Tenderness for Nurses

To say this has been the toughest podcast to do is an understatement!

This week I am celebrating 5 years without alcohol. 

I am so proud of myself for reaching this milestone.  When I first stopped drinking, it was day by day, then week by week. The first month, alcohol was constantly on my mind.

I still struggle with so much around alcohol, the least of all being alcohol.

I struggle with shame. The shame of not being strong enough to moderate, shame around my actions as a result of drinking, shame that I wasn’t enough without alcohol.

I asked my beautiful friend Abby Coleman to interview me.  She has known me as a drinker, and as someone who no longer drinks. She has never judged me, just been an amazing support person to me. For that I am so grateful.

I am honest and raw during this interview. I cried before, during and after this chat. It was tough to do, but, shame grows in silence and secrecy and as I’m currently working on this area of my life I wanted to be transparent. Maybe, my story might help someone. I truly hope it does.

Bek xx

Smart recover Australia  https://smartrecovery.org/

Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.google.com/search?  q=alcoholics+anonymous&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-au&client=safari    

Sober in the country https://www.google.com/search?q=sober+in+the+country&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-au&client=safari 

Fare Australia   https://fare.org.au/ 

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we chat with two brave nurses whose names we cannot share, nor the Victorian hospital they worked in due to legal reasons.
They were frontline workers during Covid performing PCR tests, vaccinations, and testing for the hotel quarantine in Melbourne.  There was also secondment to a nursing home in dire need of nurses.
Both of these nurses (and others) have PTSD and have been unable to return to work.  They were abused by hospital visitors, colleagues, patients, doctors, and hospital management.
They were verbally abused, spat on, physically abused (one sustained a fractured rib from being pushed). They were threatened, pushed, and sworn at.  They had no security assistance other than a small female security guard who would call for assistance, and no one would come to help. 
They worked huge shifts in full PPE, with little to no breaks. Minimal support was offered psychologically and the impact on their health and wellbeing has been horrendous.
Talking to me took its toll on both these women and we had to do a second recording. Although we have around four hours of recordings, we have condensed it to just 30minutes.  Maybe one day, after the dust settles from everything they are still having to face, we will release a second podcast.
Thank you ladies for your bravery and a desire to let people know what happened to you and your colleagues. 

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode we chat with Dr Lily Vrtik about boundaries for health workers.

We discuss the importance of boundaries. We breakdown what personal and professional boundaries are.

This is a complex area of healthcare which impacts us all.  An understanding of boundaries can help all health practitioners practice safely, however, it is important to have boundaries personally as it helps protect you as the practitioner and your mental health within in the healthcare space.

Please enjoy the knowledge Dr Vrtik imparts so freely!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Pod, I chat with Dr Dinesh Palipana.

Dinesh has a remarkable story; one of courage, resilience, humour, determination and courage.

We discuss him. His car accident that left him a quadriplegic, depression, his Mum and the determination he has shown on his journey to become an emergency doctor.

He is proof that any of us can do anything and that a supportive network both personally and professionally can help us soar. 

Enjoy!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode I talk with Dr Wendy McIntosh. Wendy is a is a Registered Nurse with many years experience across varied health streams.She did her PhD around shame and bullying in nursing and now supports nurses through education and mentorship.This is a fascinating conversation around these topics and Wendy offers valuable advice on management of boundaries in nursing, both professionally and personally.
She has released her own podcast and you can find the link below.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/professional-boundaries-podcast/id1488232124?i=1000457610550 

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we chat with Mikki Fisher. She is the founder of The Red Tent, psychic medium and has the podcast The Village Crazy Lady.

After our chat with Carly about the ghost of Adelaide Billing, we had so many of you ask questions about this, reach out about your own spiritual experiences in hospitals and asked for further information about ghosts, mediums and spirits.

You asked, I listened and organised a chat with Mikki. Please enjoy and listen to today’s podcast with an open heart and mind.  You’ll be surprised by what we discuss.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we chat with Meg and Lauren.

Meg talks about her experience working on the first Covid ward in Philadelphia and how tough it was as there had been nothing like this to deal with in modern medicine times.

Lauren talks about her experiences working in a busy ED in St Louis where drugs, guns and violence is a day to day workplace concern for nurses.

Two gutsy nurses who openly share their experiences of the health care space in America.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy New Year everyone! My New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to continue to talk about tenderness and how we can actively be more tender to ourselves and to others…especially in the health space.

So to start the new year off, I thought it was fitting to share 2 interviews with two amazing nurses I have become friends with from America. Alyse lives and works in Utah and Emily in Arizona.

From just taking the time to chat and connect with these two friends, I now how two beautiful colleagues across the globe who are wonderful supporters of Tenderness for Nurses, friends and beautiful humans.

You are never going to connect with everyone, but taking the time to say ‘hi’ and asking someone about themselves will always be a great start to building relationships. I have been blessed to have built some amazing relationships with American nursing and medical Colleagues.

So enjoy my chat today with these amazing ladies and their take on self care, nursing in the USA and Emily’s chat about burnout. It is truly food for thought.

And finally, I wish you all a tender 2024. Take the time to care for yourself. Show a little tenderness to those who need it, and never stop asking “are you ok, or can I help you?”. Those little sentences can change someone’s life.

With love

Bek xx

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special bonus podcast, we chat with Plastic Surgeon and aesthetic industry disrupter, Dr Christian Subbio.

The aesthetic side of medicine is full of KOL’s, rock star injectors and influencers. Sometimes it’s hard to discern if the information that is disseminated is being promoted because of the big bucks people are being paid by pharma to promote that product, or it is genuinely a great treatment, device or product.

Taking all that in to account, Dr Subbio decided to run his own conference with no influence from sponsors or big pharma.

The result was a conference like no other I have been to.  We were encouraged to critically think, debate, and question the information that was shared. 

Although, remarkably busy running and organising the conference, Dr Subbio, or Soobs, as I call him, took the time to chat with me about what pushed him to run a conference like this. How he shows tenderness to himself and stays grounded.  Like all of us, finding that balance can be tough.

Please enjoy this bonus episode! I hope it encourages you to critically think about the information we are bombarded with, within the aesthetic space.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In September this year Bek and her colleague, Charlotte Wolfenden attended NeedleArt 2023.

This conference is based in Philadelphia and run by plastic surgeon and known aesthetic space disruptor Dr Christian Subbio.

In the this episode, Charlotte and Bek discuss the conference. The differences between this conference and others they have attended and why they enjoy going abroad for conferences.

The information and the encouragement to critically think within the aesthetic industry is discussed, along with the highlights of this conference and changes they will make to their practices.

For those of you in the aesthetic stream of medicine, this chat today will highlight the need to critically think, read the papers that are published in an academic way and to think outside the box and not believe everything that is fed to us in this complex side of medicine.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.