💬 Show Notes Description

What if we've been labeling it wrong this whole time? In this episode of Shift Happens, I sit down with Dr. Lori Laws, nurse scholar, author of Nursing Our Healer's Heart, and founder of The Halen Academy, to talk about why healthcare burnout isn't actually burnout — it's nurse-specific (and occupational) trauma.

This conversation hit me hard (and honestly gave me chills more than once). Dr. Lori breaks down why bubble baths and yoga aren't fixing the problem, the science behind how trauma impacts our nervous system, and how we can start truly healing instead of just surviving shift to shift.

We dive into:

• Why "burnout" is the wrong diagnosis — and how trauma-informed care changes everything

• How trauma shows up in healthcare workers (even if you think you're "fine")

• What happens to your vagus nerve and mitochondria under chronic stress

• Why your nervous system literally can't heal when it doesn't feel safe

• The Microdoses Matter practice you can do in 30 seconds between patients to start regulating your nervous system

• How Dr. Lori's Innate Care Plan Framework helps healthcare workers map out their symptoms and heal from the inside out

• Why community and co-regulation are essential (and why "self-care" culture has failed healthcare workers)

This episode is deep, powerful, and packed with real solutions — not just surface-level fluff.

💬 Connect ⬇️

🩺 Dr. Lori Laws' Website 📘 Book: Nursing Our Healer's Heart 🧠 Free Trauma Symptom Assessment 🌿 The Haelen Academy: — Dr. Lorre's nonprofit supporting healers through trauma recovery

Follow Dr. Lorre Laws on: 🔗 LinkedIn 👯‍♀️ Instagram

Follow Mary Hodson on: 💪 Instagram: @MaryKathrynFitness 🧩 Free Burnout Quiz: Find your burnout type (Over-Giver, Silent Struggler, Invisible Achiever, or Checked-Out Queen) and start fixing the real problem