73: More Inspiring Nurse Voices from the 2024 INCA Symposium

73: More Inspiring Nurse Voices from the 2024 INCA Symposium Transcript

Nicole Vienneau  00:02

Welcome, and welcome back to the Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION! podcast. Episode 73 continues on with the excitement, wisdom and positive energy of the 2024 Integrative Nurse Coach Symposium in Miami, Florida. Now, if you missed Episode 72, go there, listen to it, you can find it in the show notes.

It contains all the fun, the insights and learnings from days one and two. And this episode, number 73, will continue on from the end of day two to day three. And the enthusiasm and absolute love for Nurse Coaching, and Nursing, and each other continues in abundance. Here we go. 

Oh, wait. Before we get to today’s podcast, let’s take three deep breaths in and out together. 

1…2…3… 

Now we’re ready. 

So I was thinking about all of you listening who really wanted to come to the conference, and you couldn’t get here. We miss you so much. 

And I know it’s tough to get to these things, lots of different barriers can keep us back and we need to do a lot of planning, et cetera, et cetera. I just want to let you know that you were really missed. And I hope that some of this enthusiasm and inspiration just really connects to you and your heart. 

And I hope you feel like you are with us. Because really and truly you are with us. You’re in each of ourselves and we’re so so thankful that you’re part of this amazing community. So as I’m reflecting on the past couple days, like we have had a lot of really cool presentations, starting with an opening with Karen Avino. 

And then we had this coolest sound healing opening ceremony with Chelsea McGee. Then we heard speaker Shirley Gordon and Nancey France speak on the power of Nurse Coaching— Transforming the System from Illness Care to Healing Care. Then we had Holly Carpenter lead us and facilitate Nurse wellbeing— Hope, Help and Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. 

Then we listened to Marie Etienne promoting a culture of respect and inclusivity— Do’s and Don’ts When Caring for Underserved Populations. And then we got to experience group healing circles. And then we finished off that day one with happy hour and really fun networking reception. 

On day two, we started with a beautiful awareness practice. Then we heard Brigitte Sager talk on Functional Nutrition Approach to Healing and with the Elimination Diet. Then we heard from Christina Cowgill— The Neuro Goal Connection: Rewiring Success with Mindset Hypnosis and Brain Circuits. 

After an amazing lunch, we heard from Lindsay Johnson, speaking on Trauma Awareness for Nurse Coaches. We heard from Love Hawkins and Judy Ratliff on Medical Cannabis and the Role of the Nurse. Then we had a scrumptious Yoga for Nurses with Lisa Ostler, and we did that outside on the patio overlooking the water. 

Then we finished off the day with an amazing gratitude dinner, which was a celebration of the amazing Nurse excellence within the room. On day three, we heard from Deborah McElligott and Karen Avino speak on Healing Communities and Organizations. And of course, we started it all off with an awareness practice. 

Then we heard from Catie Harris, who shared The Blueprint for Success: Launching Your Private Practice Coaching Business. And then we finished off the day hearing from Karen Avino and Karly Mertz speaking to The Future Directions in Integrative Nurse Coaching. And then, of course, a beautiful closing ceremony and sound healing with Chelsea McGee. 

It was an amazing three days, and I know you hear all the excitement and wisdom of all of our amazing guests on the podcast. And I hope you can feel how much energy Nurse Coaches bring to the universe. It will continue. And so it is. 

Nicole Vienneau  05:01

We just had this most amazing hypnosis experience with Christie Cowgill, who did an incredible presentation about Nurse Coaching and Hypnosis. And I am sitting with…

Linda Harms  05:13

Linda Harms from St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Nicole Vienneau  05:16

And we just shared this scrumptious lunch and we were chit chatting and just enjoying each other’s company. And then I became curious, I wanted to know what happened for you during the hypnosis portion and experience?

Linda Harms  05:34

Well, it was quite powerful. And I was amazed. Like when she described the mist around us, I actually could feel, I could actually feel like a mist around me. And then she described it as, well, I’m actually not sure, but I, what my mind did was kind of it holding me and being supportive and safe. 

And it was lovely. And I really appreciated that practice, it felt like what we’ve been doing kind of taken to another level. And it was lovely.

