Self Defense: Using Wellness Strategies to Protect Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Podcast Transcript

Carol Pehotsky:

As nurses, sometimes we carry around badges of honor throughout our day - the hey, I made it the whole time without going to the bathroom, or I didn't have lunch until right before it was time to leave like it's a good thing. We wear our stamina like our calling card, and there's probably some reinforcing efforts in that.

But at the end of the day, if I haven't taken care of myself, can I really take care of my patients? And can I really take care of the team surrounding me, if I haven't?

Today, we're joined by Samantha Connelly. We're going to learn more about how to take care of ourselves while we're taking care of those around us.

Hi, and welcome to Nurse Essentials, a Cleveland Clinic podcast where we discuss all things nursing, from patient care, to advancing your career, to navigating tough on-the-job issues. We're so glad you're here. I'm your host, Carol Pehotsky, associate chief nursing officer of surgical services nursing.

Our topic today is wellness, and if wellness were something that were easy to figure out, we probably wouldn't need a podcast, and we wouldn't need all the websites and all the programs and the 25-day challenges on Facebook pages and all of those things.

And when it comes to being a nurse in wellness, certainly we know that there's nuances there as well. A bit of an ironic story to get our episode underway. I'm so thrilled today to be joined by Samantha Connelly. She's a master's-prepared nurse and the director of caregiver well-being at Cleveland Clinic, and this is our second attempt to record this episode.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

The first time around, Samantha wasn't feeling well. And here we are the second time around, and I'm getting over influenza, even though I was vaccinated. So, wellness is a journey including getting here today. So, Samantha, thank you so much for joining us today.

Samantha Connelly:

Thank you. Thank you for having me here.

Carol Pehotsky:

Of course.

Samantha Connelly:

Excited we could do this.

Carol Pehotsky:

Excellent. Yeah. Finally. Here we are. So, I would love to get started by hearing a little bit about your professional journey. What took you from being a nurse to now this really exciting role as director of caregiver well-being?

Samantha Connelly:

So, I was actually not actively looking for it. I became a nurse because I had an atrial septal defect.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, my gosh.

Samantha Connelly:

So, I was inspired by the pediatric ICU nurses that took care of me.

Carol Pehotsky:

Wow.

Samantha Connelly:

So, I was a critical care girl from day one. I worked at Hillcrest ICU. I say I was born and raised there. They took a chance on me. You know when you have that famous speech in nursing school that you can't go into ICU.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, yes.

Samantha Connelly:

I am a testament to that that is false. So, I started there as a bedside nurse, became the assistant nurse manager and then manager. I got a phone call from a number I didn't know about this job posting, and they said, "It's director of caregiver well-being, but hear me out. It's not critical care. It sounds like you." From being the manager of the COVID ICU, I of course saw how wellness and well-being was such an issue and a concern for not just nurses, but all caregivers. I found myself really having to advocate for all of the caregivers that were in my department that touched COVID patients, so when I got that phone, I felt more of that pull of, "This might be a time where I'm going to have to advocate more so for caregivers versus patients. And this role sounds interesting." So, the moral of the story is don't answer a phone number you don't know because then your journey segues a little bit. I was ready to be "critical" all my life, but after COVID, this is kind of where my heart was being pulled, so I'm happy to kind of advocate and help caregivers right now.

Carol Pehotsky:

And it's been a couple years for you in this role, right?

Samantha Connelly:

It is. So, I started August of 2021. I was also pregnant, so I decided that it was a really good idea, you know first baby, new job, COVID. Let's do all of the above. Yes. So, I really jumped in headfirst.

Carol Pehotsky:

All right. So, you had to learn a little bit about your own balance and well-being while transitioning into a role about well-being.

Samantha Connelly:

Mm-hmm. Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, what did you do to prepare yourself for that and educate yourself on options?

Samantha Connelly:

So, I would say that well-being was a part of my priority list as a leader before I was a formal leader, even when I was an informal leader as a charge nurse. It's just something that I think nurses wear as a badge of honor - "I didn't go to the bathroom!"

Carol Pehotsky:

Right?

Samantha Connelly:

I didn't eat. I haven't slept. I picked up overtime. And we always promote that, but we don't promote what we're doing to keep it going. I think that was an issue before COVID, or as I always say, "BC."

