14. Shenell Thompkins Creates a Space for New Nurses Through Her 'All One Nurse' Platform

Welcome to The Bossy Nurse Podcast, a show about nurse creators, innovators, risk-takers, and the ideas that shape their success. 

In this episode, Shenell Thompkins, MSN, RN, shares how her nursing journey, faith, and heart for mentorship led her to create All One Nurse, a space supporting new and aspiring nurses as they grow in confidence, care for themselves, and stay connected to the human side of healthcare. 

Find the all the resources mentioned in the show and full details at The Bossy Nurse website.

Transcript

Mindset That Beats Discomfort

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Have your mind made up that hey, I've got to get this done, and therefore you're going to start taking those actionable steps to be successful, whatever that goal is. And in that, it may be some discomfort, but it's okay. It's okay. Be okay with solitude. Be okay with being hyper-focused so that you can be successful.

Marsha 0:30

Welcome

Chanel’s Story And The COVID Spark

Marsha 0:31

to the Boston Nurse Podcast, a show about nurse creators, innovators, risk takers, and the ideas that shape their success. I'm Marsha Batti, and on the show today, how Chanel Tompkins turned the isolation and uncertainty nurses face during COVID into All One Nurse, a podcast and faith-based platform helping new and aspiring nurses care for themselves, grow in confidence, and get back to the human side of healthcare. During COVID, nurses were being asked to give more than they had, while new graduates entered practice with interrupted clinical training and a new level of uncertainty. Watching it unfold from home, Chanel Tompkins felt pulled to create something for nurses, a space that reminded them that they were still human, still growing, and still worthy of care. But Chanel's instinct to care for nurses didn't come out of nowhere. Long before All One Nurse, she learned how to stay focused when the odds weren't simple. She worked, studied, leaned on support where she could, and kept choosing the next right step. Even when it meant missing out, sitting in solitude, and deciding that the goal mattered more than the discomfort. That same focus shows up in the way Chanel talks about nursing, mentorship, and community today. But before she built all one nurse, and before the podcast, her story started as the baby girl of four daughters who considers herself an extroverted introvert, and here's why.

Caregiving Roots That Led To Nursing

SPEAKER_00 2:14

I can get along well with others, but I thrive in solitude. You could, even as a child, give me a give me, sit me in my room, maybe with a radio or just anything, pencil and paper. I will find something to do with it and be at peace with it. But to push forward with just my background, I ended up staying with my grandparents during my high school years. And my grandmother got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. So that was kind of my first introduction into the nursing world, healthcare world.

Marsha 2:49

Now, were you with your grandmother a lot in the hospital?

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Not a lot in the hospital, but when she came home. So as a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. And so when I got into my high school years, I actually got the opportunity to stay with my grandparents full-time. And that's when my grandmother, stepgrandmother got, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And that's when I got introduced to the healthcare world. And I got to see her. She went from a healthy-sized woman to very skinny, right? Because of the chemotherapy and all the things. And so, in that, I think that's where I got introduced into nursing because she would always say, My baby girl is going to be a nurse, because I always wanted to try to take care of her, make her comfortable when she came home from her hospital visits and things like that. Going as far as remodeling her room with new bed, bedding, and things like that. So I think that's me as a young child, yeah. Into an early adult teenager.

Marsha 3:55

I'm sorry to hear about your stepgrandmother. So sorry to hear that. Okay. First of all. So I'm curious about throughout your middle school, high school years, when your grandmother would say things like, Oh, you're going to be a nurse. Now, did that follow you directly? Did you, from that moment when your grandmother said that, hey, nursing, I think I'm going to be a nurse. Did you say that to yourself? Or was it just something that was said in passing?

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Yeah. So I'm going to tell you, I also had a relative, my cousin, named Deedra, and God rest her soul. But she had become a nurse. And that's when I actually knew what nursing, actually, got to see someone be a nurse. And she had two daughters, and I watched her life improve. And so I'm like, uh-oh, it's something about nursing. And she actually traveled a lot at the time. And so I started asking her questions about nursing. And I started to take classes in high school those last two years called it was like medical professions. And in that, when I got to shadow different clinics or healthcare spaces around the town, because I'm from a small town in Arkansas, and I loved it. And so I was like, okay, nursing is what I want to do. And I think that's what really pushed me to go into that space, just even out of high school. Yeah.