Nicole Vienneau  06:17

Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Do you recall the three things that you saw at the end?

Linda Harms  06:28

Well, when she said three years forward, the first thing I thought of is that my youngest would be a senior in high school. And what I saw was him just thriving, and doing great in school. And then the second thing is we’ve had a bathroom under construction for a long time. 

And when one of the things was our home, the bathroom was finished. And it was so wonderful to have the second bathroom finished. And the third thing was about my work. And I still couldn’t see specifics, but I just had a feeling that my Nurse Coaching, wherever it took me, was thriving and well. 

And I couldn’t see specifics and but I just had a really wonderful feeling about it, a very peaceful, supported, positive… Can you be energetic and peaceful at the same time? I think it felt both. I felt and it was great. And as I’m saying this into the microphone, I’m cheering up again. 

It was a lovely experience. And the partner I was with, she had a phenomenal description of her life in three years. And it was just so great to say to her, thank you, you have a wonderful life, it just, I could feel her life is going to be wonderful. My life is going to be wonderful.

Nicole Vienneau  08:06

And so it is. So here we are at another break. And it’s my favorite time of the day because I get to talk to amazing Nurses and Nurse Coaches. And right now I am speaking with…

Desiree Gallamore  08:21

Desiree Gallamore and I’m from Roseville, California.

Nicole Vienneau  08:24

Desiree, tell me, so far throughout this day, we’ve heard some really amazing speakers and learned a lot, both to use with our clients, our patients, our communities, and also to use for ourselves and our own personal learning. So I’m curious what you have found to be the most impactful learning you’ve had for yourself today.

Desiree Gallamore  08:49

I think the most impactful moment was the hypnosis session. I have never done hypnosis. And I was… first off, let me go back a little bit. The energy in this room is incredible. There’s like powerhouse Nurses in here that all have this vision to like make healthcare better. And so I think that I was very open to this hypnosis session because I’m just in this like room full of these powerful people. 

So I arrived at it, and for the first time when I do meditation, my brain is very much like swiping thoughts away from my… that are coming in as I’m trying to quiet my mind. But when she was doing hypnosis, I was just there agreeing and listening to everything she said. 

And what came forward to me was a really clear vision of where I want to be. And it’s a vision that I already knew. But when she brought it to me, it was a vision without all of the self doubt and the fog and the outside chatter. And it was my vision was very clear and exactly how I wanted it. 

And so it goes back to like everything we learn in Nurse Coaching is that everyone has the answers inside, we just need these tools to find our answers.

Nicole Vienneau  10:06

So beautifully said. I have to ask, what came up for you that you saw as your vision?

Desiree Gallamore  10:17

First, so like, as she explained the fog was pulling back, first… I’m probably going to cry… appeared my daughter, she’s six now and I thought in three years, she’ll be nine. And then to the left of her was my son, and in three years, he’ll be six. And then to the right of them was my husband. 

And they were standing in front of a beautiful home that was on a piece of property. And then I turned around and looked at myself, and I was centered, grounded, and a Nurse Coach who was present for my family, and present for myself and healthy. 

And it was like I had this balance in life and everything that was like at our core of family values and love and trying to be as present as a family as possible was there. And everyone was just there in this whole picture. It was so clear. And so like, I can do this, and I didn’t… I feel self doubt all the time, because I think it’s just normal in our world. And it was just very clear that I can achieve everything right there.

Nicole Vienneau  11:32

So now I am with…

Melanie Watson  11:34

Melanie Watson from Hillsborough, North Carolina. 

Nicole Vienneau  11:38

Thank you for being with us, Melanie. So as you evaluate and look back to all of the events of today, and maybe even yesterday, what’s one thing that’s really standing out for you as being impactful in moving you forward in your Nurse Coaching career?

Melanie Watson  11:56

That is a great question. Something that actually came up for me after this last presentation, just on our somatic work and feeling things in our body, is that, you know, I’ve learned a lot through the functional medicine course for Nurses, that our environment impacts a lot of our health and wellbeing. 

So the things we eat, our stress, toxins we’re exposed to, and there was a big focus on things our bodies are exposed to from the outside world. And what was really neat today was to hear about taking things like irritable bowel syndrome, where we can focus on a lot of different things, it might be something physical, like what we’re choosing to eat, it might be somatic work. 