Carol Pehotsky:

Yes.

Samantha Connelly:

But I think COVID was lighter fluid to that. I think, unfortunately, there are still people in healthcare where they would like to blame COVID. But I think they aren't willing or ready yet to recognize that these were issues that existed prior. So, for me, it was always a priority before the pandemic. It became the number-one priority during the pandemic because if my caregivers weren't okay, there was no way we could take care of the lives that we saw.

So, for the first time, my priorities really had to shift. I'm notoriously up at 4:00 AM, so, usually that's to work out.

Carol Pehotsky:

Wow.

Samantha Connelly:

But during COVID, that shifted. I was really looking at what was happening in other countries. What were they doing to help these caregivers?

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, okay.

Samantha Connelly:

What was happening with burnout? What were they finding that worked and didn't work? And really kind of bringing those things back to my team, of what do we need? Even down to travel nurses. I didn't make the go-ahead of bringing them in. I said, "We're not doing it until you guys are ready."

Carol Pehotsky:

Okay.

Samantha Connelly:

So, I made them a part of the decisions of what they wanted for their well-being and for the teaming. And I think that's most important. I know nursing; we're big on shared governance, so all of those decisions I wanted them to have every part of.

Carol Pehotsky:

It's a great point that well-being isn't just physical and isn't even just the individual emotional well-being, but really, how I function as a team and how the team functions. Certainly, lots of conversation about bringing in an agency last year, but really to get your team onboard with that, what an interesting example of well-being from that perspective.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

We have previously recorded an episode about the image of nursing, and so your comment about the badge of honor not having a break, not peeing, et cetera that self-fulfilling prophecy that i- that works against us in so many ways. It works against us in convincing other people that this really is a great profession because they say, "But I like eating lunch at a normal time and refueling my body and taking care of it." But also, it really creates this inverse reward that says, "I'm tough, and I made it through," versus "My body needed me to not be tough and make it through because I'm starving, and I'm cranky, and it's the end of my 12-hour shifts." Fascinating.

So, let's linger a little bit there, knowing that our audience is comprised of hopefully everybody from people even considering nursing school to folks who have been in the nursing career for quite some time. So, representing all types of nursing.

But we know that a lot of us either are currently or at some point in time have worked that 12-hour shift or have, you know, worked a long day - whatever that looks like for them. So, some thoughts on how to take care of myself during that 12-hour shift. First, we'll talk about it as an individual before we talk about it as a team member.

Samantha Connelly:

So, for an individual, I would say if they're student nurses that are listening, start your best practices for yourself early on. We all know when we're in nursing school, we have a nurse that likes to sleep in. We have a nurse that's up early. We have the student nurse that comes in with Monsters and coffees lining her desk.

Start those healthy habits early - and consistency is key because, as we all know, when you start doing something in small increments, the more you do it, the more you're consistent with it, the more it's going to be a part of your day-to-day culture. That would be my first recommendation for student nurses - as I call them, my baby birds.

And really kind of thinking, or what are the things that you have to have foundationally that make you feel your best? Is it going for a walk? Is it time with your family? Is it, I just need to disconnect completely? Everyone is going to have that different, this is my "must," and making sure you're penciling that in for yourself. Because a lot of the times, especially when we have our nursing schedule, whether it's school or we're actually working, and we have that schedule. We have our spouses. We have our kids.

We have our friends. We have nothing else. And the first thing that we usually move on that calendar is something for ourselves. If you look at your week, and you don't have at least 30 minutes for yourself, you need to prioritize that because that is the perfect catalyst for burnout, and that's for yourself as an individual.

Carol Pehotsky:

30 minutes across a seven-day period is not too much, ladies and gentlemen of our listening audience. You deserve at least 30 minutes of your week. Yes, absolutely.

Samantha Connelly:

I usually would start with that, and then I challenge them to kind of do it each day. My team from Hillcrest, if any of them are listening, I was notorious for saying, "What'd you do for yourself this month?" And usually, they would be like, halfway in the door and out the door of my office. They're like, "I'm going to go shopping." I'm like, "No. Okay. What'd you buy?"

Carol Pehotsky:

I need proof.

Samantha Connelly:

Like, come back.