Marsha 5:17

And you're from a small town in Arkansas. I'm curious if you want to share that small town. I'm from Louisiana, so very close. I used to visit Arkansas a lot when I was younger because my dad, every summer, that was like the trip we could afford. We would go to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Really? Every summer for I don't know, several years. But curious at what part of Arkansas?

SPEAKER_00 5:41

So I'm actually from I'm from, I say both of them. They're both small, but Wynn, Arkansas, which will probably show up on the map. And Park in Arkansas. So I was born in Wynn, raised between Park and Enwin, Arkansas. And if you look for a landmark, Village Creek Park is, I think a lot of people know about Wynn because of Village Creek Park, if I'm slow that correctly.

Marsha 6:09

So what's in Village Creek Park that people will know or what's about when?

SPEAKER_00 6:14

It's just basically one of the largest parks in Arkansas. Okay. So it is one of the landmarks in Arkansas. I think a lot of people love to go to Heber Springs, Hot Springs, and Village Creek, which I hadn't been in a long time, but people still go out there to do golfing and things like that and going to the lake, which I don't go to lakes. I'm just thinking.

Marsha 6:40

So

Nursing School While Parenting Young

Marsha 6:41

you don't go to lakes, but you did go to nursing school. I did. I did. So how where'd you go to nursing school? How or how was nursing school for you? Was it something that came pretty easy to you? Or did you find was nursing your major? I know you talked about health careers in high school, doing those courses in high school or doing those programs in high school. So did you know right away, okay, once you got into college that nursing was going to be your major? And is that how you started out? Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

So starting, so to go back, I was also a teenage mom. Got pregnant at 16, had my son land in at 17. And so during my 10th grade year, doing over the summer terms, I started taking college courses through the community college. And because of that, I actually was like a semester or so ahead once I actually graduated from high school and getting ready to graduate from the community college. So graduate from high school, go into the community college. But one thing that I found out that people have to be mindful of if they're interested in nursing is to make sure that your advisor is giving you the prerequisites needed for the program. So I actually had to take a semester with AMP microbiology, all because it wasn't included in my associate's program, like my associate's guide guidelines of what to take. And so I had to do that. Thankfully, I passed because it was a community college, smaller classes, and I put all my eggs in one basket. Instead of doing their ADN program, I applied to a BSN program in Jonesboro, Arkansas State University. Go Red Wolves, which me and my husband argue because it used to be the Indians. And I was like, I was an Indian. He's like, No, you weren't. And I was like, Yes, I was. And I still can't find my college ID that had the old logo on there. But I'm definitely a red wolf. Okay. But I put all my eggs in one basket, prayed over it, prayed over my admission, and I got accepted. And so got my BSN and graduated in 2011 with my BSN in nursing. Yeah.

Marsha 8:52

I think it's a good point that you talk about too. If you are considering nursing school, just to whether you're doing a health professions program in your high school, which I think is a really good idea, is to take those courses that you may need to take in nursing school, like anatomy and physiology, of course, biology, biochemistry, just knowing what you need before getting into nursing program if you don't apply directly into a nursing program. So yeah, so once you're in nursing school, how was nursing school for you? Did you find it pretty easy for yourself, or how was it for you? I know a lot of people have different stories around how nursing school was yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

So I have to say that nursing school was definitely nursing school. I think only nursing students know and nurses who have been there. But one thing I can say, that first semester, it really makes or break you. It's either gonna make or break you. And fortunately, I passed. I always talk about on the All One Nurse podcast how that first semester I was writing on a decimal point. Am I going to pass? I literally sat on my dad's couch holding a Bible. He's like, girl, you don't put that Bible down. Because I was like, I need to pass this class in order to stay in the program because guess what? I'm a single mom, right? And I end up passing, and I was like, okay, it's all I gotta go all in. Nothing else matters because as a teenage mom, I hate to say statistic, but I did not plan on being a statistic. I felt like I had to do what I needed to do in order to provide, still provide a good life, not only for myself, but for him. Because he didn't ask to be here. And I've seen the struggling with as a single parent and not having a degree. And so it was like I had to just do what I needed to do. So no hanging out on campus. Whenever they had people crossing and all those things, like, no, no step shows, Chanel. No step shows. I never went to a step show. Wow. Okay. Never. It was like I was literally like what they say, like a non-traditional student, where I say it in like the parent, like the family housing during the summer. I worked two jobs so that I could just, you know, take that time and just build up funds. Because my daddy had he had me limited on what he would give me for one. And I'm like, damn, that's not enough. Right. Can't argue with them because he supported me the whole way through. So I had no reason to not be successful unless I decided not to be successful. So relationships, what book, what boyfriend, sir? If you're not going, no, if you in school with me, you can't provide for me. You know, which ironically, I ended up meeting my husband at school. And that was like within my last semester of nursing school, I believe. But even then, when he went to his friends and they were hang out, and I was like, you gotta take me home. I can't hang out with y'all. I got stuff to do. So I really took the program seriously, especially after that first semester when I almost failed over a decimal point. No mail.

