Compassion Doesn’t Have to Hurt, in Nursing or Otherwise

Compassion Doesn't Have to Hurt, in Nursing or Otherwise Albert Einstein wrote: A human being is a part of the whole called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, his feelings, as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and [...]

2021-08-16T20:24:18-06:00By |Nursing|11 Comments
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Our Meditative Mind Reminds Us of Compassion While Minding the Bedside

How can we call remaining in the present “meditation?” Is meditation merely a state of non-distraction? When do you find yourself most present? Most distracted? Whether distracted or present, each moment is an opportunity, an invitation, to meditate. Many people assume that we mediate by finding a cushion or quiet place and then sit, motionless, in a state of calm bliss. But, every moment that we’re awake can also be a moment when we’re aware. Each Moment is an Invitation to Practice Each moment that we’re present, whether with our family, friends, or those we care for, is a moment [...]

2019-02-26T11:58:19-07:00By |Compassion, Nursing|1 Comment
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Meditation for Nurses: Transforming the Patient Experience…

Having been a nurse for more than 30 years as well as a long-time practitioner of meditation, I’ve come to understand that the transformation of my own mind can have a “ripple effect” on the minds of my patients. When I make it my primary intention to be present, aware and compassionate at the bedside, their experience of me as caregiver (and by extension their experience within the healthcare system) is transformed.

2014-09-08T23:55:07-06:00By |Nursing|2 Comments
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Nursing as a Practice of Meditation

Nursing as a Practice of Meditation While this week's post is directed towards nurses and healthcare professionals, I encourage all of my readers to have a look. Since healthcare and its practitioners can impact all of us at some point in our lives, it's important to know what nursing is doing about showing up at the bedside, mindful and compassionate. Enjoy!

2014-09-23T12:57:41-06:00By |Nursing|2 Comments
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Compassion Fatigue in Nursing? There’s No Such Thing! Five Reminders…

BOLD STATEMENT: there’s no such thing as compassion fatigue! What?   Have you heard all of the talk in healthcare and in the literature about "compassion fatigue?" I just did a Google® search for the keywords "compassion fatigue in nurses" and came up with 104,000 links, up from 46,700 links just last spring! What?! You’d think that we’re all suffering from burnout, which can’t be possible…or, is it? The notion that being compassionate can cause fatigue gives me cause to pause, how about you? Can compassion really lead to fatigue? Can caring so much for another cause burnout? Perhaps the [...]

2019-02-26T10:55:35-07:00By |Nursing|4 Comments
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Anchoring the Awareness of Emotions in the Breath While Meditating

Can Awareness and Meditation Practice Affect How We View Our World? A Series of Articles Part Two – Anchoring the Awareness of Emotions in the Breath When confronted with strong emotions or sensations, there are many options for awareness and what we can do and how we'll deal with whatever arises. Because strong emotions are so powerful in their ability to distract us from the present, plummeting us into a space of unconscious patterns, we need to have tools to bring our mind into a state of (relative) ease, where we won’t react to the circumstance, and then react to [...]

2012-12-06T19:31:25-07:00By |Meditation|13 Comments
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