Carol Pehotsky:

Literal receipts. I need literal receipts on that.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. So, I was notorious for that. And then sometimes at huddle, I would even say, instead of going through the huddle points of every module that was due, I'm like, "Say one fun thing that you did with someone, and what's something you did for yourself this month?" And that huddle would take the longest.

Carol Pehotsky:

Well, good.

Samantha Connell:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

And, you know, I know there's a lot out there about that accountability culture too that goes along with it. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that?

Samantha Connelly:

Accountability is key, especially. You hit the nail on the head. Like, well-being, it isn't easy.

Carol Pehotsky:

Right.

Samantha Connelly:

So, you need that trusted partner, whether that's your spouse, a family member, a friend, a coworker, because if it were easy, you would be able to do it yourself. So, you have to find someone that you can trust to hold you accountable, even something as little within a nursing unit of having that buddy to go to lunch.

I know that we've heard of, like, okay, let's self-schedule lunches. And we know that that can be challenging in different departments because you don't know when a patient's going to code, or someone gets whisked off to OR. You can't plan for that. But knowing if you and I are starting on a shift, like, I'm going to make sure you get a break, and you're going to make sure I'm going to get one. Starting a little like that, and I don't mean eating at the desk like you're not supposed to for joint commissioner, being like, "Patton's not here. Okay. I'm good," and, like, hiding your snacks. No. Like physically taking a break. Even if you're not hungry, get off the unit.

Carol Pehotsky:

Absolutely.

Samantha Connelly:

It's huge.

Carol Pehotsky:

And, and that goes back to that, sort of that team well-being too. If I knew that my team members care about my well-being, and I care about theirs, then it would stand to figure we're going to be a more effective team because we're invested in each other's well-being.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. Absolutely.

Carol Pehotsky:

Any other tips for food choices or stretching or any of the things that really have been shown to help that long day? I'm going to be on my feet, turning patients, running up a down a hallway all day.

Samantha Connelly:

Good shoes are so important. My team always makes fun of me. They can hear my Danskos clomping around the corner.

Carol Pehotsky:

Dansko. Me, too. All right.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. They always do. They're like, "It's Sam." Like, yes. I was huge on compression stockings, especially when I was pregnant and, it's so important. And hydration is key. I wear an iWatch, and I set my reminder so that it vibrates so that I know that I have to drink water. Of course, alarm fatigue.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Samantha Connelly:

We know that it exists in nursing, so it's very easy for that to come into play.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Samantha Connelly:

But if you really kind of look at how often it's going off, try to do it on a day off, you'll be surprised how little you're drinking. Like, a lot of the times, we're like, "Oh, I had one glass." Okay. Now you're doing that every shift and every day that you're off, so think of how your kidneys are screaming.

Carol Pehotsky:

Right. Yes. One glass that happened to have coffee beans in it.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. So those are huge. I would definitely say, I know it's really easy to give in to when our lovely patients and their families bring us the cookies the cakes and all that. It's okay to have a piece here and there. Like, go ahead. Indulge. But just be mindful of that and how it's going to add up on you, especially if you're a rotator and rotating back and forth, and you have the caffeine, the sugar, the pizza and that. I was big on snacks and healthier snacks. I'm a big proponent of meal prep. I think that's huge, and that helps a lot. You make healthier choices that way, and you can kind of do that with your accountability partner, too, or you can do healthy potlucks. We all know that the potlucks that have like, the cheesy potatoes and the buffalo dip and that. So how can you make it a little bit healthier so that you and your team can kind of keep going?

Carol Pehotsky:

Well, and it's finding that balance of you can pack your lunch but still leave the unit.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

You know, I think that was honestly, when I think back to some of my days, some people intentionally didn't pack their lunch because it forced them to leave the unit to go on break, which is in its own way a good thing, but if they're going off the unit and then making not the most fantastic decisions about what they put in their body, or I would get to that point [where] I'd buy myself lunch and then feel sluggish, versus you know, I'll eat less, or I'll have a protein shake, and I can power through the rest of it instead of, you know, going down to the cafeteria, having a big heavy meal, and then feeling worse than I did beforehand.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. And stretching. I know you said stretching. That's huge. I think body awareness, posture, especially because you're pushing patients. You're pulling patients. You're manually proning patients. Okay. There's not always enough room in some of the patient rooms or an OR or an ER bay.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. 