Marsha 12:12

So

Hyper-Focus And Asking For Help

Marsha 12:13

you talk about going to school, being in a nursing program as a single mom. What type of advice would you give those who may not have the support that you felt you may have had? I understand completely when you say your dad did what he could. And so did my dad. I remember being in college my first year and going to a private liberal arts school. And my dad would send me like every once in a while a $50 check. And it wouldn't be like, it wasn't like every week. It was like once a month when I had to work and get a job as a freshman. And there are things I could not do because I was like, okay, I can't afford to not work and go to and make it in class. So I had my own coping mechanisms. But what did you do to cope with like probably the stressors of parenting and then making sure that you were going to succeed? What type of advice would you give potential nursing students or nursing students in similar circumstances?

SPEAKER_00 13:15

I would have to just tell them make up your mind that you're going to do what you have to do to get your degree. Whether that's nursing or anything else, whatever your goal is, make up your mind that you are going to do what you need to do to get your degree. And I would say a lot of my support. I had there were like for instance, childcare. Clinicals, you have to be a clinical 630. Daycare didn't open till 630. And so luckily, the daycare provider that I end up going to, that I the one that I the one that I used originally in my hometown or in Wynn, she recommended the other lady, Miss Myrtle. So Miss Vanessa recommended Miss Myrtle. And when I say, I guess based on my relationship with Miss Vanessa, I was always kind. I paid on time. I always tried to make sure I was in good standing with her. Just not a difficult person. Don't I just wasn't difficult. And even with Miss Myrtle, same thing. Kind. Miss Myrtle, do you need anything? What do you need? And when I say I explained to her what I needed, she was willing to do it. She was willing to let me drop my son off 15 minutes beforehand, 30 minutes beforehand, so that I could get to my clinical site on time. And so it's just things like that. Like I say, be mindful of how you go into rooms and to spaces and communicate or connect with others. Always go in, being kind, giving. Not saying you have to give things away, but just even your kindness, just showing up and being like genuinely kind and being honest. Speak up. If you need help, say something. Say something. I can remember I was having a difficult time because even my son's dad, he went to the same school as me. And I was just like, I'm just gonna transfer, I'm just gonna do this. We're young, we're dumb. And my sister finally told me, she said, look, she said, if you if you change locations because of someone, you will always be changing locations. And so she said, you basically need to get yourself together and do what you need to do. And then from that conversation, it was like, oh, okay. And then one of my other sisters, she was like, put on your big girl panties. It we you got work to do. And so I just learned to talk about things when I needed to, when I wasn't feeling good, where I wasn't feeling, even when I didn't feel like, I knew that I had to. So it's not about feelings, it's about execution. Look, more so then than now. We'll talk about that. But but it was it was it was beyond my feelings. I had to get beyond my feelings and actually show up. So regardless of what things may look like, friends that they may do what they may want you to do things or they may not understand, or family may not understand. But you know what is needed to get through that program, to get through that semester, to get through that class. You know what you need to do to study. And so it will be okay because the people that are meant to be there will be there regardless. Even if they don't understand, they will be there. Yes, I think I'm saying a lot, but hopefully they hear the be okay with first of all, have your mind made up that hey, I've got to get this done, and therefore you're gonna start taking those actionable steps to be successful, whatever that goal is. And in that, it may be some discomfort, but it's okay. It's okay. Be okay with solitude, be okay with being hyper-focused so that you can be successful and passing your boards or passing that exam. You can't be arguing with your boyfriend and you got an exam the next day, so y'all don't argue till 3 a.m. It's nobody's fault but yours at this point. You have to say, hey, let's table that. I got this test and we'll talk about it afterwards. As soon as I click submit, okay, let me get my phone and we can talk about it. But it's just things like that. Yeah. Hyper hook. I did a good job.