So there’s a lot of ways, it’s not just learning the one right way to help our clients and educate them on how to deal with a particular condition. There’s a lot of different options, and what might speak to one client might speak differently to another client. So I think it’s just a broadening scope of all of the tools that we can use as Nurse Coaches to help our clients.

Nicole Vienneau  13:06

So not one size fits all. And we continue to evolve and learn. And things may connect with us as individuals, and then those things may then connect with our clients.

Melanie Watson  13:19

Yeah. And I think really knowing that we will all always be learning. There’s the really cool thing about coming here is just seeing all of the different gifts everybody has, everybody has a different interest and strength. And I think that’s what makes Nursing so amazing. If we were all the same and all wanted to practice and know things in the same way, that would be a little bit boring. So I think we’re really just fascinating people to be around.

Nicole Vienneau  13:52

So we just completed some amazing education surrounding trauma, trauma response, how we can support people with trauma, the realization that we may have experienced trauma ourselves. And so here I am sitting with…

Sheela Abarr  14:08

Sheela Abarr from Eagle River, Alaska. 

Nicole Vienneau  14:12

Sheela, what has been most impactful for you in relation to anything that you’ve learned today?

Sheela Abarr  14:19

Oh, gosh, it’s really hard. I guess the one thing that’s impacted me most here is just to see all these incredible Nurses that are looking to grow the Nurse Coaching, and that they all come from different areas of passion and compassion. And so there’s something for everybody here and also that component of the caring for themselves. 

So putting that all together. So looking at this in a bigger picture rather than just one little thing. But to me to see this and being an older person at a different place in my life, to see all the young people. And this growing just makes me really excited for where the Nurse Coaching profession is gonna go.

Nicole Vienneau  15:12

Ah, so wonderful. And you said you’re from Alaska, so you traveled all the way from Alaska to Miami to be here. Why did you come?

Sheela Abarr  15:20

Because when I started doing this— which the Coaching part was back in 2016. And this is where I get filled up. And this is where my battery gets recharged, being around other people, hearing new ideas, and also the sunshine was quite alluring.

Nicole Vienneau  15:45

So we are all in zen mode, the sun is starting to go down. We just completed a beautiful yoga session that was just unwinding and loosening and just relaxing our whole bodies and beings after all this purposeful learning today. Yeah. And so now I’m with…

Maggie Gardener  16:08

This is Maggie Gardener from Seattle, Washington.

Nicole Vienneau  16:14

And so we are just enjoying this zen mode after the yoga class. So just contemplating your day so far, just what things are sticking out for you or are creating that just more contemplation for you?

Maggie Gardener  16:30

Oh, my gosh, like, expansion is the word that comes to mind. All the things that we could do as Nurse Coaches, and our full potential is just in my face right now. And just seeing all these amazing credentials and all these, you know, incredible academic, you know, RNs and yeah, where we could go, all the places we could go.

Nicole Vienneau  16:58

So what do you envision as where we could go?

Maggie Gardener  17:03

Hmm. It’s a great question. I feel like the world is our oyster. We just have to prove to the world what we have to offer. And we’re doing that with our task force, you know, doing all the evidence based work and the research and it’s so important. What can we do? I mean, Chief Wellness Officer sounds pretty great. Yeah, so I’m gonna set my sights on that. 

Nicole Vienneau  17:28

Oh, that sounds exciting. And what would you think of one of your main priorities as a Chief Wellness Officer?

Maggie Gardener  17:34

Nurses are having a hard time. I talked to a lot of Nurses as an admissions counselor through INCA and they are really burnt out. They’re ready to leave the system. And I feel like INCA offers them a saving grace to stay as a Nurse. Because you really can have it all. I would love to support the Nurses. Yeah. I’d love to reduce the burnout that we’re seeing, you know, nationwide.

Nicole Vienneau  18:06

Sounds wonderful. Thank you.

Maggie Gardener  18:08

You’re welcome. Thank you.

Nicole Vienneau  18:10

We are sitting at an amazing gratitude, celebratory dinner after day two of learning so many incredible things. And I am sitting beside…

Love Hawkins  18:25

Love Hawkins from Destin, Florida.

