GBNC

I’d like to share a short passage from The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times by Anita Sanchez, Ph.D.   Dr Sanchez explores the beauty and practical power of indigenous wisdom and living as whole, joyful human beings. Through a series of stories from her own amazing journey, the author inspires us to discover and trust our gifts showing us how to become the life-giving connection to all.

As an individual, how do I begin my own transformation?  Gratitude is but one of the first steps.  Another is to practice empathy, a caring response to another person’s emotional, physical and spiritual state; a way of being in unity with another being.  How do we practice empathy?  We first imagine ourselves in the other’s place, seeing through their eyes and holding them in the most positive light.  We notice, feel into, let ourselves understand their emotions, and we care about and value them.  In fact, we carry with us an intent to maximize the other’s emotional well-being.  This is the golden path to empathy.  Look around you; notice others who are really present to people around them.  They are bringing healing energy to community.  Watch and listen, experience their empathy, and discover how it affects you in just being present for it.  From this, we can grow our own capacity to live in the empathetic state of unity with others

Enjoy the day!
Carol

As Mary Jo Kreitzer references in her book, Integrative Nursing, person-centered, relationship-based care is cultivated by deep listening, understanding the other’s frame of reference and seeking solutions that honor their beliefs and values. This narrative with the voice of both a nursing mentor and mentee recognizes the power of this relationship upon them both as well as its impact upon patients/families. 

Mentor/Mentee Story

Lauren (mentor): My first experience with precepting was twenty-nine years ago after only six months of nursing experience.  At that time, I thought it was a completely insane request that I precept as I felt I could barely keep my head above water never mind worrying about another nurse.  Twenty-nine years later, I have never stopped precepting.  My most recent experience is the most unique situation I have ever experienced and subsequently has been the most joyful and rewarding. It has been filled with all emotions – fun, sad, happy, anxious, devastating and encouraging.  Megan (mentee and new graduate nurse) moved here from Oklahoma, a newlywed, far away from all family and friends.  One day, two months into her orientation, she was hospitalized after going blind in her left eye at work.  During this hospitalization, she underwent multiple tests along with treatment.  Despite all of these life stressors, distance from family and health issues, she continues to learn and retains a positive commitment to learning everything possible about her patients and families. I am amazed at how she has progressed and her ability to fully function despite all that she has been faced with.  She has been very selfless in her practice, able to think of patients before herself, while remaining a patient herself!  Truly amazing!  I can only hope that I have made her orientation as positive and uplifting as ever possible.  It has been, and continues to be a very joyful, fulfilling, unique experience for me.           

Megan (mentee): My experience here with Lauren has been unlike anything I could’ve imagined.  Lauren has been supportive and encouraging through all the chaos of the past few months.  Coming to the NICU to learn and to care for the babies while spending my days with Lauren has played a major role in my positive attitude.  I find true joy in coming to work and learning to care for my patients even while dealing with my own health concerns.  I have learned so many lifelong skills in my time here and hope to spread the joy I feel as a nurse to those I am caring for and working with.

Dear Colleagues~
Over the past year I have added a simple gratitude practice to my self-care routine and feel this has cultivated more joy in my everyday life.  The practice involves intentionally “lighting” a candle on this website:  https://gratefulness.org.  

When I light a candle on this website, I can see candles from all over the world that have also been lite.  In addition, I can create a “mini candle” that I drag into the corner of my computer that reminds me all day long to be grateful.

This organization was founded by Brother David Steindt-Rast who is a Benedictine monk. 

This is one of my favorite quotes by Brother David:

Each day is given and the only appropriate response is gratitude.  No day will ever be exactly like today.

Warmly,
Paula
Paula Koppel, MS, RNC, GNP-BC, AHN-BC, NBC-HWC
Age Well Be Well, LLC
PhD Graduate StudentDuke University School of Nursing

**There has been positive response to Paula’s email this am, prompting a start to a GBNC candle community. For those interested: To create our own community, in the message dedication box start your message with GBNC. When looking for messages from our community search on GBNC on the search candles box at the top of the page. All candles with GBNC will show. After opening a candle rather than clicking on “back to candles” click the back arrow on your browser so you can dip in and out of the candles in our community. **