The Self Care Unit

This week, we discuss glimmers, or moments of joy and hope that can be intentionally sought out and cultivated in our everyday lives. Glimmers are sensory cues, either internal or external, and their neurological impact comes from telling your nervous system, “You are safe.” Researchers and advocates argue that glimmers can even act as the exact opposite of a trigger, but what do Sibyl and Micheli...

Happy Pride! This episode is all about ways to support our LGBTQ+ colleagues. Jacob Bonnema joins us to talk about that by discussing the impact of scholarships, challenges in financing education, the influence of inspirational educators, unique challenges for LGBTQ+ healthcare workers, advocacy and visibility in healthcare, the role of CRNAs and advocacy, and the sense of belonging in the nursing...

This week, Sam Calvin is back to help us dive into moral distress. We discuss why it happens, its impact on nurses, and the line between moral distress and moral injury. We also explore the distinction between guilt and moral distress, responsibility and self-blame, the influence of personal and systemic factors, and how to recognize the need for help. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Moral Distress 0...

This week, Carley returns, and we take questions from you! The questions range from fun to serious, and Carley and Micheline do their best to answer them. Where do they find joy in nursing? Who would be a dream guest? What mental health or self-care strategies work to help deal with the challenges of the profession? We answer all of those and more!

This week, we dive into debriefing in healthcare. Sibyl and Micheline explore its purpose, how to get nurses on board, variations across different units, the impact of high-acuity environments, and the different emotional and professional goals of debriefing. It's so important to address moral distress and create a safe space for nurses to openly communicate about mental health! Chapters 00:00 Enc...

CW: Suicide This week, Chris and Martha Thomas, co-founders of The Defensive Line, talk with us about their work to fight the stigma of speaking about suicide. We discuss the impact of asking direct questions, the importance of listening and not judging, and the role of parents in mental health conversations. Chris and Martha also address coping with grief, fostering hope, and the importance of me...

This week, Micheline and Sibyl take a deep dive into nursing stereotypes, focusing primarily on "the mean girl to nurse pipeline" meme and "the mom" stereotypes. How do these stereotypes put nurses in boxes? What challenges exist for nurses to identify outside of said stereotypes? And how do these stereotypes discount the skills, labor, and intellectual aspects of nursing? We talk about all that a...

This week on the Self Care Unit, we have such an amazing guest! Supriya Ganesh, aka Dr. Samira Mohan from The Pitt , is here! Now in its second season, The Pitt continues to be a smash hit (particularly among healthcare workers) because of its realistic portrayal of work in a hospital, its willingness to take on real issues, and its honest depiction of the emotional toll of healthcare work. So tun...

CW: Discussions of mental health that may be sensitive to listeners. On today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Sunita Sah to learn about her groundbreaking research on influence, authority, trust, compliance, and defiance, and discuss her bestselling book: Defy: How to Speak Up When It Matters. “Why is it so hard to speak up, even when we know something’s wrong?” For nurses and for everyone, Dr. Sa...

This week, Sam Calvin stopped by to discuss decision fatigue with us. Sam gives us the basics on how decision fatigue develops, its impact on caregivers, particularly nurses, and how it can lead to burnout. We talk about how decision fatigue is a natural and expected response to sustained cognitive load, so Sam offers practical advice for mitigating its effects in a high-stress profession like nur...

CW: We discuss Alex Pretti's murder at the beginning of this episode For this special episode, we formally welcome Sibyl as our new cohost! Our beloved Carley has a bit too much on her plate with her job and wedding to be a full cohost, but don't worry, she will pop in still. Thankfully, Sibyl is here to step in. She is an incredible nurse and an awesome person, so we are so excited to have her jo...

This week, we are joined by Dr. Cambria Nwosu! Dr. Nwosu is a Legal Nurse Consultant with over 15 years of experience across clinical practice, healthcare administration, and medical-legal analysis. For those interested in a similar journey from bedside nursing to legal nursing, Dr. Nwosu explains the role of legal nurse consultants in the legal process and discusses the importance of patient advo...