Nicole Vienneau  18:29

And Love and Judy Ratliff did the most amazing presentation on cannabis and just really helping us see the possibilities of cannabis and so many incredible things. And so now I’m not going to ask Love anything about cannabis. Instead, I’m going to ask her what has been a highlight of her day today?

Love Hawkins  18:53

Oh, wow. So my highlight of the day, probably was, yes, speaking about cannabis. For sure. Definitely. And letting Nurses know their place in that space and how we can help support our patients to be safe in their use.

Nicole Vienneau  19:17

When you were on stage speaking, I was in just gratitude, because you’re obviously passionate about this topic. It’s a controversial topic. And yet you’re having this bravery and vulnerability in one to stand up and voice your concern, your love, your acknowledgement of Nurses maybe not understanding or knowing this information. And here you are standing up and sharing your voice. And so how does that feel to do that?

Love Hawkins  19:54

It feels good because it’s what my heart desires, for Nurses to know our place in assisting our patients in helping keep them safe. That’s what we took the oath to do, to keep our patients safe, to do all that we can to keep them safe. And making sure that they know the things to make that happen, especially when it comes to when they’re taking other medications that coincide with them taking cannabis. 

We want to make sure that they’re doing that safely, spacing that around, no matter what our preferences are, or thoughts about it, you know, like if you still hold certain biases against it, to put those biases to the side for the betterment of those patients. Yes, for sure. 

Nicole Vienneau  19:55

Yeah. And I was surprised, because there was a journal article that you posted in the presentation, which contains information that Nurses are expected to know. And yet when you ask the question, how many of you have read this article, there were only a handful of people that raised their hands.

Love Hawkins  21:09

Exactly. I don’t know how… there’s what, at least 100 people here, I think maybe four raised their hand that they knew about that document. It’s a 61 page document that was released in 2018, about what every Nurse should know, in regards to medical cannabis. 

And so that message needs to be out, you know, we need to know this information. So it’s just very important. I’m very passionate about that. I just always want to keep the patients safe.

Nicole Vienneau  21:39

Yeah. And I know that all of the people in the room want to keep their patients safe. And it just has not been privy or we’ve not been privy, potentially, to this information. So I appreciated that you said, hey, here, here’s the link and the resources. 

And I downloaded all of that. So I’ll be on the lookout, and hey, maybe let’s put this in the show notes too. So that we have that available for Nurses to click on and to understand more. And if nothing else, having the conversations. 

Love Hawkins  22:06

Exactly, exactly. And I have tremendous, tremendous gratitude in being able to witness the benefits that the medical cannabis has provided for a lot of my clients. So seeing that transformation and seeing them smile again, seeing them feel good again. 

I mean, that they found something that that can happen where like even it is has helped them with like their levels of depression, you know, and lifting their spirits and things like that. And they’re doing things that they haven’t done in years and things of that nature. 

So it just feels good to make a positive impact and just assisting in lifting humanity honestly, because I mean, everyone’s always going through something. I mean, no one’s immune to going through life’s challenges. So in any way that I can assist in easing suffering, that’s where I’m at. That’s what I want to do.

Nicole Vienneau  23:03

And so it is.

Love Hawkins  23:04

And so it is. Thank you very much.

Nicole Vienneau  23:06

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Nicole Vienneau  24:20

So we have just experienced the most beautiful gratitude dinner. Excellent food, beautiful conversations, fun conversations, lively conversations and also very in depth and loving conversations with each other, just getting to know each other and sharing special time together. So right now I am with…

Dawn Hawthorne  24:45

Dawn Hawthorne from Orlando, Florida. 

Nicole Vienneau  24:48

And I’m also with…

Susan Cacciola  24:49

Susan Cacciola from Sparta, New Jersey. 

Nicole Vienneau  24:53

And we were just talking about the last two days about what we’ve enjoyed and just sharing some of the gratitude that we are feeling because of this time together. So, share with our listeners, just one thing that you’re really grateful for at this moment.

Dawn Hawthorne  25:11

I am grateful for the connection that I felt with people that I didn’t know. And yet when we came together, the energy was amazing. And people just open their hearts. And we’re just showed kindness and shared love. And I was just so appreciative of that.

