It was last summer.  As I sat and listened to the birds sing their sweet song, I wondered…

How could I be a nurse and be sitting in my own office space?

Quiet……

Peaceful….

Unbothered….

There was not one ding of a call-light, not one ring of a telephone, not one angry family member at the nurse’s station, not one patient demanding to speak to my boss because their meds were late, not one manager combing through my paperwork with a fine-tooth comb and not one doctor attempting to belittle me in front of my colleagues.  There wasn’t anything.

Just the space of peace.

How was it possible that I could be so lucky to have an office space and still be able to practice nursing?

Am I suppose to feel guilty about this or feel blessed and honored?

What would I do with my new found freedom and peace? 

It is possible to live like this long-term? 

Could I be a nurse and businesswoman with control over my own destiny, make my own decisions and impact my own community? 

These are the thoughts that I had last summer as I looked outside of the window at the birds playing.  The space of peace was valuable to me.  The space of peace was something that I had never experienced as a nurse.  It was always meet this deadline, meet that demand or the constant pressure and stress that disrupted my thoughts of freedom and contentment.

Fast forward to Spring 2020.  I found myself intentionally unemployed.  In the midst of an international pandemic, I am home, in my space of peace.  I am one of the lucky and blessed ones.  I intentionally quit my job, just prior to the pandemic to focus on my calling.  The desire to fully jump into entrepreneurship was weighing me down.  I was incredibly unhappy, miserable and unsettled.  As I watched the world unravel, I knew I had to stay focused.  There was a mission that I set forth to achieve and it was imperative that I accomplished just that.  There have been times that I contemplated jumping back into the fire; however, the space of peace reminded me of my original plan and my original goals.    

So, I ask you, what does your space of peace look like?  Taking care of yourself first is vital.  We all talk about self-care and mental health, but do we really advocate for it for nurses.  The constant pressure and demands will disturb your peace. 

Going into my office a few times a month created unimaginable peace and freedom.  I encourage you to find your very own space of peace and to protect it all costs.