WEBVTT - SHANNON MCPEEK 0:00:05.640 --> 0:00:10.080 One heart at a time, One one heart at a time. 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:14.360 That is my battle cry against the injustices and the 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:20.439 inequalities of the world, and Shannon McPeak is answering the call. 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:24.320 Shannon is a nurse who, even before the coronavirus had 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:28.720 been heard of, recognized a need in our nursing community 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:33.839 that wasn't being met. She decided to fix that. She 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.880 didn't wait for someone else to do it, she didn't 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:44.720 wait for legislation to remedy it. Instead, she started gathering information, people, businesses, 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:49.440 and knowledge so that she could spearhead a nonprofit web 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:56.520 based service organization focused on decreasing the stress, anxiety, and 0:00:56.600 --> 0:01:02.800 depression in the nursing profession. It's called Operation Happy Nurse. 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:06.280 Just hearing this makes me happy, and I'm not even 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:09.760 a nurse. Shannon is joining us on Love Someone to 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:13.039 talk about her exciting new project and how she hopes 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:16.840 to lighten the hearts of her fellow nurses who do 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:22.679 all they can every single day. They truly do to 0:01:22.840 --> 0:01:26.200 lighten the hearts of those they serve. Before we talk 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:29.080 with Shannon, though, I need to tell you about my 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:33.280 show sponsor, Save Skincare Products. The folks who make this 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:38.240 podcast Possible. You've heard me talk about Save Skincare on 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:43.360 my radio show. I love this line of skincare products. 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:48.000 Save Skincare is a company owned by a woman. Lots 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:54.520 of great products. 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Find save s 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:30.720 a v E on Amazon using keywords save Skincare, or 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:36.720 at save skincare dot com that save skincare dot com. 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:42.880 So with me on Love Someone Today is Shannon McPeak, 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:49.559 who definitely put her her love, her passions, her desires, 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:53.680 her thoughts into action. You're a nurse. How long have 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:56.239 you been a nurse, Shannon? I've been a nurse for 0:02:56.360 --> 0:03:01.040 four years. Oh so you are new to the nursing field. Yes, 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:05.120 yes i am. I'm a travel lerg Right now can 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:08.639 I ask how old you are? Ticks? Oh my gossh, 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:14.079 you're a baby. Yeah, I'm I'm a newbie. So tell 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:16.679 me what led you to the nursing field and why 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:22.680 you decided to choose a career that is so exhausting 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:27.880 and has to take such a huge toll on your 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:34.760 heart caring deeply for others. Yeah. So when I was younger, 0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:37.520 I just had this urge to care for other people. 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:42.880 I never really was one too not help in certain situations. 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.960 I just always had an urge to be surrounded by 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:47.640 people and to help them in the best way that 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:50.600 I possibly could. So I started doing some research, I 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:54.120 volunteered at some hospitals and found my calling as a nurse. 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:58.720 And although it's so tough sometimes and it's really exhausting, 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:02.360 it's also so rewarding. Um. I worked in the neonatal 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.240 in tens of care unit, and these babies I get 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:08.559 to see grow and it's just an amazing, amazing experience. 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:12.760 So you were, as Mr Rogers would say, he always says, 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:15.080 in times of trouble, look for the helpers. You were 0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:18.640 the helper even when you were young. Yeah, that's always 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:22.400 been my draw. I've always had to urge to help 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:26.880 those around me. I can't think of a profession that 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:30.160 is better built for you then, or that you are 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.320 better built for than being a nurse. So you became 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:35.159 a nurse, you went to school, you became a nurse. 