Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lourdes Wiley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Lourdes thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear stories from your time in school/training/etc.

I hold a Master’s degree in Nursing, but my first nursing program led to an Associate in Science degree in Nursing. It was an incredibly difficult program in South Florida, and our clinical hours took place at a very high acuity medical center. We started with a class of 45 and 13 of us graduated together. We cried, laughed, intermittently talked each other out of not quitting, and said goodbye to the other aspects of our lives for 18 months. In those 18 months I learned how to take care of people in their absolute darkest hours. I helped deliver babies and bore witness to children dying. I learned how to help people heal through treatments and interventions and hold presence in their last hours when there was nothing else to be done. One of the most powerful moments I remember was transporting a mother in prison shackles from the postpartum unit to the NICU to see her premature newborn who was being treated for drug withdrawal. The baby’s tiny body was filled with tubes and IVs. I’ll never forget her cuffed hand on the isolette as she bent her head and sobbed. She was to be returned to prison within the next few days. I remember crying with her.

Lourdes, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Despite my excellent education, experiences, and all that I have learned and done in over 20 years in Nursing, I never felt that the standard health care system allows or even encourages us to treat the “whole” person. It never felt right to me to simply throw medications at patients for every symptom. Simultaneously, I have struggled and watched my colleagues struggle with burnout and compassion fatigue throughout my career. I began to study Yoga, holistic health, bodywork, nutrition, and herbalism and became completely fascinated with mind-body medicine. I became a certified health coach. I was seeking to heal myself and learn better ways to help others. That mission continues.
I have used Yoga to help patients with chronic pain, anxiety, stress management, and overall wellness. If you can breathe, you can practice Yoga- that includes patients in wheelchairs. I teach community Yoga classes and workshops focused on Holistic Mental Health and “Lifestyle Medicine”. I bring Yoga to the workplace to help fellow healthcare workers take care of themselves and hope to offer more workshops and retreats in the near future to help healthcare professionals with burnout and compassion fatigue. I have introduced these techniques to nursing students at programs where I have served as faculty. My current focus is helping the caregivers learn to build their personal resilience and initiating a call to action for teams and organizations to be part of the solution.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Believe in your calling, your mission, and embrace your “internal mentor”. Many of us, especially women, have not been taught to listen deeply to our own internal wisdom. Those of us who are wired for service can easily get burned out and worn out when we try to save and help everyone. The biggest lesson I have learned is that healing is ours. Nobody gives it to us and nobody takes it away. People heal themselves and I personally do not like the word “healer” as a label. I find the most gratification in my work in a sustainable way when I understand that all I can do is support others in their personal healing- one person at a time. None of us can save the world.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I think we have to pivot constantly- whether we like it or not or whether we realize it or not! I have thought many times that I needed to leave nursing and healthcare all together. I envisioned myself opening my own wellness practice where I could integrate my skills but it never seemed to fall in place in a way that felt right. The pandemic made us ALL pivot somehow. Watching the deterioration of the healthcare system and the anguish of my colleagues has reawaked my desire to help be the change rather than simply walk away from the “house on fire”, so to speak. The focus of Rebel Nurse Yoga and Wellness and The Rebel Nurse blog will hone in more on healthcare providers and caregivers in 2022.

Contact Info:

• Website: therebelnurse.com
• Instagram: @rebelnursewellness
• Facebook: Rebel Nurse Yoga and Wellness, @rebelnurseyoga