Samantha Connelly:

So, you're not going to have the best body mechanics, so try to have that awareness, kind of using your ergonomic resources that are available, but then also making sure that you're taking time to stretch and to relax. Massage therapy – I am a huge advocate for that.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Samantha Connelly:

I always like to say that one. I'm like, "Oh, I have to. It's for my (laughs) it's for my body. I swear!"

Carol Pehotsky:

It's for my well-being. Yes.

Samantha Connelly:

My husband's like, "No, you already went there."

Carol Pehotsky:

Well, and, and I think, you know, that whole m- unfortunately, sometimes we get into that martyr piece of it. Right? Everybody's busy. But literally asking for help when it comes to physical items like boosting a patient or turning them. You know, they're going to feel better if there's enough hands in the room to help them feel supported while they're turning, and you're not going to hurt yourself.

And sometimes, it does mean, unfortunately, saying to the patient, like, "Let me go get some friends. We're going to reposition you. I'm going to go get some friends, so we do it the right way." And then nobody gets hurt. The patient feels good, and nobody's throwing out their backs helping somebody tip on their side.

Samantha Connelly:

Definitely. And I think another huge thing is, especially for new caregivers and even seasoned caregivers, I know that there's staffing challenges. And so, you look around for that friend.

Carol Pehotsky:

Uh-oh. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Samantha Connelly:

And then you're like, "Okay. I'm just going to do it." And now you hurt yourself. There are tons of equipment that's widely available to you. And you're probably like, "Oh." You're thinking in your head, "I need to learn how to use that gait belt or how to use that board." If you don't know, ask. And speak up because it's, at that point, it's not just for the patient's safety. It's also for you.

Carol Pehotsky:

Absolutely.

Samantha Connelly:

And I think a lot of times, we're kind of like, "Yeah. I can do that myself. I'm super nurse. I got this."

Carol Pehotsky:

Yes. Yes. This, this patient, they can bend their knees, and they can boost themselves. Nope. Nope. So, we'll switch a little bit. So, we've made it through our day.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

We hydrated, and we had a nice, healthy lunch during the middle of our shift, and we went to the bathroom, and it was great. Now we worked three 12s in a row, and we've got a few days off, and they're days. We'll pretend we're in a scenario where we're working days that week. Any tips for recovery, especially after a few shifts in a row?

Samantha Connelly:

Nurses are going to hate me for this. But that consistency piece of waking up the same time usually within that same hour. The more that you flip and the more that you're two days sleeping in, three days waking up early, it really throws your body out of whack, so that consistency as much as you can with drinking, eating, your sleep, any exercise that you do. I would really say try to keep, if you wake up at 6:00 AM usually, try to wake by 7:00 AM, at that time. Same thing with going to bed, of course. You know, at weekends we have more of a social-packed calendar, so we try to do our best. But that consistency is key because the more you're flipping, not just in your work schedule, but also your personal life, it's going to exhaust you.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. So sometimes we have to flip, though. The old day-night rotation that many of us have lived through. So, knowing that we physically have to transition our bodies back and forth, what does science say about the best way to do that, knowing that our bodies don't like that, typically?

Samantha Connelly:

So, I always, especially, I had rotators on my unit, and we did six-week rotations. I know that some other healthcare systems do it a little bit sooner than that. So, it's really kind of knowing the unit that you're getting into and the department and what that can look like. I also think it's important for a nurse to have a good relationship with their leader, whoever makes the scheduling, because there's some people, they will make their schedule, and you'll see it looks like five 12-hour shifts back-to-back, one off, and then flipping.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Samantha Connelly:

That might be what works for them.

Carol Pehotsky:

Whew.

Samantha Connelly:

I mean, if I saw that on paper, I'd be like, "Mm. That's not going to work."

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah.

Samantha Connelly:

But that might be what they like. So, I always kind of advocated for those caregivers that were rotators to really have that realistic expectation. That doesn't mean you're going to get the schedule you want, but what works for you for how many on, how many off. They have to play around with it, too. I've seen some caregivers, they're like, "Okay. I'm flipping from day to night. I'm just going to stay up all night and then flip." More power to you. Some might need a nap in that.

Carol Pehotsky:

In your 20s, that might work.

Samantha Connelly:

Yeah.