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:38.159 Did you go directly into working with babies at the 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:42.320 neonatal Yeah? So during school I kind of realized that 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:45.159 babies was my forte and I just wasn't really into 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:50.720 the adult nursing life programs. The adults are just not 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:53.200 my thing. I can't do it. I applaud all of 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:56.200 them who do, but I am babies through and through, 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:58.880 and I just looked for programs where I could go 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:02.440 directly and finicky and I did. And so that's what 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.080 I've done ever since I graduated. So you you knew 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:09.839 early on after volunteering at hospitals and doing rounds, Nope, 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.919 I need to behold in me and leving on some 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:17.279 babies exactly. Honestly, when I was in nursing school, initially, 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:19.560 I was really worried that I hated it because I 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:22.720 was like, I'm not into this adult nursing life. And 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:24.719 I once I was in the babies, I just knew it. 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:26.920 You know, my heart was in it there. So you 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:29.320 want to help, but you really want to help babies. 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:32.680 That was your calling. Yeah, that's my calling. And honestly, 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:34.839 I've spoken to a lot of adult nurses too, and 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:36.839 they said the same thing about babies. It's just you 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:40.200 know you're calling when you have it. I actually, because 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:44.080 I get fired a lot in radio, I actually looked 0:05:44.080 --> 0:05:47.839 into a program being a midwife. When I was fired 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:50.279 in Pennsylvania, I thought, I can't keep getting fired, I 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:53.799 can't keep doing this, and because I so love babies, 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:57.120 I thought about going through this midwife program and being 0:05:57.160 --> 0:06:00.240 a midwife. The problem was I was a parent at 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:04.159 the time with two kids, and I was the breadwinner 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:06.080 that I didn't have any support. And I'm like, how 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.280 am I going to take the years off to do 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:12.880 school to become a midwife. I gotta get another job. 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:15.320 I gotta get back to work right now. And then 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.640 so within a few days I had another job. But 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:22.160 I love babies, so I get that that is your calling. 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:26.799 They're just amazing, and they're so resilient and just incredibly 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:30.760 amazing and pure people, and I just I love them. 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:33.640 So you became a Nike you nurse, and how long 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:37.280 into this, did you realize that there is a huge 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:43.920 gap or a huge void in emotional and mental and 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:47.679 helpful support for people who choose a nursing as a career. 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:50.720 So they say it about six months is when you 0:06:50.880 --> 0:06:54.919 hit your lowest point mentally in this thing, and I 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:57.320 didn't really believe them initially. We had to write a 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:00.200 diary to ourself and all that, and when I hit 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:05.520 the six months, it was very hard. It's unbelievably tough. 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:07.680 I would I feel like I had a chest bake 0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:10.680 almost every day, like I had never really dealt with 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:15.160 anxiety like this before, and I just knew it was 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:19.000 slowly eating at my personality. It was just slowly getting 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:22.160 to me and I was becoming more withdrawn. I wasn't 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:25.600 acting as happy as I normally was. And it really 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.680 took one of my friends saying that I was different 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:32.480 for me to realize that something was off and I 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:36.120 needed to fix it. And I knew that I wasn't 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:38.400 coping with my stress how I should have been. But 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.200 it was a lot of energy to try to figure 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:43.560 out how to cope with it, and so I I 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:46.680 just pushed myself and I started working out a lot. 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:49.360 I started researching different ways to help my stress, and 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.360 it did really help me. Although I'm not at mycent 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.920 low stress, I am getting there, and I just thought 0:07:55.960 --> 0:07:59.840 I should help other people, like how I struggled how 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:05.800 the coronavirus affect that stress for you, Like, I know 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:08.360 that your project and we're going to get really delve 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:12.400 into Operation happinurs which is your your big project, and 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.920 I really want you to to to dive deep with me. 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:20.560 But how has COVID Like did Operation Happy Nurse? Was 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:23.640 that birth in your heart long ago? Was it birth 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:27.920 at that six month period or did the coronavirus kind 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:30.320 of push you over the edge to decide to do this. 