A Nurse Coach’s Journey From 70-Hour Weeks in Hospital Management to International Retreats

In this episode, Heather reconnects with board-certified Nurse Coach Sally Davidson for a deeper conversation about burnout in nursing and stepping into conscious leadership.

Sally once worked as a director of nursing in critical care, where she put in long hours and carried immense responsibility. But at one point, it became clear she was “not growing, just working.” She believed the system was the problem. And in many ways, it was.

But over time, she began to see something else.

Even after leaving the hospital, the same hustle patterns followed her. The overachieving. The fixing. The need to prove herself. She realized her old “operating system” was still running the way she lived and worked.

Through Nurse Coach training, breathwork, somatic work, and deep self-reflection, she started to understand her nervous system, and see how her own patterns were shaping the way she led. She came to understand that conscious leadership is about staying open, getting curious, and actually listening before reacting.

Today, she runs masterminds, one-on-one immersions, and international retreats in places like Costa Rica and Peru. She’s intentional about creating spaces that feel genuinely safe, not performative, so leaders can grow at a pace that actually feels sustainable and true to who they are.

Last time, Heather and Sally just scratched the surface. This time, they go deeper into the missing connection in healthcare culture, the anger nurses feel toward the system, and how meaningful change begins with individual awareness.

🔊 Don’t miss this one. Tune in now.

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Previous conversation with Sally Davidson

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Connect with Sally Davidson:

Website: https://sallydavidsoncoach.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallydavidsoncoach_breathwork/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082406424764

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-davidson-14641586/

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The Nurse Coach Collective is a podcast for nurses and Nurse Coaches who want to make a positive change in the world.

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