Last Chance for Early Bird Retreat Registration! Save your spot today!
Originally Published March 23rd, 2023
We can't believe how fast 2023 is flying by! The countdown is already beginning for our April retreat - it's only a month away! When Laura and I planned our first retreat in March 2021, the thought of meeting in person truly felt like an impossible dream. Every time I work on the retreat, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for this opportunity - I'll never take gathering in person for granted again.
As Laura wrote about last week, gathering is deeply vulnerable work, especially when you are meeting with people you haven't met before. Yet, it is these first steps into the unknown that allow us to dismantle the isolation, the hierarchies, the silos that keep us all separate in healthcare. We encourage you to join us next month for a day of community and connection! What you can expect is a day filled with time in nature, spaces for napping, time to engage our creative side, and opportunities for rest and reflection. While I dream someday these will become practices embedded in our work environments, until that day comes, we are here to help create these spaces for our community!
If you are curious about what we did in our October 2022 retreat, please feel free to check out our instagram highlight story titled Retreat 2022!
We of course do not want cost to a barrier for attending.Please reach out to us if we can help in any way! And don't forget to ask your institution and use your CME funds for the event! Last year, we had an participant whose full retreat registration was covered by their CME funds so this can be a great opportunity to use our healthcare resources to benefit our well being. Please reach out if we can help support that in any way.
What are sources of gathering that you are feeling gratitude for? We'd love to hear from you.
With gratitude and love,
Anu & Laura
Creating space to rest and connect is essential in our busy lives. Yet, between juggling all of the responsibilities of work and home, it can be so hard to find time to slow down, pause, and rest.
Retreats are a wonderful opportunity to tend to our inner worlds and reconnect with our purpose and values. Join us for a day of community, connection, expressive art, writing, and time in nature with the opportunity to earn 8 CME through CMEFY!
Register by March 25th to eligible for discounted early bird pricing. Any questions/concerns about the retreat? Worried about the price? Don't hesitate to reach out to us- we are happy to work with anyone and never want price to be a barrier!
Community Spotlight: Tara Ryan Kosmas
In celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, we are honored to feature some of the incredible women in our community who inspire us. This week, I am honored to celebrate our friend Tara Ryan Kosmas who is a constant source of inspiration for us in her dedication to supporting the wellbeing of nurses!
Life as a pediatric burn survivor shaped Tara’s experience and led her to the nursing profession.
At the age of 20, Tara began what would be her 14 year career in burns and critical care. Despite her lived experience as a burn survivor, she felt grossly underprepared for what she would experience. “Those years were equally hard and humbling - and a bit blurry as trauma tends to be. They provided me with a powerful message, in taking care of the dying, I learned to live.”
From critical care, Tara moved into academia and is former Assistant Professor and Simulation Lab Coordinator having worked at Florida Gulf Coast and Towson University.
As the scope of nursing trauma changes so must the way we approach post traumatic response recovery. It was for this reason, Tara became certified in debriefing, peer support and founded Debriefing The Front Lines (DTFL). She is a known educator and fierce mental health advocate within the nursing profession.
DTFL offers structured debriefing, emotional wellness offerings by board certified nurse coaches, monthly CE workshops and nervous system regulation tools to nursing navigating the physical, emotional and spiritual effects of cumulative care taking trauma.
Alone is no longer enough. DTFL offers single session, packages and debriefing subscriptions as well as debriefing scholarships to nurses working the bedside and beyond.
Checkout Laura's Article in Interfaith America Magazine!
Healthcare Workers Find Community in Podcast Gathering
Laura wrote an incredible reflection about the podcast listening she hosted for women in healthcare in Sacramento a few weeks ago! Read her article below!