Nicole Vienneau  25:30

I’m just breathing that in for a moment. What do you think about this conference?

Susan Cacciola  25:41

I think it was a great way for Nurses to think outside the box and embrace a specialty, like holistic Nursing or integrative Nurse life Coaching, and take their skills and embrace Eastern and Western healthcare practices and bring it forward into modern life. And teach people tools for their toolbox, and give Nurses an opportunity to become entrepreneurs.

Dawn Hawthorne  26:14

I totally agree with that. Right question. I really felt the energy of the room, we had great speakers, we just had a fun time together where people, I think we co-created relationships, we appreciated each other, we learned new words, it was probably one the best Nursing conference I’ve ever been to. Totally wonderful. 

Susan Cacciola  26:41

I’m totally in agreement. And it was the best Nursing conference ever. And I’ve been a Nurse for 43 years. So it you know, it’s about people who really have such wonderful ideas and ways of working with others that give them ways to ground and to center and to deal with stress, and to deal with life. And so you can’t get better than that in our modern world.

Nicole Vienneau  27:10

Thank you both for joining and sharing your thoughts on the Integrative Nurse Coach Symposium. We’re so thankful that you were here and sharing your beautiful energy with all of us. 

Dawn Hawthorne  27:20

I will be back next year.

Susan Cacciola  27:23

Absolutely.

Dawn Hawthorne  27:25

We’re committed to coming back next year. And we hope others will join us. 

Susan Cacciola  27:29

Yes. And taking more of the courses offered.

Nicole Vienneau  27:33

Oh yes. And some of the specialty courses and just diving into things that really interest us and exposing ourselves to more as we go.

Nicole Vienneau  27:41

So here I am on a beautiful, quiet sunrising day. I’m overlooking the water. There is this very unique plant that has beautiful flowers. And I am reflecting about the last few days. These days have been filled with love. So many beautiful Nurses and supportive people in the room. 

Learning and laughing and connecting and sharing stories of hope and healing, learning new things, sharing knowledge and experiences to support. And I feel uplifted. I also recognize how much effort something like this takes, all of the hours of planning and dreaming. 

And then finally it comes to fruition. So I really appreciate all of the people who have touched a piece of these past few days to really open up the possibilities of becoming and well becoming. Oh, and a fish just jumped. And so it is, and so we continue our journeys, and we’ll all go our separate ways. And yet, we’ll also be connected. 

There’s always some ways in which we can touch each other’s lives and reach out and support and love and share compassion and listen and just be with from afar as well. So thank you so much for being along this journey with us, listening to our stories, things that touched our heart, things that we’ve been learning. 

And if you’re ever considering, and I know you might be considering, so if you’re considering being a part of this amazing group of Nurses, just listen to your heart. Your heart knows. You know. Come join us. And if you are listening and you are already part of us, thank you so much for being here, for impacting my life, and for impacting all of the lives that you touch on a daily basis. You are so loved. 

Nicole Vienneau  28:24

So here we are on the morning of our last day. And we have experienced and met and learned so many things, people, ideas and concepts. And so here I am sitting with…

Judy Ratliff  30:57

Judy Ratliff. Afton, Minnesota. I’m in Afton.

Nicole Vienneau  31:02

And just take a moment to reflect over the past few days. And what is coming up for you as being one of the most impactful things from the past few days?

Judy Ratliff  31:24

I think the energy here, you know, the energy of people who are somewhat like minded, but so creative, and in their own ways, coming together to want to make change and are excited and are passionate about what they’re doing. It’s been such a fabulous vibe, all the days of this conference and being able to meet people, I think that’s been one of the most impactful.

Nicole Vienneau  31:53

Yeah, I totally agree. There’s so many fun people here, brilliant minds, the energy, it’s positive, uplifting, supportive. 

Judy Ratliff  32:03

It’s been great. 

Nicole Vienneau  32:04

Thank you so much for doing all of your work in preparation for all of this event as well. 

Judy Ratliff  32:09

Absolutely. It’s been fun. Thanks, Nicole.

