Sacred Writings by Women in Medicine
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In healing terms, we talk a lot about “wholeness”, a balance of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of ourselves. To achieve this “wholeness” requires a deep assessment of what we know of ourselves and what we are not aware of. The conscious self and the unconscious self. To exam the unconscious requires being willing to look. One way of looking can be through writing as done in the group exercise of having a word and a prompt and allowing what comes to mind to be expressed without fear of criticism or judgement. As from my experience and from others in this group, often we were surprised by the story in our lives that would surface. We often recalled beautiful, heartfelt experiences, as well as painful, emotional experiences. Our lives are so busy and so full of distractions, it is often hard to find time or take the time for reflection on an event or a single day. We rush through what must be done and often then shut off when we are not needed to be present to our work, our relationships, or our menial tasks. If we do not set time aside for ourselves to reflect, we do not have an opportunity to get to know who we are, what makes us happy, sad, scared, anxious, depressed, joyful or impassioned. And if we do not have a safe outlet to share the ups and downs of ourselves, we do not learn to integrate the wholeness of ourselves. For it is through deep listening and sharing and feeling heard that we can change. We can learn to accept all of our flaws, our fears and loathing as part of who we are without criticism of ourselves but with acceptance. How many times have you reacted to a situation or a comment and later felt embarrassed or regret from your reaction? How many times have you asked yourself the question, “Where did that come from?”, “Why do I get so defensive when people say or do (fill in the blank)?” or “Why did I say this or that when that is not how I feel or felt?”.
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About the Book
This book is a collection of writings by seven professional women working in health care and of this groups writing practice. This writing process is not a therapy. The process is more a ritual of nourishment at every level; physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. The writing occurs during a monthly gathering outside of work. This practice began ten years ago, to foster a greater comradery among the health care providers working within a rural health organization that serves three communities offering primary care and other ancillary services. The purpose of forming this gathering for a practice of writing was to have an outlet for expression of feelings and frustrations outside of the workplace. From the beginning it was clear this was not to be a gripe session related to our work in the organization. We developed a practice for writing together as a means of building a greater depth of consciousness to their individual unconscious stories, feelings, and events that they carry with them. What has occurred is a greater depth of personal understanding, deep respect of self and others, and a rich commitment to the values that drew each of these women to work in healthcare. The monthly meeting ritual sets the backdrop for the group writing and is part of the fabric and richness that has built an environment of trust and calmness to write in. The book offers to the reader a tool that can build resilience, personal and professional. The stories in this book are written by women working in healthcare and healthcare demands on providers is intense. Prior to the pandemic Family Practice Physicians and Advanced Clinical Providers (ACP) surveyed in America (according to SE Healthcare Quality Consulting, Feb. 2021) found that 49% showed symptoms of “burnout” prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and at the peak of the pandemic 100% of those surveyed showed symptoms of “burnout”.
About the Author
Penelope Applegarth has a Master’s in Nursing Science and is a Nationally Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She has worked in the healthcare field for 50 years in a variety of capacities. She worked in the Mental Health Field for 15 years and has worked in the medical field for the 35 years. She taught nursing education at the Associate Degree level for 10 years as a full-time faculty while continuing to work part time as a Nurse Practitioner in the community health clinic. Penelope lives in Northern California where she continues to work part time as a Family Nurse Practitioner with the community health clinic. She also facilitates a writing group that is offered through the Wellness Center within the community health clinic. The writing group meets once a week and provides a platform for individuals that find writing a comfortable form of expression for self-discovery and self-care. Penelope has two adult sons, two teenage grandchildren and two adult step-daughters. She enjoys hiking, being in nature, gardening and exploring new learning. She is a member of the leadership counsel for the California Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. She is a member of the California Nurse Practitioners, The American Psychiatric Nurse Association, and the Academy of Nurse Practitioner Association. This book is a collaboration of writings submitted by a group of seven women that have been meeting monthly and using a process that is described in the book. Each contributor has written a short biography about themselves and the reason they are participating in this group. Each contributor is a part of the book story.