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:33.120 I came up with the idea of Operation Happy Nurse, 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:37.120 and I started working on it around then I did 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:41.520 some research, I started talking to people. Um and it's 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:44.520 because my friend said me, this glorious human being asked 0:08:44.520 --> 0:08:47.400 me if I wanted to continue working with nonprofits because 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:49.520 at the time I was working at March of Dime, 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:51.960 and I said, I loved March of Them, but I 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:54.559 really wanted to work for a nonprofit that was focusing 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.160 on the mental hall of the nursing profession. And her 0:08:57.200 --> 0:08:59.200 and I did some research and realized that there wasn't 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:02.920 really much there and there are some resources, but just 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:06.520 not enough at the forefront. And so I started developing 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:09.520 this idea and I really started delving into it when 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:13.680 I was living in Australia during the winter, and that's 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:15.800 when I started getting this idea of rolling. So it 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:21.880 was actually started before COVID nineteen, but we've been pushing 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:24.520 ourselves more to get it going because of this, and 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:26.200 we know that there's gonna be such high rates of 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.960 PTSD and anxiety when nurse staying after this is all over, 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:33.960 so we are now speeding things up to make sure 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:36.679 that we have this resources available. I have a lot 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:42.760 more questions, Shannon. I'm so happy, I'm so thrilled that 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:44.760 you took this on, that you are spearheading this, and 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:46.320 I want to hear a lot more about it, but 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:48.760 we gotta pause for a second or two for this message. 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:53.200 So now jumping into the big question, tell us what 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:58.840 Operation Happy Nurse is, what your vision for the future 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.120 of this is And you just kind of told us 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:07.240 how it was birth, but what is Operation Happinurs? So 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:10.520 Operation Happiness is a nonprofit. We just got our five 0:10:10.559 --> 0:10:13.000 O one C three status that we're super pumped about 0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:16.480 that um and so we're now officially a nonprofit and 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.760 we are I gotta just jump in and say congratulations 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:23.360 as somebody that that that has a nonprofit getting that 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:27.240 nonprofit status, you know it would be easier to give 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:32.400 birth to quadruple. It's without any anesthesia. Yeah. Yeah, it's tough. 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:34.360 And we had the most amazing lawyer helping us, that 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:39.080 Thomas Roebol. He's awesome and he held our hands through 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.040 this process and it was it was hard, but we 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.600 are here. We are a nonprofit. And I was at 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:46.880 work when I found out and I started trying. Was 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:50.360 really embarrassing. I'm so glad because we have been talking 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:53.240 about doing this interview. My sister heard about it from 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:56.160 a friend, a woman that works with us, and we're like, 0:10:56.520 --> 0:10:59.840 this is so in line with what we a spout 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:02.680 is what the Delilah Show is all about, people helping people, 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:05.000 not waiting for someone else to do it. But we 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:10.960 didn't wanna we waste segua weapon as they say, until 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:13.360 you had that status. And so when we heard that 0:11:13.400 --> 0:11:16.160 you got it, we're like, okay, great, now we can 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:21.440 do the podcast and talk to her about operation Happeners. Okay, 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:25.800 go on, I'm so excited. But we are an online community. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:27.680 Are going to be an online community. We currently have 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:30.640 another team working on this web page because it's going 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.360 to be very intensive. And what you do is you 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:35.400 join this community, you have to show that you're a 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:38.280 nurse just by telling us where are your license, just 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:40.199 so we can, you know, kind of keep an eye 0:11:40.240 --> 0:11:42.320 and make sure that people are actually nurses who are 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:45.440 joining our community. Once you join the community, we have 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:48.679 these resources available to you where you can go in 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:52.560 and you can kind of gear your own stress release 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:57.840 plan to your own personal needs. Because some people stress 0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:00.240 relievers cause stress for them, So we want to be 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:03.719 able to make sure what you are provided work for you. 