Marsha 17:46

Yeah, yeah. Being hyper-focused. I like that you said being kind. I like that you said that because you never know who you're going to run into on your way and to completion. And the idea that you, of course, were kind to your babysitters, the ones who were helping you out. Like, I can't even imagine having to have that responsibility of knowing what clinicals were. You'd be there 12, 14-hour days on a clinical, and you have a responsibility as your child, and you want to entrust them with the people that you trust. So being kind, you had the opportunity to have people look out for you and say, No, I got you. You don't have to worry about it. So being kind, being hyper-focused, maybe a step short too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

I'm telling you, ma'am, when I say I didn't even get to hang out on the yard. I'm like, I say that as uh HBCU graph.

Marsha 18:47

Because I didn't, I wasn't an HBCU four-year student. I went to a liberal arts, a small liberal arts college for two years, and then I transferred to an HBCU. And it was a completely different world. I'm like, oh, this is where death show is. So I didn't know what that was until yeah. Of course, you're allowed to have your fun in college too, but do things in moderation. Yes. But know when you have to be hyper-focused, know when you need to be kind to others who can help you along your journey, and not being kind just because you feel like people can help you, but just being kind in general, which we'll talk about the work that you do a little bit later. But I want to know so, nursing school, what did you do when you first came out of nursing school? Did you know what specialty you wanted to go into, or were you required to go in a certain specialty? Or how did that happen for you?

Choosing Step-Down And Finding CV Care

SPEAKER_00 19:36

So, about that. With my grandmother being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that being her story, I was like, I'm going to take care of oncology patients. My first clinical was on an oncology unit, and I was like, I can't do this because my grandmother was older. Not saying all old people get cancer, but she was older. But one thing I realized is that cancer had no respect of persons. And so when you got this 30-year-old man, and I'm pushing man through his IV or doing my assessment on him, and I'm just like, wow, he is terminal. Like, how I was like, I can't do this because I wasn't prepared for that. The younger people because 30 is young, 20s is young, even now, 40s, 50s are younger to me. And so I was just like, no, let me try something else. And so when I came out of nursing school, me and one of my co me and my classmates, we applied to a step-down unit because I knew I didn't want to go on ICU. I don't know enough to be an ICU. But I don't want to go on med surge. I just want that fine middle ground. And so I went to med ICU step down, which they also call progressive care unit. And one thing I loved is that not only did we have just those step-down patients, but we also had heart surgery patients. So we also got cardiovascular patients on our step-down unit because I guess the size of the hospital at the time. And so, though they were two days out post-op heart surgery, and I just loved it. I'm like, oh, they got this incision in their chest. They got these chest tubes, and I would be in there when the CV surgeon will remove the chest tubes. I was like, I really want to take care of those patients. And so I worked on a progressive care unit for two years in Jonesboro. And then me and my boyfriend at the time decided that, hey, he's gonna pay mortgage instead of rent. That was my sister would always tell him, Are you gonna, are you trying to rent or pay mortgage? So he decided to pay mortgage. And so we moved in together in Tennessee, moved to Memphis, Tennessee together. And I started to work for one of the largest hospitals here in the Mid South area. And I thought I was going to another state. Step-down unit that had post-op C V patients. Come to find out they are a much bigger hospital and they have two separate, they have three step-down units. And guess what? I did not get the one with the CV patients. And so I was a little butthurt, but it really opened up my knowledge to just more ventilated patients because they actually had trait patients, in addition to general ICU step-down patients. And so did that for two years. And then I went off, went to the CBICU and took care of CV patients for about five years. The day before I transferred to CBICU, me and my husband, we were this around this time we were working on a baby, right? The day before, no, it was the day before it was my last day on my step-down unit and the day before my ultrasound. And

