL FOOD FOR THE SOCIALLY STARVED?

We were out walking Bindy, our beagle, the other day on a bright, sunny, and mild day. It was such a novelty to be in the warmth of the sun that we took time to sit on a bench to soak in the rays and simply enjoy the birds singing, the general joy of being outside. We were sitting beside a paved walking path that attracts a fair number of neighborhood walkers.

I don’t know whether it’s because masks are off, now that many of us are vaccinated, and we can see faces again, or it’s simply that people are socially starved after such a long isolation, but every single person who walked by us while we sat there in the sun stopped to chat.

Not just a simple hello, or a quick acknowledgement of Bindy’s cuteness, but to have a genuine conversation, sharing from their lives and asking us about ours.

We had never met any of them before, and their open, friendly attitudes could perhaps best be described by the title of a book I’m reading, See No Stranger. It was fascinating and unexpectedly pleasurable, and after so much time when we all have had to avoid others, I hope this thirst for connection continues.

Until next time, appreciate the nurses who may have touched your life, maybe strike up a conversation with a stranger, and take care of yourself for your well being and those you love.

Barbara

 

 

For Your Well Being is published with the intention of bringing you insider speaker reports, exclusive stories about special events around the country, meeting planner tips, and fun stuff from the worlds of health and well being. Be well and be in the know!

The Speak Well Being Group is a specialized speakers bureau, focusing on health and wellness for all types of organizations that want to foster health and well being for their employees, members, clients, and in their communities.

We hand select our speakers, and they are not only experts in their fields; they inspire and motivate attendees. Our ultimate goal is to make a positive difference in their lives — a sense of wellbeing, ease, and hope — and likely enjoy some laughter and levity along the way.

Finding the perfect keynote speaker for your special event or conference is my personal passion, not just once, but year after year. It brings me great joy to know that your audience was delighted and moved by the speaker we selected together. I’m committed to making the process easy, pleasant and fun