Nicole Vienneau  32:16

So here we are at breakfast, enjoying a very yummy avocado toast and some fruit and some fresh foods with all of our amazing colleagues. It’s a little quiet in here, because we’re some of the first people that are arriving this morning. And today’s our last day. And that’s good. And that’s also a little sad, because we’ve had an amazing few days. And here I am with… 

Justina Green  32:42

Justina Green. 

Nicole Vienneau  32:44

And where are you from?

Justina Green  32:45

Sacramento, California.

Nicole Vienneau  32:46

Love Sacramento. So, in contemplating the past few days, what is one or two… Or what are one or two things that have been very impactful for you?

Justina Green  33:01

That’s a hard question to answer because there’s so many tidbits. I think the last couple of days, the opportunity for connecting with others. I’ve felt like I was on an island at times in the last year and a half on this journey with Nurse Coaching. And to be reminded that I’m absolutely not on an island. 

And there are connections available. We just have to show up and be open to new people, new ideas and new ways of doing things. There was talk on the first day about the word voyage versus journey. And just the terminology shift, I think, with some of the lingo or language that we kind of get stuck in without really understanding like, what do we mean by that. 

So I really liked just the time to kind of sit back and think about things differently, even though we’re talking about the same sorts of things throughout my life. So I like the word voyage, to me that involves adventure and a little bit of risk. 

And which resonates because throughout this Nurse Coach journey for me, there’s fear, there’s always fear, but it’s the fear and do it anyway, turning it into courage. And so a voyage to me kind of embraces that part too, where you’re fearful, but you’re doing it anyway. And yes, there’s risk involved because it wouldn’t be fun otherwise, and it wouldn’t be meaningful.

Nicole Vienneau  34:33

I love this. And I’m just connecting… I’ve connected to a lot of the things that you just said, but the one thing about being feeling like you’re being or you’re living on your own island, because we do feel isolated sometimes, we’re all over the place. 

I mean, we’re all over different states, different cities and coming back to these kinds of conferences is important for us in our refilling our cup and supporting and feeling connected again. And the important thing that you said, like we can reach out, we can ask each other and feel a great sense of that anybody would say, yeah, of course, let’s connect. 

Justina Green  35:15

Right, exactly. I find it very interesting that I came all this way to find somebody from my same county, right away. And so it’s just, there’s these sweet moments, these glimmers that are confirmation that, you know, things are aligned, I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing and the universe knows.

Nicole Vienneau  35:37

And now we’re just chit chatting. And that’s one of my favorite times of the day. And so right now I’m sitting with…

Rita Linnenkamp  35:43

Rita Linnenkamp from Maryland.

Nicole Vienneau  35:46

Welcome, and also sad, because today’s our last day. And we’ve experienced a lot together and listened to so many amazing presenters, and then had all of this incredible social time as well to connect and just love on each other and share important time together. And I’m curious, what has been most impactful for you over this whole… these last few days?

Rita Linnenkamp  36:16

Everything has been impactful. I’ve never been to a conference that I wanted to go to every single session. And the people that I’ve met has been incredible. But yesterday I did the yoga class, I’ve never really done yoga, I’ve always thought I needed to do cardio. 

And it was a phenomenal experience. I felt like I reconnected with my body in a different way. And I woke up this morning feeling great. So I’m so glad that I decided when I came that I was going to explore everything the conference had to offer. And I’m so glad that I did.

Nicole Vienneau  36:50

I’m so glad you did too. And what a beautiful way to reconnect, like you said, reconnecting with your body. And I’m sure mind, soul, everything is reconnected.

Rita Linnenkamp  37:02

Yes, yes, definitely. Yes, it was a great experience.

Nicole Vienneau  37:09

So here I am sitting with…

Brittany Jarvis  37:11

Brittany Jarvis from Athens, Ohio.

Nicole Vienneau  37:14

And, Brittany, I’m curious to know, what are you taking away with you when you go back home?

Brittany Jarvis  37:22

Perfect question. I actually was thinking about that. I think what I love about this conference is that I used to feel like I was a creative person, and you kind of get lost in the rules and regulation of Nursing, and I feel like this allows me to think of Nursing as the art in a creative way that I hadn’t thought of in a while. 