A Health Crisis That Changed Plans

SPEAKER_00 22:53

I ended up in emergency surgery and losing a fallopian tube and ovary because I had an ectopic pregnancy and did not know it. And I had actually gone in on that day to help out on that step-down unit. And I can just remember going in the patient's room as finished my handoff getting report that morning. And I'm filling out the whiteboard because you can't leave the whiteboard blank. And I just remember feeling this rectal pain. And I go to, I was like, I'll be back. And I go sit at the desk and I just say something's not right. And they end up, long story short, they ERT me. So the ERT nurse comes, a house suit comes, and they said that when they raise me up from the desk, I look like a ghost. And so they get me down to the ER. I'm in pain, and they do a stat ultrasound, and they see nothing but blood in my abdomen. And luckily, the women's hospital is on the same campus. And so my OBGYN actually comes over to do emergency surgery. And I spend a night in the on the pre-post step down, pre-post unit, pre-post unit on the floor and getting a blood transfusion and all the things. But I was more, I was more grateful that I kept that I lived than I was about the loss, to be honest. So I was just more grateful about that. And I said all that to say when I got into C V I C U, I ended up with another ectopic pregnancy, but this time I was not trying to get pregnant and I was on birth control because we didn't want that to happen again. I had the ruptured ecopic pregnancy during my six-week leave. One of my friends, one of my nursing friends, she asked me to go to Union University with her to an education day. And so I go, and I end up being the only person talking to an a nurse educator. And so she tells me to go home, pray with my husband about it. And guess what? I end up in school. I was like, don't have a baby, but I'll get a degree. I'll get a degree. And so during that time, I had a couple of prayers. Oh, I got a whole story on that. And I explained all that on Sarah Lauren Zini's podcast. The rapid response RN. Yeah.

Marsha 25:21

Yeah. And I'll link that episode in the show notes so people can take a listen. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

Yeah. Yes. But there's a storyline here. So when I get to CBICU and God finally blesses me with my rainbow baby, guess when I'm due?

Building All One Nurse At Home

SPEAKER_00 25:39

April of 2020. And guess what else comes out at that time? Yes. So I'm at home with a baby during COVID. And that's when All One Nurse comes about. And I actually applied for staff nurse staff development, a nurse staff development specialist position at my hospital because I got my master's in education. And so it was like perfect timing. Rainbow baby.

Marsha 26:15

Let's back up because I just want to acknowledge Chanel recently won the 2026 Nurse.org Content Creators Award for podcasting. So I know my audience has heard it before because I was one of the nominees too, but I just wanted to let you know that Chanel actually won the award. So I'll also link Chanel's podcast, All One Nurse, in the show notes. So you can go subscribe, listen to it. Very good lessons. How long have you been doing the podcast now? For I think I started, what is this, 26?

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Probably about going on two years. I want to say. Two years, yeah. Yeah.

Marsha 26:54

Lots of episodes. So yeah. Lots of episodes of learning. Yeah. Yep. August of 2024. August 2024. Okay. And in Chanel's podcast, faith-based spirituality, and where that fits in your life within being all one nurse. So it started, you started to think about these things during COVID, but how did that come about where you actually decided I'm going to do all one nurse? Or how did it come about exactly? Yeah. And then I want to know about the name, All One Nurse. And then the work that you do with All One Nurse. Okay.

