Beat Nurse Burnout | Holistic Health, Stress, Burnout Prevention

Shan Wright | Nurse Life Coach, Stress Expert, Christian Mom Mentor, Holistic Nurse, Speaker
  • 5.0 (81)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Are you an exhausted nurse running on empty? Do you feel irritable after every shift, emotionally numb, or like you're just surviving instead of thriving? Maybe you're a night shift nurse who can't sleep, a bedside nurse drowning in documentation, or a healthcare mom who feels like she's failing everyone. You want work-life balance, but it feels impossible. You crave connection with God, quality time with your spouse and kids, and just five minutes of peace—but patience and presence seem out of reach after another exhausting shift. You know you need self-care, but you're so depleted from caring for everyone else that you don't even know where to start. Sound familiar? You might not realize it yet, but you're experiencing nurse burnout—or heading there fast. You're in the right place, and you're not alone. I'm Shan Wright—wife, mom to 4, Registered Nurse, and Holistic Nurse Coach. I've been where you are: burnt out at bedside, struggling with postpartum anxiety, feeling disconnected from God and my family, and wondering if this exhausting cycle was just "how it is" for nurses. After burning out in bedside nursing, I realized I couldn't pour from an empty cup. I sought the Prince of PEACE and charted my way to whole-body wellness through simple, faith-based holistic practices—and I'm excited to share them with you! On this podcast, you'll discover how to: Overcome high-functioning fatigue and stop just surviving shift to shift Set boundaries without guilt at work and home Manage nursing stress so work doesn't hijack your home life Process emotions through faith-based practices instead of suppressing them Create sustainable self-care that doesn't feel like another task Build emotional resilience to handle difficult patients and workplace drama Find work-life balance that actually works for 12-hour shifts Reclaim your energy, peace, and purpose beyond the badge Experience joy by embracing your identity in Christ—not just as a nurse Let's get our heads out of the medication cart and never-ending charting and courageously navigate this nursing journey TOGETHER! Go ahead—heat up that coffee (again), clock out mentally, and let's chat, Nurse! God's got this. New episodes every week. CONNECT: EMAIL: hello@theshanwright.com WEBSITE: www.theshanwright.com INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/theshanwright/ FB COMMUNITY: bit.ly/courageousvillage DISCLAIMER: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living. As healthcare professionals, we know the difference—this is about YOUR wellness, not patient care protocols.

  1. 2d ago

    Aligned Leadership for Nurses and Working Moms: How to Lead Yourself Before You Lead Anyone Else [ with Susan Ro]

    In this episode of Beat Nurse Burnout, Shan sits down with Susan Ro — creator of the Aligned Leadership Method, host of the Leadership for Busy Working Moms podcast, and a woman who knows firsthand what it looks like to rebuild your life around what actually matters. Susan went from the high-energy world of New York City fashion to teaching, marriage, motherhood of four boys, and eventually to coaching and leading other women — and the thread running through all of it is a simple but radical conviction: that lasting leadership starts with leading yourself, in alignment with Christ, before it ever extends to anyone else. This episode is for the nurse who is excellent at her job and exhausted in her life. It is for the woman of faith who has confused people pleasing with godliness. It is for the high achiever who has never once thought of herself as a leader — because she has spent her entire career following someone else's agenda. In this conversation, Shan and Susan talk about: The through line God was weaving through Susan's career path that she could not see until she looked back What busy working moms and nurses have in common no matter how different their circumstances look on the outside Why leading yourself first is not selfish — and how to reframe it as the most faithful thing you can do How aligning your life to Christ functions as a leadership strategy — not just a spiritual practice — and what that changes about daily decisions, schedules, and relationships What to say to the woman who has never thought of herself as a leader because she has always been the one taking orders How people pleasing hides inside faithfulness and how to finally recognize it for what it is What stewarding your own life — your health, your time, your calling — looks like as an act of obedience rather than selfishness How to actually debrief after a hard shift or a hard day instead of just absorbing it and carrying it home How to articulate your feelings clearly — because clarity about what you are experiencing is the first step to leading yourself out of it What stepping into obedience to who God called you to be actually requires — and what it costs to keep saying no to it If you have ever felt like leadership was something you did for other people and never for yourself — this episode is going to reframe everything. Connect with Susan Ro: 🎙️ Podcast: Leadership for Busy Working Moms 📱 Instagram: @susanro.rest 🌐 Website: susanro.com 📧 Email: hello@susanro.com ✨ Join her Insider's List: susanro.myflodesk.com/insider   Shalom Shalom,  Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment - get to the root of your stress/ complimentary but only a few spots each week 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community