So I was glad to just be around so many people with unique ideas and ways to use these tools in our own practice and for our personal selves or professionally. So for me, that’s what I’m taking back, is like an art, creativeness around Nursing that I have been refreshed for.

Nicole Vienneau  37:59

And I understand that you had a series of events that allowed you to get here. Would you mind telling us a little bit about that?

Brittany Jarvis  38:07

Yeah, so I kind of have been on my own personal health journey. A lot of it was around functional medicine. So I was looking to maybe advance some, like take some Nursing classes around that. Simultaneously, my certificate for tobacco cessation is expiring. So I was kind of looking for a different type of certification. 

And looking up some functional health classes, landed on this conference. And the rest was history. It just the timing worked out, my work was able to help pay for my traveling here. So it all just kind of came together. And I’ve met great people along the way that’s helped really tie it all together. I think this is where I was supposed to be.

Nicole Vienneau  38:51

I love that. Just when things become so easy, then you feel like you’re in the right place. 

Brittany Jarvis  38:57

Sure, for sure. Yes.

Nicole Vienneau  39:01

So here we are in a high energy breakfast scenario. And I feel like the vibe here is so loving and energetic and people are still connecting on day three. And it’s also sad in a way because it is day three and that’s our last day. So right now I am sitting with…

Dena Alberti  39:24

Dena Alberti from Long Island, New York. 

Nicole Vienneau  39:27

And…

Christine Eaches  39:28

Christine Eaches from Huntington, New York on Long Island as well.

Nicole Vienneau  39:32

I’m curious to know what have been some of the most impactful people, events, learnings, experiences, any of those things from the past few days?

Dena Alberti  39:48

I really enjoy coming together as a group with my sister Nurse Coaches, so that’s first and foremost. The connection. And the speakers have been just so dynamic. And the takeaways is I learned about hypnosis, which I thought… I was really naive to, I really didn’t know the place for Nurses. 

And that expanded my… not only my mind, but my heart, to say this is something I can incorporate in my practice. And the role of registered Nurses for the future, I find just so exciting. We have so many tools that we can learn, the functional medicine that can add to my skill of being a Nurse Coach and a Nurse for 34 years. It’s limitless, what we can do.

Nicole Vienneau  40:39

Ah, so good. I agree. We are limitless.

Christine Eaches  40:46

Yeah, Dena’s right. I think we, a lot of times being holistic Nurses and Nurse Coaches, we may not… we may feel alone, sometimes depending on where we’re working or where we’re living. And to come here and to be with your tribe, is really soul affirming. 

It gives you that energy that you need to keep going. And what I found interesting at the conference this year, is a lot of people have not participated in the Nurse Coaching program yet. So just to see a conference advertised and to have them drawn to it, it’s just like the waves of energy are going out. 

And then we actually had the privilege of meeting a lovely lady from New Hampshire that had signed up to take Nurse Coaching. And she’s so excited about it just really from the feeling of being with like minded people. Which is really the underlying current which most of us, I think, have.

Nicole Vienneau  41:49

Yes, and both of you have been in the Nurse Coaching world for many years. And so what are you seeing as some of the biggest shifts that from the beginning, you know, and then to today?

Dena Alberti  42:06

So I was blessed with being in cohort 20. And with Barbara Dossey and Susan Luck. So to see their legacy, especially Susan’s, you know, and knowing Barbie couldn’t be here with us physically, but watching her video, and seeing her beautiful face, and looking around and seeing that ripple effect that she spoke about, is truly very much alive. 

And to know that their incredible work that they gave us not only to preserve ourselves, to preserve each other in this environment, and then to go out and heal local to global, has just been full circle.

Nicole Vienneau  42:58

I see and have felt Susan from Heaven watching. Watching us the whole time, right? We are in her backyard. And she has been like shining her light on all of this and just being with us. And then of course, listening to Barbie’s video yesterday, or the first day, I was like, oh my gosh, you know, she felt like she was like right in the room with us anyways, her energy and love and oh my gosh, yes.

Christine Eaches  43:27

Yeah, because I was probably one of the beginning ones in cohort 8, and it was we were trying to make tracks, trying to see where it goes. But by the time it got to Dena’s cohort, they were able to… her organization got a grant to put two cohorts through. And they’re using it for chronic disease as sort of a touching base. 