Faith-Based Support Through Podcasting

SPEAKER_00 27:29

So during COVID, as a nurse, when I was at the bedside, people always tell me I wear many hats. I will bring the tray, set the tray up, take out the trash. If you gave me a mop and a broom, I'd probably clean the whole room because I'm the cleanliness is next to godliness type of person. I don't know. It's somewhere in the Bible. It gotta be. But I just always gave my all to the patient. Not saying that was a good thing because I'm learning a lot now. But even then, with positive attitude, always sitting the cup halfway full, I just did a whole lot. And so during that time of seclusion, like literally being stuck at home with a baby and watching nurses travel, watching y'all do all the work. Those that were out there, it was like, oh my God, I feel like I should be doing something to help them. And so I actually had a Christian blog, and I still do, but I don't do much with it. And it's called Love, Good Morning Coffee. But I was like, I need something for the nurses. And so I prayed on it and I was like, what should I call it? And then that's when I came up with all one nurse. And the original intent was like, I want them to be, I want them to really take care of themselves, especially during this time, mentally, physically, emotionally. And as they're taking care of patients, literally sit down and take care of yourself as well. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot pour from an empty cup. And so it was like, this spot is for all nurses. And I want to address everything about them as an individual. And so that's where it came along. And I started writing blogs just to support the nurse, like self-care or nursing students, because you think about it, COVID on the front end, students they're in the program, but now they have no clinical experience. But yet they're still graduating and they're having to go out here and practice in the midst of COVID. And I believe it's fair to say that a lot of corners were cut, if I must say. And so during COVID, and rightfully, I get it. I get it. It's just things that you could not do because as time initially, then as time went on, now we know we can do. But it was like they needed something. And so I started blogging, and then fast forward, I saw an ad from nurse.org about hosting, being a host on their upcoming podcast, Nurse Converse. And I was like, why not? Why not? And so I ended up applying and made the top 10. Um, and so I ended up getting the host on there a couple of times on Nurse Converse, and they can check that out as well. But from there, I said, oh my God, podcasting is a great way to share information. And to truly share information, not only from me, but from other nurses who are compassionate about nursing, because I truly believe in getting back to the basics. Get back to the basics. My mission or my how can you say it? I'm just gonna say my mission was getting back to the human side of healthcare, literally bridging the stethoscope, bridging the stethoscope in the soul, taking care of self and taking care of patients from a holistic point of view. And so now I just talk about because and getting into the entrepreneurial route, like the entrepreneurial way of things, is okay. My audience is aspiring and new nurses within 18 months of their nursing career just to provide support through podcasting, blogging, and mentoring. I actually do a weekly meetup on Thursday nights. And so I do that with mentees who just want to come on a Zoom and we just have roundtable. What's your wins? What's your barriers? It don't have to be complicated, but just a safe space to say, hey, I'm here. It's not this platform is not meant for me to become anybody. I just want to be a vessel. I just want to pour into you because somebody poured into me and I'm still becoming as an individual. I have mentors now, or I'm learning the importance of getting a coach or investing in self, which is something I've been doing a lot with starting being more serious with all one nurse, is becoming a better version of myself, which I think I'm pretty great already. But it's to get somewhere you've never been, you got to do some things you never done and position yourself in spaces with others who are already there, if I must say it like that. So and as nursing students, they have to do the same thing. Who you gravitate to in nursing school may make you or break you. If they're constantly complaining, then you may not need to gravitate toward them. You need somebody who's gonna keep a positive disposition on everything that they're doing, because we have no time for that negative space. You want solution-oriented individuals where we're gonna be productive, we're gonna root praise each other and basically encourage one another to keep moving forward and see things from a different perspective. You know, call me out when I'm wrong. Let me know, Chanel. You should have gone home, went to sleep last night, you went to Target for two hours, and you knew you had you knew you had this coming up, or things, things like that. But that's where I'm at.

Marsha 32:54

Yeah, and I think the mentorship is so important, an important piece. I remember when I was in nursing school in 2010, and I can't remember off the top of my head right now, it's just escaping me when I know Facebook was out back then, but I can't remember exactly when Instagram started. I know I wasn't if it I know I wasn't deeply into social media or on social media where you actually see nurses or whatever field you're in, people doing the work that you're trying to do and the opportunities of mentoring. We didn't have that when I was in nursing school. And it just amazes me now how there's a wide variety of nursing specialty influencers and people online who can actually help you through this whole nursing journey. And so, in terms of your nursing mentorship, I'm curious, just so people who are listening who may be thinking about mentorship or have never really thought about it, if it's a place for them, what type of stories, not saying, of course, you have to say any names or call out anyone or any specific incident, what type of stories are you being able to help new nurses walk through during that first year and a half of nursing? What do

Mentoring New Nurses On Communication

Marsha 34:11

you typically see as some of the things that people need help with?