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:05.720 So we have a bunch of different options and you 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:07.760 go in and you pick and choose which parts you 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.600 want to be involved in, and we kind of help 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:13.880 track your process and make sure that you're reliving that 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.000 stress and make sure that it's working for you so 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:17.880 that we can all go through this together and we 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:20.280 can all work together. It's better ourselves and better our 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:23.680 mental health. So it's a community where you kind of 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:27.360 get to design your own stress really plan and I'm very, 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:29.880 very excited about it. So tell me, tell me, like, 0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:32.240 what would be some of the menu options? Pretend I'm 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:36.440 a nurse and I am working in in the NIKI 0:12:36.520 --> 0:12:39.400 because like you, I love babies, and I'm you know, 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:42.360 pulling the twelve hour shifts three on, four off, whatever, 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.040 and I am so burned out. I can't even help 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:47.920 my kids at home do their online schooling. I can't 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:51.319 even I can't even lift my feet once I get 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.960 through the door. Yeah, what are some of the menu options? 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:56.880 What are some of the things that I will be 0:12:56.960 --> 0:13:01.079 able to access on operation and happy nurse when it's 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:05.320 built out. Yeah, so a couple of them are. We've 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:09.640 got a book club. My amazing sister she um, she's 0:13:09.679 --> 0:13:12.199 an author, and she is going to run this book 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:16.720 club for us, And essentially we haven't decided how often, 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:19.720 but about book recommendations and you consider on with other 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:22.400 nurses and talk about the book and answer some questions 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.400 and be involved that way. Reading is a phenomenal way 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:28.720 to be increased your stress um for many reasons, but 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:31.439 mainly because you kind of get to escape your own 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:33.120 life for a little bit and live in the lives 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:35.720 of others and you get to see that maybe stuff 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:37.960 that people are stressed out and in the books are 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.000 things that you might be stressed out as well. And 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:43.320 you're feelings, they're universal feelings. You're not alone in what's 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:47.559 going on. Another one we are doing in physical fitness 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:51.200 in yoga. Um, I've got amazing, amazing people who are 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:52.959 helping me out with that. But we're going to make 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.400 them at home easy workouts because nurses are very busy, 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:59.400 our hours are very long, and we just want an 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:01.280 easy reason work for them to be able to do 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:05.880 some exercises at home that are short and easy to obtain. 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:09.000 And then, um, we've got discussion boards where you can 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:11.120 talk to other nurses who are going through similar things 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.360 that you are. One of the hardest things for me 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:16.600 when I was going through my really dark period was 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:19.840 talking to people. I felt like I couldn't speak to 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:23.080 people who didn't understand where I was that mentally, So 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:24.680 when my family tried to talk to me about it, it 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.560 it was really hard for me to tell them about 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:29.680 my feelings because I didn't think they would really get it. 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:32.360 So the discussion board is really important for me to 0:14:32.360 --> 0:14:34.600 add in here so that nurses could be surrounded by 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:38.240 people who they think understand what they are going through, 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:41.360 so that was a big one for us. Um, we 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:43.560 want to do help with nutrition. It's really hard to 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:45.720 figure out what you're supposed to eat on night shifts. 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:49.040 It's really hard to figure out quick meals that you 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:51.160 can just heat up at work, but that are healthy. 