Why Nurses Struggle to Ask for Help: Unpacking the Culture of Self-Sacrifice in Healthcare
Nurses are trained to assess, intervene, stabilize, and support, but rarely to receive.We’re the ones who stay late, skip lunch, cover extra shifts, absorb everyone else’s emotions, and hold entire units together during crisis after crisis. Yet when we need help, we hesitate. Why? Because nursing has built a culture, often unintentionally, where self-sacrifice is […]
Finding Stillness in the Chaos: Grounding Techniques Every Nurse Should Know
In disaster settings, emergency departments, shelters, and crisis units, chaos becomes the baseline. Nurses operate in environments filled with alarms, rapid decisions, emotional intensity, and constant uncertainty. But the body can only run on adrenaline for so long.Grounding techniques are essential, not just for patients, but for nurses who need micro-moments of calm during overwhelming […]
Conversation with the Author!
I’m excited to share the latest edition of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) podcast, PDM Podcast #23-Acute Facility Management of Blast Injuries in LMICs-in which I had the privilege of featuring Charlotte Roy, MD, MPH. In this episode we dive deep into her timely article, Acute Facility Management of Blast Injuries […]
The Weight of the Unknown: How Nurses Cope with Not Knowing What Happens After the Patient Leaves
One of the quietest burdens in nursing, especially during the holiday season, is the weight of not knowing. Unlike many professions, nurses rarely get closure.Patients arrive in crisis, in chaos, in fear… and then they leave.Sometimes they’re transferred, sometimes they’re discharged, sometimes they’re rushed to the OR or ICU, and the story ends for us […]
Topics in Trauma Nursing
The Trauma Geek is please to announce that the next session of Topics in Trauma Nursing is December 17th via ZOOM. The topic involves a very unusual case study that left many of us “experienced” clinicians hitting the Google search bar for answers. Join Steve at 8pm EST on 12/17 for an interesting time! Register […]
When the Holidays Trigger Trauma: How Nurses can Support Patients with Compassion and Cultural Sensitivity
For many patients, the holiday season is not joyful, it’s triggering.Memories of loss, violence, displacement, war, or family estrangement surface sharply during this time. As nurses, we are often the first to witness this emotional shift, especially in emergency settings, shelters, and crisis units. Understanding how trauma shows up, and how to respond with cultural […]
Human Rights Day
Today, on Human Rights Day, I’m reflecting on two powerful essays I recently engaged with, both deeply moving and deeply necessary in these times. These pieces remind me that human rights are not abstract ideals, they are deeply personal, and often painfully unmet realities. That’s what Human Rights Day calls us to remember. 🔹 Today, as we […]
The Hidden Labor of Compassion: What Nurses Carry During the Holiday Season
While many people are decorating their homes, planning gatherings, and counting down to a season of celebration, nurses are doing something else entirely: holding the emotional weight of thousands of families. The holiday season can amplify grief, intensify loneliness, and magnify trauma. Nurses become the steady presence in rooms filled with fear, uncertainty, and heartbreaking […]
Disaster Fatigue Is Real: How Nurses Can Protect Their Mental Health During Crisis Season
Disaster season doesn’t end when the news cycle moves on. Nurses feel the aftershocks long after the shelters close, the cameras leave, and the world returns to “normal.”For many frontline responders, this time of year brings disaster fatigue, a deep, layered exhaustion that builds from repeated exposure to trauma, unpredictability, and human suffering. This post […]
Why the LifeFlow 410 Belongs in Every Disaster Response Cache
In disaster settings, where seconds matter and resources are strained, having the right tools can mean the difference between life and death. One device I advocate strongly for across emergency, austere, and mass-casualty environments is the LifeFlow 410, a rapid, controlled infusion system designed to deliver fluid resuscitation fast, safely, and with precision. Whether you’re […]