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Oh man, just knowing, just trying to understand what they don't know. They don't know what they don't know. I think that's the biggest thing. And being a nurse, the staff development specialist and what and helping with the orientation process and kind of knowing some of the ins and outs, even though every organization is different. I think just really just helping them navigate, helping them with how to communicate. Because I think, especially with the younger generation, they shy away from talking, literally. You have to say something. Instead, it's a they just, oh, I didn't know, or I fell bored, I didn't know who to tell, or it's like they don't want to communicate. And so I have to talk them through. Okay, if you're not really feeling the unit that you're on right now, it's not a matter of just, oh, throw in the towel and apply to a whole different organization. There are multiple specialties or units in this one building. Let's figure out is there another space for you? And so just have them letting them know, talk to your manager before you put an application internally. It is best to let your manager know. Because what do you think is gonna happen when you submit that application? And the other manager gets it, they're gonna, hey, reach out. Oh, your employee submitted and submitted an application. Can you tell me more about them? And so it just really sets you up for success when that manager can say, Oh, she told me. And then they're able to really give positive feedback or whatever, versus, oh, she didn't even tell me. That's already a negative. So I think you're sometimes just letting them know that, hey, it's okay if you're not having a good experience. And sometimes I miss talking about it because a lot of their issues may be a lot of it is communication issues. You tell your preceptor, have a one-on-one and let them know, hey, could you tell me, am I doing this correctly? Or could you actually watch me do this? Because even like we said on the episode with me and you on the all and nurse podcast, when you want to go start that I or remove that IV, they're like, Go ahead, or you haven't done that before? No. Literally, hey, could you come with me and go from there? Comfortable. Could you come with me? Yes. Yeah. That part. So I think they just need to know ways to communicate and not take things personal either, because sometimes you may get that preceptor who's very like, hey, I need you to do it this way. And the feedback may not come off as constructive, but take it as an experience. Don't take it to heart. Take it as an experience and continue and know that you're there to do a job, and ultimately the patient is the one that is the most important thing. Yes, your license is important, but we're there for a patient. We get to go home at the end of the day. So go in with an open mind, go in with a positive disposition, go in being kind, go in ready to learn. I say always keep your head on a swivel and always ask questions. I think that's safe to say, and know that you're never alone. And again, just like in nursing school, gravitate to those professors who are open book, who are willing or who are approachable, or those students, nursing students who are easy to get along with and study with, or provide information, or y'all can talk, and it's gonna come out to be more productive than it is a gossip session. So, same thing when you go on that unit, see that person that you're like, okay, I want to be more like them. Watch them, observe them, ask them questions, even though your mentor may be your preceptor, maybe someone else, but just have those conversations. And I always say there's power in hello. Power in hello. Go ahead. If you're an intern, go ahead and start speaking to people. We all have on name badges. Hey, Chanel, how are you doing? I'm I'm Marsha. I'm the intern. I'm starting here on Nero IC. Just wanted to tell you, just or just say hi. Just say hi. And when you do that, and when you're consistent, no matter how other people are, because everybody is not nice. And I was just joking with someone in the hallway about this at work. But even when you're consistent about your hello, and you are, you got a made up mind that you're here to work with a positive attitude. The day that you don't speak, even to the meanest person on the unit, they'll they may say, What's wrong with you? And I'm like, What? You noticed out of all people. So even the meanest person will they will respect you and your consistency of being kind. And they typically will open up. Most of the time, I've had that happen too. Yeah. For me, where they're like, Chanel, what you need? I'm like, oh, you asking me what I need because I'm consistent in how I show up or try to. When I clock in, what's going on at home has to stay there. Well, let me be here for this patient. Let me do my job with integrity, with compassion, even though you may have that one patient that can tap dance on your last nerve, but ultimately you get to go home. And hopefully they will too. But unfortunately, patients do pass in the hospital. I do try to guide them through that. And I try to do it from both a clinical aspect as well as the faith-based aspect. The mentorship program is going to be focused more on honestly diving into the, like, for instance, documentation, the do's and don'ts of documentation, and then tied with faith-based literature from the Bible, like using Bible stories. We talk about integrity, we talk about resilience, stories of David, stories with one story I love is the story with the Shunammite woman who she made room for a profit. And then they he asked her, What could what did she want? What did she need? What did she? He asked this as his assistant, what did she need? And he was like, Oh, they don't have any children. So he he was like, She's gonna have a son this time next year. And she was like, No, my lord. She was like, Don't do that. But come to find out she had a son, right? And then the son ended up dying. And fast forward, he ended up, the prophet ended up coming back, healing the son, he comes back alive. But in her distress, she said, All is well. And so, how can we go through even our toughest moments as an whether it's at work, whether it's at home, and saying, All is well, and having it made up in your mind that, hey, is all is going to be well because I'm here and I want to show up in this space and do the things that God has given me to do at this time. So, as a new nurse, we know that there's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of self-doubt, there's a lot of lack of confidence. And some people are overly confident, but most of the time it's more of the anxiety and the lack of confidence. And that's where people need to know, and that's where they need to know that hey, you are becoming better and better over time. Even when they're intern, I say, look back at when you were in your first semester as a nurse or your first day of nursing school, and they'd be like, Oh, yeah, I done came along white. And then they become a new nurse. I'm like, just imagine how you were first day of orientation versus now five weeks in, and it's oh yeah, I'm doing a lot better. So sometimes I think we have to look back to see how far we come, even though they still have a ways to go. And we're still we're all growing together. And that's what makes it so good. Because one thing I heard someone say on social media is like when you say I'm grown, this okay, now what? This it's all you got. Now if you say you're grown, now you're just now you're just ready to die. Versus I'm growing. Yeah. I'm growing. I don't have to say I'm grown. I'm constantly becoming as a nurse, regardless if I started remote nursing, uh, started a job in remote nursing, or if I went back to the bedside, I easily go from expert to no novice really quick. Yeah. So just give yourself teaching them to give themselves grace while also being accountable and just talking through things. Just, hey, whatever it is. But I love it because it's the space, the all-one nurse space is everyone is welcome. And I want them to actually, like I always say, chew the meat, spit out the bones. Like, come get what you need. If it's more nursing, get the nursing aspect of it. If it's the faith part, hey, come get that faith. Come get that prayer that you need. I actually had someone on our on my TikTok say I had did I do Monday prayer on it for that aligns with my Monday motivation post. And somebody in the comments said, they was like, I'm not a nurse, but I receive it. I'm like, there you go. I'll tell you this. You're all welcome.

Marsha 43:42

If you are looking for more of this from Chelle, you can join her on Thursday nights. And I will make sure I put the link in the show notes for any nurse out there who's new, even a couple of months, even a year into it, she meant to. Nurses, mostly her specialty is between brand new nurse and 18 months. So she'll welcome you into her group on Thursday. And again, I'll put that information in the show notes.

What’s Next And Why She Innovates

Marsha 44:11

So I'm curious, Chanel. What's next for? I know you mentioned your mentorship. What else is next for all one nurse?

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Oh man, I think just really kind of zoning in on the podcast. It's like we can do, I can do many things, but I need to perfect one thing. And so I'm really reflecting on doing the podcast and really focusing in on the podcast. Because if I get caught up in the social media, it will just it'll draw you in and you'll be there for hours. When really, I think my strongest foundation is going to be just really zoning in on the podcast and providing those interviews from other awesome nurses like yourself so that those new nurses can actually, or aspiring nurses, can hear your nursing journey, your expertise, and patient perspective and your role. So I think just really focusing on the podcast is going to be my main thing. Now, I can't say I would love to do an event, to start an event, and I already got a place in mind here in the Memphis area, but that is on down the road. Day two. But I'm yeah. I would love to do an event for nurses, especially new nurses, and have other nurses and brands to actually important to them, especially here in the Mid South area. Right here in Memphis, it's like a tri-state hub. Everyone from Arkansas, Mississippi. And then of course we got Tennessee itself. So it's just a very great area to do things like this with multiple hospital or hospital systems and just people doing great things. We always see the negative on the news. But when you really deep dive into what's going on into going on in a lot of your communities, there are some great organizations out there, especially women, entrepreneurs who have started organizations to help build other women up. And so it's like we just really need to tap in and we're again better together. I feel like we're just better together. So for me, yes, I'm in the nursing realm of things. And so I connect that nursing and that faith phase together, but it's all about community at the end of the day. And as nurses, we're treating our community. So we also gotta take care of ourselves. Yeah, absolutely.

Marsha 46:41

So I have one last question for you. And if you were to consider yourself as one of these three things, which one would you choose? Oh Lloyd. Would you call yourself a creator, an innovator, or a risk taker?

SPEAKER_00 47:05

I'm gonna say innovator. And the reason why is because I guess I'm gonna have to use the word create, but it's because I want to create experiences that are positive, that are life-giving in the space that I'm able to do it, whether that's nursing, rather that's in my relationships with others in the community, things like that. So I think I want to be very innovative. And I also can say, even at work, I'm very observant. And so I always want to, when I see things, I'm like, oh, we can make this so much better. We can make this so much better. Or how about we do things this way? Now, it's not my lane a lot of times, but I love, I wish sometimes I wish I was a liaison to my employer and I could walk in and just walk around and just make things better from just from making sure areas are clean, just the appearance. Like when somebody walks on that unit, what's the first thing they see? Just speaking to staff. Hey, how are you doing? A lot of times when I'm rounding, it's like I love to see how my nurses are doing. And if they're not doing well, okay, let's talk about it. Let's joke a little bit. Hey, and I'm coming back to check on you if I get time. And go from there, just really creating a space to where people can thrive. I think that's my goal. And I'm still figuring out how to do that as an entrepreneur.

Final Thanks And How To Help

Marsha 48:32

That was Chanel Tompkins, founder of the All One Nurse Podcast. Hey, thanks so much for listening to the show this week. Please make sure to rate and review this episode in your favorite podcast app. Then don't forget to click the follow button so you won't miss an episode. This episode was produced and edited by yours truly with administrative and research support from Liz Alexandri and Renan Silva. I'm Marsha Batti, and you've been listening to the Bossy Nurse Podcast.