I’m sitting down with two incredible women making waves in healthcare mental health advocacy—Tay Lautner and Shannon McPeek. Both Shannon and Tay have firsthand experience with the unique challenges that come with a career in nursing, from the immense emotional toll to the burnout that so many healthcare workers silently endure.
Learn more about mental health resources for nurses through The Lemons Foundation and Operation Happy Nurse
In this episode, Shannon, who founded Operation Happy Nurse, shares her journey of working in the NICU, battling OCD and depression, and finding healing through community. Tay opens up about her struggles with PTSD, how the pandemic triggered her mental health journey, and her transition into advocacy with The Lemons Foundation and her podcast, The Squeeze.
Together, Shannon and Tay are leading the charge to create safe spaces for nurses and healthcare workers to talk about their mental health, challenge the stigma, and find support. They discuss how they each navigated the decision to leave nursing, their mental health toolboxes, and why community is key in the healing process. Tune in to hear their stories, insights, and advice for anyone struggling in high-pressure professions.
(00:03:49) Confronting Mental Health Challenges in Nursing & Creating Support Systems
- How Tay and Shannon got into mental health advocacy for nurses
- How COVID initiated Tay’s mental health struggle
- Shannon’s love for working in the NICU yet developing OCD & depression
- How nurses are trained to process the death and dying process
- Shannon’s goal with Operation Happy Nurse
- Other organizations that provide mental health support for nurses
(00:14:21) Facing Burnout & Normalizing Career Shifts for Better Mental Health
- Tay’s PTSD diagnosis and journey to getting help including EMDR
- Why Shannon and Tay separated themselves from the nursing field
- The reality of burnout as a nurse
- Navigating shifting careers and the biggest lie in nursing
(00:24:15) Healing through Community & Honest Mental Health Conversations
- How Shannon and Tay met
- Podcast: Self Care Unit
- Podcast: The Squeeze
- Website: The Lemons Foundation
- Tay’s goal with her non-profit organization and blog
- Blog: Lemons by Tay
- The importance of honest mental health discussions
- Website: Operation Happy Nurse
- Shannon’s goal of targeting unique stressors of different professions
(00:31:31) Shannon & Tay’s Mental Health Tools
- What’s in Shannon and Tay’s mental health toolboxes
- The reality of living with OCD
- Navigating new stressors that come with new career ventures
- The importance of community in healing
- Dealing with negative feedback in the public eye
- How Shannon and Tay have fun and recharge
- Advice for getting into a reading habit
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Guest Info:
- Shannon’s Instagram: @smcpeek
- Operation Happy Nurse: operationhappynurse.org
- Tay’s Instagram: @taylautner
- The Squeeze Podcast: lemonsbytay.com/the-squeeze-podcast
- The Lemons Foundation: lemonsbytay.com/the-lemons-foundation
- Lemons by Tay: lemonsbytay.com
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- Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
- Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
- Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
- Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
- Therapy For All: Resources for those in need
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“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.
Producer, Bobby Goldstein.