  2. Aug 18

    ICU Nurse, PTSD, Fractured Spine... The Warning Signs You Cannot Afford to Miss [with Ashley Chancellor] / 245

    What happens when a nurse gives 14 years to the ICU, survives COVID on the front lines, fractures her spine, and battles PTSD... and still finds her way back to hope? That's Ashley Chancellor's story. And she is telling all of it. In this episode of the Beat Nurse Burnout Podcast, we sit down with Ashley Chancellor, RN, bestselling author of Just a Nurse: Memoir on the Heartbeat of Healing, Writing Coach, and Self-Empowerment Coach for nurses. Ashley spent 14 years in critical care, traveled as an ICU nurse for 9 of those years, and watched the healthcare system collapse from the front row. Then COVID broke more than just the system... it broke her physically and emotionally. At 38, Ashley retired from bedside nursing. But she didn't stop caring. She started writing to heal, found God in the process, and now empowers other nurses to heal themselves first so we can heal the world together. In this episode we talk about: How burnout shows up in high-achieving nurses  What it means to heal your body, your mind, AND your spirit after trauma Writing as a tool for self-discovery and emotional processing Finding faith in the wreckage of burnout What "doing the nursing you love" actually looks like outside the hospital walls Ashley's free resource to begin your own healing journey Keywords: nurse burnout, ICU nurse burnout, travel nurse burnout, nurse PTSD, nursing and mental health, healing from burnout, nurses leaving bedside, nurse memoir, just a nurse book, writing to heal, faith and nursing, holistic nurse wellness, nurse self-care, burned out nurse recovery, nurse leader burnout, Christian nurse, nurse empowerment, nursing trauma, leaving bedside nursing, nurse coach podcast Connect with Ashley: 📧 Ashley@JustaNurseRN.com 📱 Instagram & TikTok: @JustaNurse_RN 🌐 AshleyMChancellor.com 🎁 Free eBook: Heal Toward Self-Care + free intro to Just a Nurse at her website .......... Can we talk about your feet for a second? Friend, you are on them ALL shift long. And that fatigue you feel in your legs, your back, your whole body by the end of the day? It starts at the ground. AIRfeet Therapeutic Insoles actually massage your foot WITH every step... improving circulation, reducing fatigue, and supporting healing from the inside out. Nurses are telling me they feel the difference in DAYS. The body was made to heal. Let's give it the support it needs. Go to myairfeet.com and use code SHAN20 for 20% off. You deserve that. Shalom Shalom,  Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment - get to the root of your stress / complimentary, but limited spots available 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living.

  3. Aug 11

    5 Nurse Burnout Signs You’ve Mistaken For Being A 'Good Nurse' That Are Actually Destroying Your Health / 240

    You can assess a whole unit in thirty seconds... but when's the last time you assessed yourself? In this episode, I'm breaking down the five signs of nurse burnout that don't look like burnout at all. They look like being reliable. Being the strong one. Being a good nurse. And that's exactly why so many of us miss them, or catch them years too late. If you've ever wondered whether you're actually burned out, or if you're the nurse who's so deep in autopilot you haven't even stopped to ask... friend, this one's for you. In this episode, we cover: The 3 lies keeping high-functioning nurses stuck (starting with "I just need to push through") Sign 1: you can assess everyone's needs except your own Sign 2: your default answer is yes, and no comes with guilt attached Sign 3: you're exhausted but rest feels like a threat, not a relief Sign 4: what chronic stress is actually doing to your body at the cellular level Sign 5: the calling you had before your first preceptor told you to toughen up Loved this episode? Comment or DM me on Instagram @theshanwright  or email me hello@theshanwright.com the word STRESS and I'll send you the STAT Protocol, free. It's the first step to leading yourself instead of just managing everyone else's shift. Ready to go deeper? Book your complimentary stress assessment and get personalized tools you can use — even in the middle of a 12-hour shift. DM me on Instagram @theshanwright  or email me hello@theshanwright.com the word "STRESS"  Shalom Shalom,  Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment (free) - get to the root of your stress 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living.

