Art of Departure Ten

Nurses Coralee Boileau, Chantal Dass, and Julie Smith join eight men and women (from the US and Canada) with host Lynn Thompson for an hour of Art of Departure Ten to talk about what it’s like to be on the frontline in the hospital setting from Pediatric Intensive Care to Palliative. Joining the group from where they live and work in Ottawa, Ontario in Canada, they talk about trauma bonding in frontline hospital work and supporting each other in being okay with not being okay. They touch on the education around mental health that is not included in the curriculum. They note that, even a decade ago, this conversation about mental health and the panic attacks nurses were having was not happening. Many insights, comments, and questions from the group add dimension to everything shared.

Coralee Boileau’s dynamic 25-year career has allowed her to be amidst the most intimate moments in strangers’ lives through her experiences in pediatric intensive care, labor and delivery, long-term care, and now full circle as a palliative care nurse. You will find her books, Falling from Grace, and If We Were Having Coffee: Heart Songs of An Introverted Artist (by Coralee Boileau) and Rust and Alchemy, A memoir from the frontline (under the name D.C. Boileau) on Amazon and follow her writing thoughts and journey on Instagram @coraleewritesss. Earlier in December, Coralee and Lynn spoke about her nursing career and her book, Rust and Alchemy.

Julie Smith has been a nurse for 27 years, including rehab, complex continuing care, and, for eleven years now, appreciative of working as a palliative care nurse, where she works together with Coralee on the team.

Chantal Dass is a mother of three young children and an experienced pediatric nurse. Her career has spanned multiple spheres of nursing, such as international health, medicine/surgery and oncology wards, research, and PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). Her true passion lies within critical care, where she spent many years caring for the sickest children. She continues with this work by facilitating simulations for staff in her workplace. Chantal has been a strong advocate for mental health supports for staff within the hospital setting and continues to strive for excellence when providing nursing care.

Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through the talk. Thanks for listening.

The P.S. in Art of Departure Ten is a glimpse from the first Art of Departure in April 2023. Tina's mention of "Unmute" in how she found out about the discussion group short notice refers to Ann Randolph's online writing community, Unmute Yourself: Your Story Matters.

Earlier Art of Departure discussion forums:

Art of Departure Nine
Art of Departure Eight
Art of Departure Seven
Art of Departure Six
Art of Departure Five
Art of Departure Four
Art of Departure Three
Art of Departure Two
Art of Departure
Art of Departure Sampler