And I see that over the last five years that even though the healthcare system views wellness, it really wasn’t at the forefront, and it is coming that way, that they are hiring Coaches. Now, we know they should be Nurse Coaches, but they’re hiring Coaches to check in with people with chronic diseases to help them stay on their healthcare track, which is what Coaching does. 

So it has come a long way. We still have a long way to go. But we are making tracks and there are a lot more people with private practice, which we did not see when we started this, it was kind of hard. And now that we’ve got CPT codes, even better.

Nicole Vienneau  44:30

Even better, the future is very bright.

Dena Alberti  44:32

So now my role in academia, I’ve taken Nurse Coaching in my role as faculty and it’s been priceless working with students and in setting their goals even in advisement and using the Nurse Coaching skills to plan their future. 

And even assessing where they are now, and planting those seeds, and having a dream of having this in the curriculum so all Nurses, as they start their practice, can be Nurse Coaches. So that’s, for me, is a vision and a dream. Yeah.

Christine Eaches  45:20

Kinda make sense that it should be a foundational program. Holistic Nursing, Nurse Coaching, that’s where you’re going to start with your self-care and your empowerment and how to help empower others should be the basis of all. 

Nicole Vienneau  45:34

Absolutely. And if all of Nurses right from the beginning had this information instead of waiting. Like I think of myself, it took me, you know, 20 years to find Nurse Coaching. And of course, it had to be, of course, we were blessed because Barbie, Susie and Bonnie, they all thought of this and wanted to ensure that Nurses were at the table. 

But it has impacted my life and changed and shaped my career going forward and just made me a better human in general. So that I can show up better for all those people that I love, my patients included, and me, showing up for me, has been one of the most impactful things for me. 

Nicole Vienneau  46:19

So here we are on day three. And we have experienced so many positive things over the past three days, and looking forward to whatever we experienced today. So right now I am sitting with…

Ronald Kanka  46:33

Ronnie Kanka in Miami, Florida.

Nicole Vienneau  46:36

And Ronnie, you have put a lot of time and energy and love and passion and all amazing, good things into this event and into INCA in general. So I’m just curious, what’s on your heart and mind that you’d like to share with all of us?

Ronald Kanka  46:55

I guess first, I’m very relieved that everything went smoothly, more smoothly than I anticipated. I was pretty nervous leading up to this, you know, big event, first time having a big event, and just very thankful that everyone seems to be pretty ecstatic about the event. And, you know, I’m kind of getting excited now to start planning the next one.

Nicole Vienneau  47:19

Yeah. So tell me what’s one highlight that you’ve experienced over the past couple of days.

Ronald Kanka  47:24

I think one of my favorite parts is the amount of non Nurse Coaches that are here that are now inspired to become Nurse Coaches from being in our arena and just feeling the energy here. It’s incredible.

Nicole Vienneau  47:37

It is incredible. I’ve enjoyed that too. Just Nurses being and feeling inspired and feeling supported and wanting to be part of our community. It just uplifts everyone.

Ronald Kanka  47:49

Absolutely. Yeah, it’s palpable. You can feel it. You can feel it.

Nicole Vienneau  47:53

Yeah, I’ve not heard anything else except that. So thank you for all of your work in leading up to this and your continued work going into the future. And yes, let’s plan the next one.

Ronald Kanka  48:05

Let’s see, you know, got a lot of planning going into it. I think I need a little… a week off probably first. But we’ll start after that. 

Nicole Vienneau  48:13

Yeah, we’ll give you a week. And then that’s about it. 

Nicole Vienneau  48:18

Well, amazing Nurses. This is the end of the symposium for me, because I have to jump on a plane and get home. And so I’m missing the end of day three. 

And I just wanted to say I’m really bummed about that. And I’m also completely filled up from all of the amazing learning, the wisdom, the connections, the energy, the positiveness, the feeling like we were queens and kings, the way that we were cared for here at the Integrative Nurse Coach Symposium in 2024. 

And we look forward to setting up another conference for next year maybe, who knows. If you have any ideas, please send them our way. I’ll talk to you soon.