Carol Pehotsky:

In your 30s, far less so.

Samantha Connelly:

21 was great. 32, not so much.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. Yeah.

Samantha Connelly:

Some have to take a nap, wake up and eat. So really play around with it, but not flipping it too much. Usually a lot of my caregivers that were new to rotating, they would try three weeks one way and three weeks the other way of how they were sleeping and that. But figuring out the pattern that works for you and then consistently sticking with that.

I think also, again, that accountability partner. If you and I are rotators and we know each other's rhythm and what works, that's kind of your person to go to for those switches and that. But I would definitely say having that realistic conversation with your leader, whoever is over the schedule, just so they can kind of keep that in mind because no one wants to assume what your normal schedule should be, so it's good to kind of know what works for them.

Carol Pehotsky:

And playing, like you said, playing around with it and seeing what works for you. And no matter where you're working from, whatever healthcare system, 24-hour care of patients, but with a shared governance-type approach, even in our listening audience, if you are in a magnet facility, how can you voice and say, "I'm fully embracing what it means to day-and-night rotate, but is there a way to create these bigger blocks of time so that I can adjust accordingly?" I was the person who volunteered for straight nights instead of rotating.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. Me too.

Carol Pehotsky:

And, when I came to an evening shift role in the PACU, my friends were like, "Look. You're a lot friendlier now that you don't work nights.” Just because I fooled myself into thinking, you know, "You're going to lose a day that day." And so, you try to stay up, or you do all these crazy things because you're going to go out with your friends and you're going to do these things. And,I think that's the other thing you have to acknowledge, is you're not really showing up.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes.

Carol Pehotsky:

You know, you’re half asleep, cranky, half sick to your stomach because your body is like, "What time is it? And what are you doing upright?"

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. And that's another huge thing, especially with rotating nights, even day shift, because I know that heavily falls on rotating and nights, but it's all shifts. I think a lot of times, we don't want to let people down. As nurses, we care.

Carol Pehotsky:

Right.

Samantha Connelly:

It's okay to say no. So, it's okay to say, "I can't pick up that shift." It's okay to say, "I can't make that birthday party on time. I'm going to be three hours late, or I'm not going to be able to make it this weekend." I think it's really having that check-in with yourself of, "Am I giving too much? How am I feeling right now?" It's okay to say no. I know that's a really hard concept for nurses.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Samantha Connelly:

We've all struggled with it. I'm guilty, too. But I think you need to have that balance for yourself and knowing, "Hey, I just worked night shift. I need to sleep. I can't go off without sleep and go to this family function right now."

Carol Pehotsky:

Right. Especially if I have to go back to work the next day.

Samantha Connelly:

Yeah. It's not going to work.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. It's not. And, and the last thing anybody wants is to have a problem getting back to work safely, getting home from work safely or have something happen to a patient because we overestimate our abilities.

So, all right. Well, so here you are as a leader of the caregiver well-being office and formerly a leader of nurses. So, what are some things that you wish you knew back in your bedside days that you do now?

Samantha Connelly:

Back in my bedside days, I would say it would be that badge of honor. It definitely would be. I remember working a stretch and TMI, went to the bathroom, came out, and I was like, "Yes. I don't need CRRT." Which for my listeners is a type of dialysis. And the nephrologist is standing right there, and he's like, "Are you okay?" I'm like, and he's like, "I, I think you need to go take care of yourself a little better."

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. This is not to be proud of.

Samantha Connelly:

And I was like, "Yes." I'm like, "Thank you." So, it was at that moment I was like, "You know what? I'm, I'm taking great care of my patients. You know, I'm an active team member here." But you know, that's kind of a warning sign right there. Even though it was a joke and some sarcasm, like, that's kind of a red flag. Like, you know, why am I yelling that and so excited about that? And so, I need to drink more fluids.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yes.

Samantha Connelly:

I need to take care of myself because I'm not burned out yet, but I'm going to get there. I use a lot of car metaphors. So, it's kind of like your oil change, getting your car aligned and your tire rotation. If you don't get them, your car will keep going, but do you want to risk being on the side of the road? And then if you don't have AAA in that, your accountability partner. So, it's putting those things in place to make sure that your car is efficiently running, and it's safely running. So, if I'm not doing those things, like taking care of my physical, my mental, my emotional well-being, you know, I'm risking breaking down on the side of the road with no assistance.

