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Some stories don’t begin with a calling; they become one. We sit down with CVICU nurse and mentor Janna Holterman to trace a path that starts in a float pool, winds through critical care and credential chasing, and collides with profound personal loss. What follows isn’t a tidy comeback—it’s a grounded, step-by-step rebuild that blends EMDR therapy, mindset shifts, and the quiet power of micro-moments at the bedside.

Janna opens up about marrying during COVID, navigating her husband’s long COVID and mental health decline, moving to Florida for a PhD dream, and the day everything shattered. She shares how EMDR helped process trauma when talk therapy wasn’t enough, and how returning to a high-acuity ICU demanded new meaning-making. From holding a hand in a final hour to washing blood from a patient’s hair, she shows how dignity-centered care can restore a sense of impact and soften burnout.

We also explore why the grass isn’t greener on another unit, how “I’ll be happy when” quietly fuels dissatisfaction, and why sustainable resilience starts with tiny, consistent investments in yourself—fifteen minutes at a time. Janna’s Radiant Nurse platform, mentorship, and podcast grew from this philosophy, giving nurses practical tools to reclaim identity beyond the shift and build careers that align with their values. It’s honest, tender, and deeply actionable—an invitation to find purpose after chaos and to notice the difference you make every day.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs it, and leave a review. Your words help more nurses find the light they deserve.

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The day a daughter takes her mother’s car keys isn’t about control—it’s about love colliding with safety. Jennifer sits down with Christine, a 21-year teaching veteran who stepped away from the classroom to care for her mom, and together we trace the hard pivot from identity to responsibility, from lesson plans to medication lists, from independence to interdependence. The conversation moves with honesty and warmth through the moments that change a life: hospital beds after bad falls, the quiet terror of role reversal, and the private negotiations that keep dignity intact when the child becomes the one who says no.

Christine shares how her teaching toolkit—empathy, clarity, and patience—became her caregiving compass. She opens up about finances after a sudden divorce, learning to stretch every dollar while juggling two households and stacks of paperwork. We lean into practical caregiver strategies that actually help: asking for backup without guilt, building micro-breaks into the week, protecting sleep, prioritizing hydration and protein, and fall-proofing the home. We talk about faith as a stabilizer, journaling as a pressure valve, and small rituals that spark joy—like declaring a Fancy Fall day or wearing a tutu simply because it keeps the spirit bright.

If you’re facing the push and pull of honoring a parent without losing yourself, this story will meet you where you are. Expect hard-won wisdom on boundaries, grace after snapping, presence over perfection, and the truth that rest is a safety protocol, not a luxury. Caregiving is rarely tidy, but meaning grows where love meets limits. Listen, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and if this conversation resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more caregivers can find their way here.

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Some days in the hospital, the confetti falls while someone down the hall is still wiping away tears. We wanted to talk about that gap—the space between appearances and what caregivers carry—and how to close it with simple, human acts that actually help. Marissa, a self-described “fun ambassador” with deep roots in healthcare, shares how she designs support that feels real: asking what people need, showing up when the day is heavy, and tailoring recognition so night shift and ICU teams can breathe instead of perform.

We trace her path from growing up around medicine to a defining crisis: septic shock and pulmonary edema while pregnant with twins, odds of survival near three percent. She remembers the moment she wanted to quit, her father’s hands on her face, and the decision to fight. Later, in an elevator, she met the anesthesia nurse who recognized she couldn’t breathe and spoke up—proof that caregivers rarely see outcomes, yet outcomes heal caregivers. That full-circle moment fuels Marissa’s mission to care for the people who care, turning survival into service.

Across the hour, we challenge the comfort of one-size-fits-all gratitude and replace it with presence. Recognition isn’t a box lunch; it’s timing a break so night shift can attend, building decompression after a code, and using language that honors the human in room seven and the human walking in from there. We talk hurricanes and Team A, Red Bull runs and quiet check-ins, faith and doubt, and the stubborn hope that healthcare can be both clinically excellent and deeply human. If you’ve ever felt unseen under a badge, this conversation brings light, practical ideas, and a reminder: you matter more than the metric.

If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who needs to hear “I see you” today. Your stories help keep the heart of healthcare beating.