Join us as Tara Rynders (MFA BSN BA RN) (she/her) reveals the transformative power of play and care in the workplace, sharing her deeply personal journey from nurse to artistic healer and how a simple act of receiving care redefined her life's mission.

Tara Rynders, she/her, RN, MFA, BSN, BA aka "the dancing nurse" is a speaker, storytelling, researcher, and a dancer. Rynders has been a registered nurse for over twenty years and received her Master’s in Fine Arts in Dance and Somatic Practices in 2011 from The University of Colorado at Boulder. Rynders, an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, is the founder and artistic director of The Art and Heart of Healthcare, an arts- based company that provides workshops and research around burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Rynders is extremely honored to have been named, A Blade of Grass Fellow, a three time Arts in Society grantee, a 2019 Colorado Nightingale Luminary, the recipient of Rose Medical Center’s Excellence in Nursing Award in Compassionate Care, a Hamilton Awardee in Arts & Resiliency from the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH), the 2022 EY Next Wave Leader Award from the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts and a Fulbright Specialist where she recently returned from Amsterdam finishing up her research in arts, health, and resiliency. She has recently been published in the AMA Journal of Ethics (2022) and American Journal of Medical Quality (2022). Rynders has worked with healthcare systems across the US and most recently contracted with Kaiser Permanente in Northern CA working with over 1000 nurses over the last two years. Fun fact: Tara is a mother to 9 year twins, Soren and Femka, and her hidden talent is she can make the sound of the spaceship on Asteroids without moving her face at ALL. She hopes she gets the chance to show you.

Below are the key takeaways from this episode:

• Self-Worth and Receiving Care: Tara Rynders shares a pivotal moment in her life when she learned to receive care, illustrating that self-worth isn't just about how much you give but also about recognizing you are deserving of care and support.
• The Power of Play: Tara emphasizes the importance of play in the workplace, describing it as a gateway to emotional release and connection. Through her workshops, she helps participants reconnect with their inner joy and creativity, which can transform their work environments.
• Brilliance and Resilience: The concept of "rebrillency" is central to Tara's workshops, focusing on recognizing and honoring the inherent brilliance and resilience in every individual. This reframing is crucial for fostering a more supportive and human-centered work culture.
• Challenging Norms: Tara's drive to challenge the status quo in healthcare and beyond underscores the importance of not taking "no" for an answer. Her determination to merge the worlds of dance and nursing showcases how innovative approaches can address systemic issues like burnout and loneliness.
• Presence in Friendship and Leadership: The episode highlights the value of being present and offering genuine care, whether in friendships or professional settings. Tara's experiences demonstrate that our greatest impact often comes from simply being there for others, without trying to fix or solve their problems.

Todays guest, Tara Rynders, can be found online at:

Website: https://www.tararynders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-rynders-speaker-nurse-dancer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarathedancingnurse/

YouTube: www.theclinicperformance.com

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda