Before You Pour Out, Have You Filled Up?
KeithRN was honored to participate in the inaugural SPIN Learning Conference in Biloxi, MS, an inspiring gathering that reminded all of us in nursing education why we do what we do.
One of the highlights was hearing Donna Cardillo, an inspirational speaker, author, and nurse, share her wisdom on the importance of nurturing ourselves not just as professionals, but as people.
Donna’s message resonated deeply with those of us who serve and teach others every day. She reminded us that while nursing is a profession of giving, it must also be a practice of receiving, receiving rest, reflection, and grace.
Relying on Our Inner Resources
In a culture saturated with external solutions, new teaching technologies, mounds of textbooks, and digital tools, Donna invited us to pause and look inward. As she shared, we need to rely on our inner resources, not always on external ones.
For nurse educators, this means tapping into the wisdom, empathy, and resilience we already carry. It means trusting our experience and intuition as much as we trust our lesson plans. When we teach from this place of grounded authenticity, our passion becomes contagious. You can’t convey passion if you’re not passionate.
Nursing, Donna reminded us, was never meant to be a sacrifice but a delight. When we nurture our own well-being, mentally, physically, and spiritually, we teach from a place of abundance rather than depletion.
Modeling and Mentorship: Teaching by How We Live
One of an educator’s biggest challenges is teaching by example. Students may forget a lecture, but they remember how we made them feel through our patience, humility, and professionalism. As educators, we are not just imparting knowledge; we are modeling the professional identity of a nurse.
When we embody compassion, integrity, and commitment to excellence, we become living lessons. This kind of mentorship shapes future nurses who not only think critically but care deeply, the very heart of what KeithRN’s mission is all about.
Cultivating Gratitude and Reflection
Another key theme Donna shared was the importance of gratitude, not as a cliché, but as a daily discipline that reshapes how we experience our work and lives. Make yourself say what you’re grateful for, even if you don’t feel it. “Gratitude saves you,” Donna said.
As nurse educators, we can help our students develop this same practice. Imagine what would happen if gratitude became a regular part of reflection assignments, not just analyzing what went wrong in a clinical scenario, but noticing what went right and what lessons we are thankful for. Encouraging gratitude fosters resilience and empathy, skills as essential as clinical judgment.
Is it in You?
KeithRN was honored to be part of this inaugural SPIN Learning Conference, a gathering that reminded us all of the heart behind nursing education. Donna Cardillo’s message beautifully echoes what we strive to embody every day: that authentic, compassionate teaching can only come from within.
At KeithRN, we see ourselves as partners to nurse educators, walking alongside those who give so much of themselves to prepare the next generation of nurses. Just as educators serve as role models and mentors for their students, we seek to do the same for them.
Application: Call to Action
- Take time to nurture your own well-being, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
- Model gratitude and reflection in your own practice and integrate them into classroom and clinical experiences.
- Teach from authenticity, trusting your intuition and professional wisdom as much as your lesson plans.
Key Takeaway
When educators take time to nurture their own passion, purpose, and professional identity, that energy flows naturally into your teaching.
Gratitude and reflection aren’t just classroom exercises; they’re habits of the heart that sustain passion and compassion and strengthen connection.
Pause & Reflect
How can I intentionally nurture my inner life to teach from a place of abundance rather than depletion?
In what ways can I model gratitude and reflection to inspire my students to do the same?
Closing Thoughts
Together, we can restore joy to teaching and reignite passion for the profession, helping both educators and students embrace nursing not as a sacrifice, but as the profound and life-giving calling it is.
Authentic teaching begins from the inside out, with gratitude, reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose. When educators lead from the heart, they not only transform their classrooms but also the lives of those they teach.
Recommended Resources
- Donna Cardillo, RN – “The Inspiration Nurse”
- Subscribe to KeithRN YouTube Channel: Think Like a Nurse for related educator videos
Maria Flores-Harris, DNP, RN, CNE
Advocate for Nurse Educators who knows how challenging the transition from clinician to educator can be — because she has lived it. Read more…
