The humbling observation made by an attendee

🤔 "As a pastor, did your own hubris make it more difficult to identify your burnout symptoms?"

🙌 At a recent keynote in Memphis, an attendee got straight to the point with this question.

I stood up straight and looked past her for a moment.

😔 "Did my excessive self-confidence hinder self-awareness?" I rephrased her question.

"Perhaps," I said. "But not in the common sense. I've never been a pray-it-away person. Or a name-it-and-claim-it adherent to the #prosperitygospel. However, I subtly believed I was superior to people who have mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, and burnout. So, to answer your question with one word...

👀 YES

I am not alone.

Doctors and nurses can also play hashtag#healthcarehero and forget their own vulnerability.

🆔 These roles enmesh with professionals' sense of identity.

#Physicians are smart.

#Nurses are strong.

#Clergy are caring people.

But what if my smarts don't solve all the problems? Or my strength gives way to exhaustion. Or others take advantage of my caring nature?

😥 What if the helpers get depressed? Anxious? Burned out?

As our friends in AA know, the first step is admitting you have a problem. Recognizing the symptoms of burnout is a shockingly difficult task. Nearly impossible until we can no longer ignore it.

💓 I didn't recognize my burnout until I was cardioverted (shocked) in the Emergency Room at Parkview Health to reset my heart.

Then, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

Online tests for burnout are varied and sometimes costly. However, online tests for depression and anxiety are easier to find. I recommend using the tools found on Mental Health America's site.

This week, I spoke twice for the Renal Healthcare Association at Peabody Hotels and Resorts in Memphis, TN.

The audience engaged wonderfully and was kind for two hours. And far and away, the reviews said that my vulnerability, and sharing my story, meant the most to them. 🙌❤️

Therefore, I will practice being vulnerable and honest about how #healthcareburnout has affected me. Hopefully, others will feel seen and encouraged, knowing they are not alone.

❓ Have you ever experienced burnout? How did you recognize it? Share your thoughts and experiences below. Let's start a conversation on #SelfCare and #MentalHealthAwareness.

Renal Healthcare Association Annual Conference—Memphis, TN

🌟 Exploring Ethical Dilemmas & Burnout in Renal Healthcare 🌟

Renal healthcare professionals navigate complex ethical dilemmas while often battling workplace burnout.

🏥 From nephrologists to nurses, they administer not only dialysis and meds, but compassion and discernment.

But, let's address the challenges:

💔 Ethical Dilemmas: Who is a candidate for care? Who decides when the burdens outweigh the benefits? These are heart-wrenching decisions.

🔥 Workplace Burnout: The relentless demands and emotionally taxing situations can lead to emotional exhaustion.

🌱 Solutions: Together, we can make a difference.

Join me at the Renal Healthcare Association annual conference in Memphis at the Peabody Hotel this week, where I'll discuss these critical topics.

https://lnkd.in/gCv75bXG

🤝 Let's advocate, educate, and recognize the invaluable work of renal healthcare teams. Together, we'll make a positive impact!

#RenalHealthcare #EthicalDilemmas #WorkplaceBurnout #HealthcareHeroes #Nephrology #RHA2023

School nurse conference

🩺👩‍⚕️ School Nurses are unsung heroes! 💪

🌟 It's crucial to address a topic that's close to my heart (and affects a staggering number of school nurses - Workplace Burnout. These dedicated professionals are a vital part of our education system, tirelessly caring for our children's health and well-being. 📚👧👦

🔥 Burnout is a real concern, and it's time we shine a light on it. 🕯️

🗓️ Mark your calendars for November 15th when I have the privilege of delivering a Keynote at the INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL NURSES INC conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville Indianapolis Conference Center. 🎙️🌐

Together, we'll delve into the challenges faced by school nurses and explore strategies to help them thrive in their roles.

Let's come together to support and empower these incredible caregivers. 🤗💼

Join me at the conference, and let's make a difference! 🤝 Check out all the details and register here:

Conference Event Page: https://lnkd.in/gRbQGQwN

#SchoolNurses #Burnout #Empowerment #IAmHereForYou #KeynoteSpeaker #INASNConference #HealthcareHeroes 💙💊

Nurse Wellbeing

🎉 I am excited to share that I'm presenting a Keynote for Carle Health's nurse wellbeing conference!

📈 Nurse burnout rates are incredibly high--with most studies showing a greater than 50% rate.

😢 When clinicians are burned out, it affects us all.

😑 The moral distress they experience can leave them feeling numb and hopeless.

😀 But it doesn't have to be that way! There are steps organizations can take to avoid burnout in the workforce. And steps burned-out coworkers can take to recover.

📢 I will share these steps and more with nurses at Carle Health later this year, thanks to the invitation of Danielle Lawler, MSN, RN, CMSRN, and her team.

#burnoutrecovery #nursewellness #keynotespeaker

One year after crashing

Labor Day 2022

I woke up with a strange feeling--like my heart was skipping beats over and over.

For years, I had been under considerable stress.

In 2020, I led our ethics committee as we hastily made preparations for the global pandemic. I led our chaplain team, which responded to 5,563 deaths during the pandemic.

2021 was a year of death and grief. Kristen Riecke's sweet dad died. Our good friend Bre died during childbirth just down the hall from my office at Parkview Health. And several other family members died before July arrived.

In 2022, I experienced my worst leadership struggles to date, and my leader at the time threatened to fire me. I didn't know it yet, but my anxiety was starting to drive the car, and I was along for the ride.

This resulted in new physical and mental health problems. "Vagally-mediated Atrial Fibrillation" Meaning that stress had compromised my nervous system so badly that my heart was out of rhythm. This is actually pretty common.

So, in the ER on Labor Day 2022, I received 255.1 joules of electric shock. Without sedation (my choice).

I was wide awake when the doctor said, "Charging. Clear. Clear." Then, whoosh!

My arms and legs shot up off the bed, my teeth slammed together, my eyes widened beyond capacity, and my belly jumped toward the ceiling. My heart returned to a sinus rhythm.

In the coming months, I experienced 30+ days on a heart monitor, a shaved chest (yuck), therapy, an official depression and anxiety diagnosis from my doctor, but most profoundly...

The sense that something had to change. Everything had to change.

In the 12 months since that day, here are SOME of the many steps I have taken to recover and overcome what I now know as MORAL DISTRESS and BURNOUT:

1. Secured intermittent FMLA

2. Daily nervous system work (thank you Sukie Baxter)

3. Decreased focus and intensity at work

4. Meditation

5. Worked on my bucket list (thank you, Ben Nemtin)

6. Adjusted my expectations of myself

7. Journaled 2-3x per week

8. Counseling (thank you, Cheryl Confer)

9. Committed to new boundaries (no more checking work email at all hours)

10. Regular walks

11. Self-discovery (thank you, Enneagram)

12. Opened up with trusted friends (thank you, William Curry, Matt Burke, Jana Vastbinder, Jon Swanson, and Kristen Riecke)

13. And I (finally) started some medication for my mental health

They say that recovery from burnout takes 1-3 years. Today, I have been in recovery for one year. I am not done.

hashtag#mentalhealthawareness hashtag#burnoutrecovery hashtag#burnout