0:14:51.560 --> 0:14:55.120 And we want to help guide these meal plans through 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.600 people and help them help them figure out how to eat, 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:02.480 help save foods but also yummy food. So we're more 0:15:02.520 --> 0:15:05.960 working on that as well. Um. We've got hotlines for 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:08.640 people who, like you said, are having trouble picking up 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:11.680 their feet when they're walking, having trouble even getting out 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:15.480 of bed. We want to be having an immediate resource 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:18.880 for those nurses so that they they can seek help 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:23.680 right away and seek the intense help that they need. Um, 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:26.000 we want them to have a resource that they can 0:15:26.280 --> 0:15:28.920 that they can go to. We've got a lot of 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.080 other areas and I can keep going, but I'm really 0:15:31.320 --> 0:15:32.960 those are the main ones. We want to do a 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:37.600 podcast as well. UM. We want to delve into random 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:41.560 things that are known to decrease stress, like knitting. Knitting 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:46.160 is a big one for decreasing stress. Acupuncture, adult coloring books. 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:48.560 We want to show the research, and we want to 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:50.960 have one of our members go out and actually try 0:15:51.000 --> 0:15:53.000 each of these and keep a diary so she can 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.720 tell what her personal journey with them was, and so 0:15:55.800 --> 0:15:58.960 people can see that there's other things besides just reading, 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.960 working out about all that stuff. There's other cool things 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:04.680 that you can try to help you decrease your stress. 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.320 And then also events. We want to have social eventfleence 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:10.600 we're allowed to do that. Again, how has the COVID crisis, 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:16.560 the pandemic inspired you to build faster? Yeah, So I 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.640 started speaking to some nurses and it was drawn to 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:23.520 my attention that not only are we stressed out and 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:26.960 work because of what's going on, there's also stressors outside 0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:29.520 of work. For a little bit there, some nurses were 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:33.240 being harassed outside of work by some members of society 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:38.120 because they were in scrubs and they believe that these nurses, 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.320 somehow we're spreading COVID. So nurses begend to get really 0:16:41.320 --> 0:16:44.840 nervous going into work because they were afraid of being harassed. 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:48.880 So that kind of pushed me. And now we are 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.600 expediting processes and we are we are working a lot 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.560 of hours to get this out there for nurses because 0:16:55.560 --> 0:16:58.120 they we want them to know that they're not alone 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.520 and that we support them and that we help them 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.000 through this journey and that we can help them with 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:07.560 their stress. You know what I love most about what 0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:12.639 you're doing, Shannon, is that you're doing it. I talked 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.159 to people all the time who have a dream, have 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:18.040 a vision, who think, oh my gosh, this would make 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:20.400 the world a better place, or you know, kids who 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:25.920 work with foster care. Whatever. You're putting feet on your dreams. 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:28.119 You know, you had a dream in the clouds, but 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:30.960 now you're building the foundation under it, and you're doing 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:34.360 it despite the fact that you're exhausted, despite the fact 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.720 that you're working. Now, how long are your shifts that 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:40.720 you work at the Nikio? I do three tallve hour shifts? 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:43.600 Do you do the three on four off that sort 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:48.639 of thing? Um? Honestly, it depends on the week. You 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:50.320 don't know because you don't know if you're coming or 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:53.439 going a lot of times because it's so crazy and 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:56.000 you saw this need and you felt this need in 0:17:56.040 --> 0:17:59.199 your own life, and you realize this was a huge 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.199 void the lives of the nurses. Tens of thousands of 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:07.640 nurses who gives so much to everyone else and nobody 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:12.000 is there to fill up their cup so to speak. Yeah, yeah, 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:15.720 nurses are known to take care of other people but 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:19.119 not really take care of themselves. Um, we spend all 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:23.120 our energy caring for others and we kind of put 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:25.960 ourselves at the wayside. And it's kind that we took 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:30.560 that because honestly, nurses me helped to There's a beautiful 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:36.560 illustration about Um. A father that kept big glass jug 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:41.399 in the refrigerator, you know, like a mason jar, and 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:42.920 he would fill it up with water and he would 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:44.920 put it in the refrigerator with a couple of slices 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:47.639 of lemon in it, so that when somebody was thirsty 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:49.960 they would go to the refrigerator in the hot summer 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:54.080 and there would be cold, cool, crisp clear water to drink. 