  4. Aug 4

    Why The Hidden Cost Of Compassion Fatigue Is Draining Your Faith & Stealing Your Identity [with Lisa Carriere] / 243

    In this episode, Lisa Ackland Carriere — founder of The Writing Well and writer at The Daily Calling on Substack — joins us to talk about the side of caregiving no one signs up for. When caregiving is forced on you by circumstance rather than chosen as a profession, compassion fatigue can quietly take root, leaving you emotionally shut down and disconnected from your own identity. Lisa shares her personal journey through years of layered crisis — parenting a son with ADD, developmental delays, and learning disabilities; a move that strained her marriage; the sudden loss of her mother; her brother's brain cancer diagnosis and death; and her husband's subsequent pancreatic cancer diagnosis. We talk about what compassion fatigue really looks like for caregivers — nurses and everyday women alike — how God reframes identity and purpose through the caregiving journey, and practical ways to support a caregiver both in the thick of crisis and in the aftermath, whatever the outcome. In This Episode: What compassion fatigue is and how it accumulates over years of caregiving for a loved one who needs ongoing, difficult care Lisa's story: a son with developmental and learning challenges, a marital rift after relocating for his schooling, and a cascade of loss — her mother, her brother, and her husband's health The difference between caregiving as a chosen profession and caregiving that's simply your life How identity gets buried under years of "just showing up," and how it can be reclaimed How God reframes purpose and identity in the middle of caregiving crisis Practical ways to support a caregiver mid-crisis Practical ways to support a caregiver after the crisis — whether their loved one survived or passed away About Lisa Ackland Carriere: Lisa Ackland Carriere is the founder and director of The Writing Well, providing writing services and collaborative partnerships to professionals. Her business grew out of her 20-year career as a college English instructor and as a writer and communicator for global ministries. She also writes for Christian women on Substack at The Daily Calling with Lisa Ackland Carriere. Connect with Lisa: Website: lisaacklandcarriere.com The Writing Well: thewritingwellconsulting.com Substack: substack.com/@lisaacklandcarriere Ready for a life-changing conversation? Book your complimentary stress assessment and get personalized tools you can use — even in the middle of a 12-hour shift. Book today! (complimentary, but spaces fill fast)  Shalom Shalom,  Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment (free) - get to the root of your stress 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living.

  5. Jul 28

    242/ Why Your Identity As A 'Good Nurse' Is Actually Fueling Your Burnout & Keeping You Stuck In Survival Mode [ with Anna Girgan]

    For years, achievement was the plan. Corporate success, leadership, recognition... it was supposed to add up to a fulfilled life. Instead it added up to exhaustion. In this episode, I sit down with Anna Girgan, Founder of EPIPHANIES™ and host of the EPIPHANIES podcast, to talk about the belief her entire movement is built on... identity shapes reality. We get into what happens when high-achieving women (nurses, this is you too) spend years performing instead of living in alignment with who they were actually created to be, and what it took for Anna to walk away from a two-decade career to find out who she was without the title. Anna Girgan is the Founder of EPIPHANIES™, a movement built on one core belief... identity shapes reality. Anna helps ambitious women activate who they were created to be, so they can stop living reactively and start creating lives, businesses, and legacies that actually reflect their potential. She blends neuroscience, practical strategy, and faith in a way I have not heard anywhere else... she's not handing you more information. She's helping you get activated. Anna is also the host of the EPIPHANIES podcast, where every single conversation starts with one question: what's YOUR epiphany? In this episode, we cover: Why burnout is often an identity wake-up call in disguise What it looks like to move from surviving to living in alignment Anna's signature question, and why she asks every guest: what's YOUR epiphany? Her new exciting offer that gets Obedience into quick Action!  Connect with Anna Girgan: Website: epiphaniescoaching.com Instagram: @myepiphanies.co LinkedIn: Anna Girgan Email: anna@epiphaniescoaching.com Podcast: EPIPHANIES™ Join Anna in Podcast in 72 hours Workshop August 25-27 - where I will be leading expert Q&A! Email or message on instagram PODCAST for details on how to register!  Let me know this episode lands for you- email me Hello@theshanwright.com Shalom, shalom ✨ Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment (free) - get to the root of your stress 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living.

