Some patients leave our shift; others stay in our bodies for years.
In this episode of Better Every Shift, Naomi and Tubi explore the legacies that nursing leaves in us – the patients we still carry, the smells and sounds that transport us back in an instant, and the way our bodies react long after the event is over.

Naomi and Tubi unpack why certain patients stay with us, how “first times” and “people who look like our own” land differently, and what happens when we never quite process those moments.

Together they explore:

• How nursing experiences are stored in the body as learned reactions and triggers
• Why emotional granularity (finding the right word for what you feel) can calm both brain and body
• The difference between hot debriefs, cold debriefs and reflective clinical supervision – and when each helps
• The role of nurses in crisis resource management and speaking up in ways others can actually hear
• Practical strategies to gently process “your people”: breathing, writing, naming emotions, and regular check-ins

This conversation is for any nurse, midwife or health professional who has ever found themselves back in a resus bay while standing in a supermarket aisle, or who has wondered, “Why is this patient still with me?”

🎧 By the end of this episode, you’ll have:

• Language for talking about the patients and moments that stay with you
• A simple writing practice you can use after tough shifts
• Ideas for making debriefs safer, kinder and more useful
• Small, repeatable habits to protect your future self from today’s work

🔗 Explore more from Better Every Shift

• Grab the Tea Room Notes Here
• Share this episode with a colleague who “gets it” and start a conversation about the legacies you both carry.

#BetterEveryShift #NursingLegacies #NurseWellbeing #Debriefing #ReflectivePractice #NurseLeadership

How are you going to make 2026 Better Every Shift?

Join us on Friday 10th January to set your intentions. This will be a great exercise to set you up for a great year.

Book via our website www.bettereveryshift.com.au