Carol Pehotsky:

And remembering that it is the long haul. So, you know, I made a little crack about the 25-day challenge group on Facebook. I'm in one of those. And it's actually really helped, especially when I was sick all last week. And so, it, so it'd be easy to be like, "Ah. That's just it. Like, never mind."

But no. You've got to put the gas back in the car and get back on the road and know that there's people checking in on you saying, "Hey, I know you were sick last week. Come on back. Like, are you going to come work out? Or what are you going to do for you?"

And hopefully, what I did this calendar year with that group helped me get over what I had faster. So really, it's that long journey and setting up those gate points along the way to keep us honest with ourselves.

Samantha Connelly:

Yes. I, trying to think what else I would suggest for bedside nurses that I wish I knew. It's, it's taking that moment, I think. Whether you are ready for lunch, or whether you're ready for a break, if it's being offered to you, take it because one, we don't know what's coming in the door.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Samantha Connelly:

Two, your team might be picking up on something on you. Like, you might have just been a part of a code or a rapid response. May not have even been your patient.

Carol Pehotsky:

Right.

Samantha Connelly:

But if someone's offering it to you, they might be picking up on something, and that's kind of a sign also, because your team is a relationship, and so they can probably read you better than you really want them to.

Carol Pehotsky:

Yeah. Sure.

Samantha Connelly:

So, kind of take that breather and offer the same for your team around you. I would say for leaders, especially when I was a nurse manager, it's setting healthy boundaries and trusting your team. I know that that one's kind of hard also. I think COVID, it's a, it's a different beast. Again, it's a pandemic. There's no handbook for that, so we had to overstep. We had to push the envelope a little bit further.

Carol Pehotsky:

Sure.

Samantha Connelly:

But some leaders that are listening, you know that you had boundary issues prior to COVID. I'm sorry to say. So really kind of taking that self-assessment on yourself. Do you have to make that staffing call? Can you trust your charge nurses?

Can you coach them after what they could do differently? Do you need to be on call 24/7? When you watch a football game, you see the coach making calls, and they might get frustrated on the sideline, but they never run on the field and grab the ball from the team and run it down. I'm sure many of them want to, but you can't. You have to trust them. You might have some frustration or not agree with it at the moment, but what do they do after the game? They watch the tape back. They replay it. What can we do differently? So, stop rushing the field, and have those boundaries, or you're going to be on call 24/7 pandemic or not, staffing challenges or not.

Carol Pehotsky:

That's right. Excellent. Well, you shared so many good things. We're going to spend just a few moments to wrap it up in our little speed round.

Samantha Connelly:

Oh, okay.

Carol Pehotsky:

So, this is a chance for our listeners to get to know you as, as a nurse and human being above and beyond the expertise you shared with us. So, you've been very gracious sharing your own well-being habits as well, but it's time to unwind. What's your go-to media? Do you like TV or podcasts or books? What, what's your jam?

Samantha Connelly:

I would say books and TV. Books for a while were not enjoyable. It was all studying, so it was enjoyable for furthering my career, but nothing for fun until, I would say, last year. And then, I would say TV. My husband works six days a week, so we usually try to find something that we like together and watch that then.

Carol Pehotsky:

Very good. And what brings you joy?

Samantha Connelly:

Right now, my daughter. She is 16 months old.

Carol Pehotsky:

Oh, fun.

Samantha Connelly:

I would say prior to her, it was honestly my team, and honestly, nursing. Of course, given my history of being patient, that's a part of me, so making a difference and seeing my team makes a difference.

Carol Pehotsky:

Well, Samantha, thank you so much for joining us today. I can't thank you enough for sharing your wisdom with us.

Samantha Connelly:

Thank you. So happy. Thank you.

Carol Pehotsky:

As always, thanks so much for joining us for today's discussion. Don't miss out. Subscribe to hear new episodes wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, we want to hear from you. Do you have ideas for future podcasts or want to share your stories? Email us at nurseessentials@ccf.org. To learn more about nursing at Cleveland Clinic, please check us out at clevelandclinic.org/nursing. Until next time, take care of yourselves and take care of each other.

The information in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult your local state boards of nursing for any specific practice questions.