Episode 74 – Staying Grounded By Saying No, With Dee-Lynn Mason

As I said in Episode 70, 5 Tips To Stay Grounded During Difficult Times, I intended to interview some nurses to hear their stories – which is why we have Dee-Lynn with us today.

My apologies for the sound quality. We had glitches during the recording that could not be edited. I invite you to stay right to the end because Nurse Dee’s got a message you all want to hear, regardless of technical glitches.

For Dee-Lynn to remain grounded as a busy health professional, she has learned how to effectively use the word “no”. She even says it’s a NO with a period at the end, and that’s the magic key to her staying grounded.
Lynn feels if there’s a period at the end, there are no excuses for wiggling out of a “No”. Dee-Lynn has also learned how to say YES! to her self-care. This is refreshing given how busy Nurse Dee is these days.

Her journey as a nurse has led her on a very rewarding path, thanks to a very strong relationship with her brother. Her brother faced a cancer diagnosis 3-years ago. It was during that period of time he requested that she return to school, in order to upgrade her nursing credentials from LPN to RN. This well-intentioned directive that turned into a YES! has led her on a powerful journey of personal development. Although she doesn’t meditate, Dee-Lynn definitely stays grounded by fitting-in some everyday mindful moments.

Dee-Lynn’s Mindset

As I discussed in Episode 63 – The Benefits of Mindset Coaching For Nurse Wellbeing, all too often, we see health care practitioners running from shift-to-shift, just getting through the day. Unfortunately, the mindset is to “just get through this next rotation”. Those next 4-5 days are truly all about work, and getting themselves to and from the hospital. The mindset around work is that it’s all-consuming, and they’ll breath again a few days after their shifts are over.

Dee-Lynn shares with us the value of being a nurse and finds great solace in that role. As much as she feels it supports her needs on so many levels, she knows she needs to take a pause and slow down. Her favourite hobby is napping. 🙂

I think you’ll find her to be an inspiring role model to future nurses, and those newer to the profession, as they carve their path in the nursing profession. See Podcast Episode 65 on Tips For An Amazing Nursing Career here.

Like many people who face adversity, Dee-Lynn had to change her story. She managed this career transition alongside her family, who supported her through it all. It’s important to pause and reflect once in a while on how YOU stay grounded and connected with yourself.

Recap on Episode 70, 5 Strategies To Stay Grounded

Here are some strategies to try for yourself when you’re in a challenging place, and need to stay grounded:

Use prayer/meditation, get active, get out in nature, seek-out guidance, and align with your true purpose. As you will hear in our interview with Lynn, discovering the path to greater meaning and purpose comes from learning what’s important to you. When you take the time out, and practice some daily mindfulness, your journey as a nurse can be pretty rewarding. She shows us that feeling grounded can be achieved in so many ways, but ultimately if you dedicate a few moments to getting to a better place, it can have a great impact on your overall well-being. Thank you for listening to The Satori Radio Podcast.

Guest Spotlight:

Dee-Lynn Mason RN is a new-to-practice nurse. As an experienced Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), with 15 years of demonstrated history of working in the field of nursing, she decided to return to school to complete her RN degree. Her current work as an RN in agency has supported her at developing her skills in many areas of nursing practice. Today, she continues to work with agency while integrating into her new role as a full-time Labor & Delivery Nurse.