  6. Jul 21

    241/ How to Silence Your Inner Critic: A Breath Prayer for Nurses Who Feel Like They're Failing [Breathe & Be Still Series]

    This episode is for the nurse who is her own harshest critic — replaying the shift on the drive home, fixating on the one thing that went wrong instead of everything that went right. In this episode, we talk about how the precision this job demands (because a small mistake really can mean someone gets hurt) can quietly turn into a critical inner voice that never clocks out. It follows you home. It shows up in how you parent, how you rest, how you talk to yourself about the small human moments — the late clock-in, the snoozed alarm, the donut from the breakroom. We sit with Romans 8:1 and the truth that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus — not "no condemnation if," just no condemnation. And we talk about the order that grace actually works in: we don't clean ourselves up to earn it, we receive it because of who He is — and once we know our worth, we can finally stop condemning ourselves. Then we breathe it in, one truth at a time: Inhale: I'm in Christ Jesus Exhale: There is No condemnation Scripture featured: Romans 8:1 If this episode met you somewhere tender today, share it with a nurse who needs to hear it too. Shalom, shalom. 🕊️ Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment (free) - get to the root of your stress 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living.

  7. Jul 14

    Stop Nurse Anxiety Autopilot Before You Snap Or Shut Down By Doing THIS One Simple Shift On The Floor / 240

    Today we talk about the 4 unconscious anxiety autopilot behaviors nurses fall into on shift — conflict, distancing, over-functioning, and projection — and how to disrupt them. Seven to nine seconds. That's how long before you're even consciously aware of it that a biochemical stress reaction has already set your autopilot into motion on shift. In this episode, I break down the Yerkes-Dodson stress curve and the four unconscious autopilot behaviors anxiety triggers in nurses — conflict, distancing, over/under-functioning, and projection — with real, specific nursing-shift examples for each one. You'll learn why these patterns exist, how to recognize your own default, and how to disrupt it in real time using the STAT Protocol, a simple in-the-moment tool you can use mid-shift, even in an emergency. What You'll Learn The Yerkes-Dodson stress curve and what it reveals about the difference between optimal stress, fatigue, anxiety, and burnout Why anxiety autopilot behaviors form outside your conscious control — and where they come from The 4 autopilot patterns nurses default to under stress: conflict, distancing, over/under-functioning, and projection Real nursing examples of each pattern in action, from compassion fatigue to post-shift irritability How to use the STAT Protocol (See, Take a Breath, Acknowledge, Thanksgiving) to disrupt autopilot in the moment Reflection questions to process your shift and reset your response pattern for next time Recognize yourself in one of these four patterns? DM "STRESS" @theshanwright on instagram or email: hello@theshanwright.com to get the free STAT Protocol and take your next shift with a tool in your pocket instead of just an autopilot in charge. Shalom Shalom,  Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment (free) - get to the root of your stress 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity! 🙌STEADY : group coaching program 🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living. Keywords nurse burnout, anxiety autopilot, nurse anxiety, nurse stress management, Yerkes-Dodson law, compassion fatigue, nurse mental health, over-functioning, under-functioning, nurse self-care, high-functioning fatigue, nurse leader burnout, STAT Protocol, faith-based burnout recovery, nurse anxiety triggers

  8. Jul 7

    239/ Are You Healing the Root, or Just Managing the Symptom with a Quick Fix? REAL Talk with Erica Ballard

