What must it be like to be a pediatric ICU Nurse day in and day out, witnessing children and families in the most vulnerable and often grief-filled moments of their lives? Today’s guest, Hui-Wen Sato weaves a beautiful narrative about the realities of professional grief and the important cultural shifts needed to better serve both families and the medical professionals that serve them. She also shares the personal resources she draws on to sustain her and the role of storytelling as healing for all involved. And, as the title implies, she also implores us to stop putting healthcare workers on a pedestal.

Hui-wen is a pediatric ICU nurse based in Los Angeles. She holds an MPH and MSN from UCLA, and is currently obtaining her Certification in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. She and her husband have two daughters, two tortoises and one complicated dog.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Check out Hui-Wen's TEDx Talk: “How Grief Helped Me Become a Better Caregiver.” She has been featured in podcasts with NPR TED Radio Hour and The Silent Why, as well as webinars for Happify and the Speaking Grief Initiative. You can follow her work at http://heartofnursing.blog.

JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:

(06:30) - Hui-Wen’s first memory of loss and what she learned from it 

(17:06) - What led Hui-Wen to become an ICU nurse 

(26:20) - Grieving as a nurse 

(45:18) - Letting go of the fix-it narrative 

(57:25) - The big gulf: the expectation of healing vs. the harsh reality 

(01:08:43) - The healing power of storytelling

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