Providing Care through Presence and Compassion

This nurse shares how learning how to regulate her autonomic nervous system through tools for heart rate variability saved her life after burnout

Welcome to Nurse Ascent, a twice-weekly newsletter created by nurses for nurses. This week, one nurse shares how learning to regulate her autonomic nervous system using heart rate variability tools from the HeartMath program helped her recover from burnout and build a career centered on presence and compassionate care. We’re also featuring new nursing job opportunities, along with healthcare headlines including rising measles cases in the Bay Area, the continued expansion of hospital-at-home programs nationwide, and new research showing a blood test may detect dementia up to 25 years before symptoms appear.

But first, sending extra care to all enduring what feels like a never ending respiratory illness season...

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Nurse Spotlight: Lisa Marie Gorman RN, MS

What I do for work

I have a variety of jobs that all use the skills I’ve learned from nursing. On top of being a nurse health advocate, I work on the HeartMath healthcare team as a master trainer sharing tools for self-regulation utilizing the science of heart rate variability. We train large organizations these skills to prevent burnout, increase engagement, and increase overall well-being. I am also a Chief Nursing Officer for the Fyera Foundation which provides these same tools to the WHO, the UN, and other high level political forums to utilize in war zones to help people through trauma and stress.

How I got here

The tools I learned on the science of heart rate variability saved my life after a cycle of burnout following the covid pandemic. What first drew me to this was the decades of research behind HeartMath technologies. These quick practices help re-pattern the autonomic nervous system to a state of coherence and balance, helping people better cope with stress, anxiety, depression and more. I use these tools with everything I do whether it’s working with private coaching clients, with my patients for advocacy or for my own practice in self care.

Headlines in Healthcare

Rising measles cases in the Bay Area

California Department of Public Health has reported 26 confirmed measles cases across nine counties, marking a rise in activity following a February outbreak in Shasta County and the state's first measles outbreak since 2020. Twenty out of the 26 cases are children under 20 years old. Over 1,200 cases have been reported nationwide, with significant outbreaks in Texas and South Carolina. Health officials recommend ensuring all family members are up-to-date on vaccines, particularly before traveling.

Hospital-at-home programs gain momentum nationwide

Healthcare leaders are expanding hospital-at-home programs, allowing certain patients to receive acute-level hospital care in their homes with remote monitoring and visiting clinicians. Recent federal policy changes extending program approvals through 2030 are expected to accelerate adoption across health systems. Nurses are central to these programs, providing virtual monitoring, in-home care visits, and coordination between patients and hospital teams.

New blood test to detect dementia 25 years beforehand

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that a novel blood-based biomarker can predict a woman’s risk of developing dementia as many as 25 years before symptoms appear. The recently published study found that higher levels of a certain protein (named phosphorylated tau 217) were strongly associated with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia among older women who were cognitively healthy at baseline. The findings are based on data from 2,766 participants in a large national study that enrolled women ages 65 to 79 in the late 1990s and followed them for up to 25 years.

More on Lisa Marie

A day in my life

Each day in my life can look very different and learning the agility and endurance of keeping up with multiple commitments has helped in building my own resilience and flexibility. Some days I may have a personal coaching call where I utilize these HRV practices. I’m also working on a project as an editor for a friend’s poetry book where we are developing marketing content and building a website. I also provide remote patient care as advocate, helping them navigate the health care system, providing them the tools they need for self advocacy, which include these HeartMath tools. One thing that is common thread for me in all my work is showing up with care and presence.

My self-care routine

Every morning for the past 25 or 30 years, I have a non-negotiable period of time after I wake up to take 30-45 minutes of quiet time alone. Whether I am in a contemplative space with my spiritual practice, or using my HeartMath tools, I’m sending love and care out into the day and to the world. Throughout the day, I endeavor to take breaks periodically to stop and check in with myself and bring my attention back to the heart and back in alignment with my mission of care. For physical activity, I walk for 20 minutes with my dog in the morning and evening. Rather than multi-tasking on the phone while walking, I try to bring the practice of presence here with me too. At the end of each day as I’m getting into bed, I pause to have gratitude for all the things that transpired through the day.

Share your story & be entered to win

As part of our effort to spotlight nurses, we’d love to feature you in an upcoming issue of Nurse Ascent! Share your story by filling out our quick interview form, and you’ll be entered into a raffle to win a $50 gift card.

An image of author Katie Scoggins is pictured.

Meet the author:
Katie Scoggins
(RN, BSN & Health Writer)

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