    Your body has been talking to you the whole time. The question is whether you've been listening — or reaching for the next quick fix instead. In this episode, I sit down with Erica Ballard, Women's Health Coach and founder of her own integrative health coaching practice, to talk about what your body is really communicating when it shows up in fatigue, gut issues, flare-ups, and burnout symptoms nurses know all too well. We dig into the brain-body connection behind lasting habit change, why stress is so often the missing piece in the healing conversation, and the real reason so many high-achieving women — nurses especially — choose the harder path of managing symptoms instead of the shorter (but scarier) path of healing what's actually underneath. If you've ever done "all the right things" for your health and still felt stuck, this conversation will change how you think about what healing actually requires. What We Cover Why physical symptoms are often the body's way of communicating unmet emotional or spiritual needs How to build health habits that work with your brain and body — not against them The overlooked role stress plays in chronic health issues for high-functioning women Why the "hard road to healing" is actually easier than the quick fixes we keep choosing How high-achieving women, especially nurse, learn to override their body's signals The difference between treating a symptom and healing its root cause About Erica Ballard Erica Ballard is a Women's Health Coach, mom of two, and self-described science nerd whose work has been described as "a beautiful blend of high performance habits, growth mindset, and woo woo." Erica helps women understand why cutting calories doesn't work and how to build habits that support real, sustainable health by decoding what the body is communicating physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Erica holds a Master's degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and a Certified Health Coach credential from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, with additional training in NLP and sound healing. Before launching her coaching practice, she spent over 10 years in public health and healthcare, working across global HIV/AIDS initiatives and food tech. She has been featured in Forbes and Women's Health, and served as the Health & Wellness Contributor for WTHR Indy and CBS4 Denver. Erica lives in Denver with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. Connect with Erica: erica@ericaballard.co **** If you are ready to start listening to what your body is really saying and get the full picture of what chronic stress is doing to your cells, then the Wholly Well Intensive is for you! It starts with the WholeBio Insights™ bioresonance scan — a whole-body look at what chronic stress is doing inside you, not just the symptoms you can see. Then we sit together for a 90-minute 1:1 coaching session where we take what the scan reveals and connect it to your identity, your patterns, and your next steps. This is not a sales call. It is a starting place. A real, honest look at what your body and soul are actually carrying — and what it would mean to finally put some of it down. Book your spot here: https://www.theshanwright.com/whollywell Or email me with questions: hello@theshanwright.com Shalom Shalom,  Xx, Shan  ……CONNECT…… The STAT Protocol: 5 min Emergency Reset Take the Free QUIZ-  Are you in burnout or just stressed?? Stress Assessment (free) - get to the root of your stress 💖Anti-Aging Power 3!! -my top tools for Longevity!  🙌STEADY : group coaching program  🎉Nurse Burnout Prevention group - fb community Disclaimer: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living.

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Are you an exhausted nurse running on empty? Do you feel irritable after every shift, emotionally numb, or like you're just surviving instead of thriving? Maybe you're a night shift nurse who can't sleep, a bedside nurse drowning in documentation, or a healthcare mom who feels like she's failing everyone. You want work-life balance, but it feels impossible. You crave connection with God, quality time with your spouse and kids, and just five minutes of peace—but patience and presence seem out of reach after another exhausting shift. You know you need self-care, but you're so depleted from caring for everyone else that you don't even know where to start. Sound familiar? You might not realize it yet, but you're experiencing nurse burnout—or heading there fast. You're in the right place, and you're not alone. I'm Shan Wright—wife, mom to 4, Registered Nurse, and Holistic Nurse Coach. I've been where you are: burnt out at bedside, struggling with postpartum anxiety, feeling disconnected from God and my family, and wondering if this exhausting cycle was just "how it is" for nurses. After burning out in bedside nursing, I realized I couldn't pour from an empty cup. I sought the Prince of PEACE and charted my way to whole-body wellness through simple, faith-based holistic practices—and I'm excited to share them with you! On this podcast, you'll discover how to: Overcome high-functioning fatigue and stop just surviving shift to shift Set boundaries without guilt at work and home Manage nursing stress so work doesn't hijack your home life Process emotions through faith-based practices instead of suppressing them Create sustainable self-care that doesn't feel like another task Build emotional resilience to handle difficult patients and workplace drama Find work-life balance that actually works for 12-hour shifts Reclaim your energy, peace, and purpose beyond the badge Experience joy by embracing your identity in Christ—not just as a nurse Let's get our heads out of the medication cart and never-ending charting and courageously navigate this nursing journey TOGETHER! Go ahead—heat up that coffee (again), clock out mentally, and let's chat, Nurse! God's got this. New episodes every week. CONNECT: EMAIL: hello@theshanwright.com WEBSITE: www.theshanwright.com INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/theshanwright/ FB COMMUNITY: bit.ly/courageousvillage DISCLAIMER: Information given within the podcast is not intended for medical advice, rather advice and encouragement for developing wellness habits for healthy living. As healthcare professionals, we know the difference—this is about YOUR wellness, not patient care protocols.

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