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:58.920 And throughout the day, his kids and whoever came over 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:03.080 would go get the water out of the jug, but 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:06.399 they wouldn't refill it. And so when dad came in 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:10.640 from working all day, the jug was empty. And that's 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:14.479 such a beautiful illustration of visual illustration. I think for 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:19.040 what nurses do, They fill up the jug everybody drinks 0:19:19.080 --> 0:19:22.000 from the fresh water that they provide day in and 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:26.400 day out, night in and night out, and then when 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:29.399 they get off their shift, the jug is empty. There's 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:33.199 nobody there and it sounds like Operation Happy Nurse is 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:37.679 there to fill their their jug with cool, fresh love 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:42.080 and an infusion of goodness. Yeah, that's our goal. We 0:19:42.160 --> 0:19:44.880 really we just really want them to know that we're 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:48.159 there for them. It's it's been really hard when people 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:51.960 have come to me and said that they they didn't 0:19:52.000 --> 0:19:54.600 know other people were going through this, They thought they 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:56.400 were going through it alone. And I just think that 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.000 it's so important for us to start that because it's 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:01.200 so important for people to know that they aren't alone, 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:04.320 that we are here with them, that I went through 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:06.879 with a ton of other nurses went through it, and 0:20:06.920 --> 0:20:08.760 that's why I like to tell the stories at different 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:11.160 nurses on my social media because I just want people 0:20:11.200 --> 0:20:13.440 to know that again, that they're not alone and that 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:16.640 we're here to support them. And when do we think 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:18.879 do we have a launch date when all this is 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:22.400 going to be curated, put together and ready to to fly. 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:26.120 We don't have an exact date yet. We just want 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:28.480 to make sure everything so perfect for when it when 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:31.200 it flies. But we do have our social media right 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:34.280 now to help give little taste of what's gonna be 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:38.560 on our web page. So for those looking for resources 0:20:38.640 --> 0:20:41.600 right now we can. We are posting some things on 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:43.920 our social media and we are also doing giveaways for 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:47.320 working with amazing companies right now to do weekly giveaways 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:50.720 for nurses UM, just to show appreciation for them during 0:20:50.720 --> 0:20:54.680 this time. So what does Operation Happy Nurse? What does 0:20:54.720 --> 0:20:57.400 it need right now? What can we do? What could 0:20:57.440 --> 0:21:00.560 I do to help you to push this move went forward? 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:04.760 I'm surrounded by nurses. Uh, my daughter in law, my 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:08.600 son married a woman. They have a large family, and 0:21:08.880 --> 0:21:11.520 her love, like yours, is for caring for people. And 0:21:11.640 --> 0:21:18.159 she's so amazingly freakishly good at it, like she's not 0:21:18.200 --> 0:21:22.120 even human. She's like a superhuman. She's like super mom, superwoman. 0:21:22.720 --> 0:21:26.119 And and I know that it takes a huge toll. 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:30.320 What can I do to help Operation a Happy Nurse 0:21:30.680 --> 0:21:33.960 find its wings to fly? It sounds like it's already 0:21:33.960 --> 0:21:37.919 found its wings about to take off. And yeah, we 0:21:38.000 --> 0:21:43.360 definitely need help taking off right now. We really need funding, UM. 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:46.680 A lot of it is coming out of our pockets 0:21:46.800 --> 0:21:49.520 right now to make this a reality. So we need 0:21:49.600 --> 0:21:51.560 help with funding. There's a lot of stuff that goes 0:21:51.600 --> 0:21:54.879 into making the web page. All of our people who 0:21:54.920 --> 0:21:57.560 are working for in our volunteer basis right now, we 0:21:57.680 --> 0:22:00.159 just need we need help funding this project to keep 0:22:00.200 --> 0:22:02.119 it rolling, to not just have it start up and 0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:05.240 then fall, you know. And then we also really need 0:22:05.240 --> 0:22:09.000 help spreading the word. We want this to be a 0:22:09.040 --> 0:22:11.199 resource for all nurses. We want all nurses to know 0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:15.159 about it. It's just hard to get that going, you know. 0:22:15.280 --> 0:22:17.399 So that's a big one that we need help with. 0:22:17.720 --> 0:22:19.120 So how do I get the word out there? Where 0:22:19.160 --> 0:22:21.679 do I tell people to go If somebody is listening 0:22:21.720 --> 0:22:24.480 to this podcast right now and they're like, wait a minute, 0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:28.680 my daughter is a nurse. So we currently have LinkedIn 0:22:28.880 --> 0:22:33.080 Facebook and Instagram it's um all at Operation Happy Nerves. 0:22:33.440 --> 0:22:35.440 And we also have a web page that talks about 0:22:35.440 --> 0:22:37.640 our project where you can email us if you want 0:22:37.640 --> 0:22:39.359 to help and volunteer because we could use all the 0:22:39.400 --> 0:22:44.359 volunteers in the world. It's www dot Operation happinurs dot com. 0:22:44.440 --> 0:22:46.720 That will be the same and we will have a 0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:49.840 dot org as well for when the nonprofit and online 0:22:49.840 --> 0:22:52.439 community is live, and that's where we will past all 0:22:52.440 --> 0:22:55.919