THE COMMON SENSE NURSE

What struggles did you face during 2021? Did you overcome them? Do you plan on leaving them behind while moving into the new year? Covid anxiety, imposter syndrome, hyperlipidemia, and weight loss are just a few things I struggled with in 2021. These are the things that we will discuss during this podcast episode with complete transparency. Naturally, as we progress into a new year, we reflect on our past and focus on our failures and struggles. We make resolutions, and promise ourselves that this year will be better than the last. I just want to remind you all that it's okay If you didn't check off all the boxes, or accomplish all of your goals planned for 2021.  Focus on your small wins and remember that every year promotes fresh goals and ideas. So, cheers to a new year and a healthier you!!! 

Hello beautiful people! Welcome back for another episode. I just want to say that I am super excited to be continuing our series on self-care and mental wealth. If you tuned in to last week's episode, you know that we discussed self-care topics including: self-care routines, nutrition, and skin care. We also discussed self-care from a vanity standpoint. This week we will be diving deeper into our self-care segment by discussing mental wealth.  If you're interested in learning how my guest set boundaries, manage stress, and navigate through our healthcare system to find tailored therapist and doctors to help guide her through what she describes as her soul care journey, please stay tuned.

If you've read the title of this episode, you know that today's episode is all about self-care. Self-care is a hot topic right now, especially since we are in the midst of a global pandemic. We have a special guest, Ms. Jaleesa Komolafe joining us. Jaleesa is an attorney, a girl boss, and a self-care advocate. So, if you're in need of a little TLC, or just need some tips on how to elevate your self-care regimen, today's episode is definitely one for you.

COVID-19 has impacted our lives in so many ways. It has changed our work, home, and social environments while contributing to a lack of empathy displayed within our communities. Some caregivers have resigned from their jobs, taken a leave of absence, and even changed their career due to the stress and increase demands of COVID-19 to protect their mental health. Whether you're a healthcare provider, caregiver, stay at home mom, or teacher; we all can experience compassion fatigue.

Today's episode is a little different. We have a very special guest, Mrs. LaKesha Polk joining us to recite her lyrical masterpiece on how she fought and won her battle against breast cancer. While battling breast cancer, LaKesha wrote poems and used them as a therapeutic outlet during her breast cancer journey. With her faith in God, her strength, and her courage LaKesha made remission her mission to survival.

By now, I'm sure that you all are aware that the month of October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. With breast cancer being diagnosed more frequently in women than any other cancer, and carrying the second highest mortality rate after lung cancer; it is imperative that we talk about this disease in order to bring some insight and awareness to our community. The same breast that are used to nurture and feed our children, are the same breast leading to the mortality of so many women. Although women have a greater risk of developing breast cancer; men please know that you too can be diagnosed and affected by this disease. During this episode, we have a breast cancer survivor joining us to share her personal journey as to how she made remission her mission to survival. Like so many other women diagnosed with breast cancer, our guest simultaneously maintained her career, ran her household, and remained an active member within her community.

Did you know that men can be diagnosed with breast cancer? Have you ever heard of breast cancer gene testing? Do you perform self breast exams every month? Did you know that women the age of 40 should begin receiving a yearly mammogram? If you have answered “NO” to any of the questions listed above; you may benefit from listening to this episode. During this episode; we will discuss risk factors, breast exams, and testing. The purpose of this episode is to bring awareness to breast cancer. By dissecting some of the medical vernacular, we aim to encourage our listeners to perform self breast exams and discuss with their providers about early detection. Remember early detection and prevention is key, when it comes to fighting against breast cancer.

Have you ever questioned the driving force behind a person's actions when making a decision? Or, maybe you've heard the quote “I wish common sense was more common”. If you've answered yes to any of the above questions, please join us as we aim to dissect the characteristics of a good nurse. During this episode, Ms. Teair'e Carmicheal and I will be discussing common sense, and its rightful place within the medical profession. Whether you're a medical professional in search of camaraderie among fellow health care providers, or just someone seeking to gain prospective and insight; this episode is definitely for you.

Hi everyone, I'm Ericca Jones: family nurse practitioner, mom, wife and now podcast host. I am so excited to share my story on why I became a nurse practitioner with you all. If you enjoyed this episode; please like, comment, share, and subscribe to The Common Sense Nurse podcast and Instagram to receive alerts when new episodes are uploaded. Here at The Common Sense Nurse podcast, we aim to educate, empower, and connect with our fellow nurses and community. The purpose of this podcast is to expose our listeners to a variety of career options within the medical profession, promote community health and wellness, and provides a creative and safe space to discuss real issues. Each week on this podcast, you will hear a mixture of health tips, guest interviews, clinical pearls, words of affirmation, and current events. The Common Sense Nurse has a lot of great content to share with you all; so please stay tuned.

Before we move forward with our first episode; I just want to discuss some very important disclaimers. Disclaimers Here at The Common Sense Nurse podcast, we aim to expose our listeners to a variety of healthcare careers, and educate them on illnesses and diseases that affect our community. As healthcare providers on this platform, we strive to provide accurate and updated information; but, we encourage each listener to participate in their own research and to consult with their own primary care physician at all times. By listening to this podcast or reading information on our website, you agree not to use the information provided as medical advice to treat any medical conditions for either yourself or others. Again, we recommend that all listeners and readers consult with their personal health care provider and appropriate professional resources. Content regarding protected health information has been modified to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The contents discussed on this podcast are a combination of topics in which we have read, obtained through medical journals, public news, and are a product of years of nursing and healthcare experience. Also, personal email addresses used to contact us, via podcast or website, will never be shared with any third parties without given permission. The information provided on this podcast and website should not be used in any legal capacity as a representation of “standard of care” in a legal sense or on a basis for expert witness testimony. Please refer to your state's board of nursing, board of professional practice, practice act, and your institutional policies and procedures if you have any questions or concerns regarding the topics discussed on this podcast and website. Lastly, our opinions and statements that we vocalize during this podcast and website are ours alone. They do not directly reflect or represent our employers, educational institutions, professional institutions or certifying body.

Welcome to The Common Sense Nurse podcast. Thank you for your support.