Happy New Year! On today's episode of The Self Care Unit, we discuss New Year's resolutions, exploring the real psychological impact they can have, whether it is worth it for nurses to use them as a method to care for themselves, and the mechanisms behind the "fresh start" effect. We also talk about realistic goals, approach vs. avoidance, and why we should try our best not to compare ourselves to...

This week, we are focused on the night shift! Carley and Micheline are joined by Ashleigh Small, AKA, That Night Shift Nurse. As the mentor behind Flip the Shift, Ashleigh is a certified NICU nurse who has developed her own method to make working the night shift work for you. We talk about the realities of night shift work, what's important to help manage your schedule, and practices that can help...

This week, Carley and Micheline discuss the challenges and the joys of the holiday season as nurses. They reflect on what they are grateful for in their personal and professional lives, share stories of finding purpose in nursing, and offer coping strategies for those nurses who are spending the holidays away from family, maybe for the very first time. We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a h...

CW: Suicide/Suicide Ideation This week, Carley and Shannon are joined by Drew Robinson! Drew is a former MLB player, mental health advocate, and professional speaker who miraculously survived a suicide attempt, resulting in a newfound purpose of helping others and de-stigmatizing mental health. The conversation centers on Drew's story, the ways to share our struggles and build support systems, and...

This week, Shannon speaks with Colton Lord about his life as a nurse, advocate, and content creator. They discuss navigating transitions, the importance of community and support systems to take on burnout, and the complexities of finding purpose in nursing. Colton also shares his thoughts on the significance of storytelling in connecting with others, particularly as an advocate for LGBTQ+ represen...

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! We were thrilled to have Nurse Sibyl join us this week to discuss the importance of her cultural heritage in shaping her nursing journey — from the bedside to social media. We also talk about what representation means in healthcare and the challenges and rewards of being a nurse, particularly for those from immigrant backgrounds. Sibyl's passion absolutely shines in...

CW: This podcast contains discussions of mental health that may be sensitive to some listeners. This week, the conversation gets personal, as Micheline discusses her decision to start anxiety medication, specifically Lexapro. Micheline talks about her history with anxiety, her experiences having panic attacks, her initial reluctance to pursue medication, and what it has meant to share her journey...

This week, Carley and Micheline review The Pitt, Doctor Odyssey, and St. Denis Medical. All three TV shows portray healthcare and nursing, but how do they actually resonate with nurses? We discuss the ways they depict work at the bedside, laugh at some of the accuracies and inaccuracies, and discuss what makes each show good. The shows are very different from each other, but ultimately, we recomme...

CW: This podcast contains discussions of mental health that may be sensitive to some listeners. Suicide " I’m not a therapist, but I know you." September is National Suicide Prevention Month. We were honored to have Dr. Shairi Turner, Chief Health Officer at Crisis Text Line , to learn about their mental health support and crisis intervention services. We also discuss the importance of cultural co...

This week, we learn more about Integrative Health from RN and Integrative Health Practitioner, Emily Gardner! Emily walks us through how balancing conventional and complementary methods can help tackle the root causes of the most stubborn chronic conditions, such as acne, gut issues, and/or hormonal problems. Our discussion focuses on the role of stress, gut health, what functional lab testing can...

This week on The Self Care Unit, we dive into the 2025 State of the World's Nursing Report and discuss the challenges faced by the nursing profession. We cover the causes and impacts of staffing shortages, the gender dynamics of the profession, and what mental health support really looks like. What systemic changes are necessary in healthcare to build a brighter future?

This week, Sarah Lorenzini — Rapid Response nurse, host of the RapidResponseRN podcast , and nurse educator — talks with us about rapid response nursing and how to prepare yourself to succeed during emergencies. We discuss what makes her love nursing, how to develop the critical thinking and resilience you'll need in high-stress environments, and the role of intuition in patient care. For anyone w...

This week, Micheline, and Carley delve into the world of books, relaying their personal journeys into reading, the influence of social media on reading habits, and why nurses read. They talk about when and why they're drawn to certain genres, how books can impact a nurse’s perspective of themself and their patients, and wrap things up with some solid book recommendations! Book Recs: Micheline: Pro...