Welcome to a space for sleep-deprived nurses figuring out how to build the life of their dreams while working one of the hardest jobs on the planet.
OH, YOU'RE Exhausted & QUESTIONING LITERALLY Everything?
same grl, same.
And a life THIS short deserves to be lived to the absolute fullest, don’t ya think?!
If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you’ll never forget the first time you watched someone take their final breath… or the sound of ribs cracking during the third round of compressions while a room full of people work in that eerie, inexplicable silence… or the family gathered in the hallway who looked at you like you had all the answers when you were barely holding it together yourself.
But somewhere in the midst of all the experiences that bring you to your knees are the moments that actually start making life feel sooo unbearably SWEET. Somehow, all of it transforms you into someone who knows how precious this life really is.
Life can be so beautiful, yet so unbelievably devastating at times.
WHAT NURSING HAS TAUGHT US
It's the culmination of all the really messy, incredibly beautiful, totally fascinating, and completely devastating moments you experience every day… it’s the grief and the joy and the dreaming and the rebuilding and everything in between.
And MY life? Well, of course, it’s just as multifaceted as yours.
So, even though I talk A LOT about nursing here, I won’t JUST be talking about nursing.
And that’s because my life doesn’t revolve around nursing… which means, this lifestyle blog is inspired by and draws from very real, mostly unfiltered experiences both inside nursing and so far beyond it, too.
And your life? Ugh, it's SO much more than just nursing, too.
FYI, THIS IS A BLOG ABOUT LIFE, NOT NURSING. WHY? BECAUSE ⬇️
just
You have never been and never will be a nurse.
BRIDGET!
HI, I'M
Virgo sun,
Pisces Moon,
Sagittarius rising
girlfriend, daughter, sister, friend
dirt bike adventurer
recovering perfectionist
oncology infusion nurse
cringy millenial
wanna-be-yogi
AND WITH THAT, LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF
my yoga era
TBH, I tend to spend more time repeating years-old conversations in my head than actually talking out loud (making my preferred art forms writing & photography). I love taking my lil Kawasaki dirt bike out on trails here in the Pacific Northwest any chance I get. Aaand I also have an infinite number of hidden Pinterest boards overflowing with all my loftiest dreams (because, why wouldn't I?!).
And according to those closest to me:
My partner says I have an uncanny ability to zero in on ONE thing and completely ignore everything happening around me, my best friend says I somehow leave with the EXACT amount of time needed to arrive to any event on time, aaand my sister says I NEVER answer any of her texts when it actually “matters.” 🙃
I’m a wallflower at heart, a chronically sleep-deprived cozy hobby enthusiast, and an unapologetic, sourdough-obsessed Disney adult.
So here’s what you really need to know about me:
I should probably start by telling you that I’ve been a bachelor's-educated registered nurse for 10 years and have worked in med-surg, ambulatory care, quality management, and oncology infusion… Buuut honestly, the career stuff is only part of the story, and it’s also not nearly as fun to write about… 🤪
my partner in life
silly lil unit mascot
fur baby #1
fur baby #2
I started my career in med-surg… because that's what literally everyone tells you you have to do (I didn't know enough yet to question it). I inevitably spent five years there, where I experienced a depth of grief that’s hard to put into words, and I didn’t know how to cope with it all (iykyk).
I spent a long time thinking the answer was to get OUT… OUT of bedside, OUT of direct patient care, OUT of nursing entirely… so, with the intention of doing just that, I took a remote job and started an online business… aaand I actually hated it.
Craaazy, trust me, I know. It’s a plot twist I never saw coming, honestly.
I eventually came to realize that the answer wasn’t in leaving, as I had always believed. It was actually in myself… and in learning how to care for myself better… and in figuring out which roles lit me up and which drained me… and in building a life so full and so intentional and so joy-filled that nursing finally had room in my heart to be something I could love, too.
And I say that as someone who’s been livin’ her dream life as a sleep-deprived nurse for a whole *ss decade.
SPOILER: Leaving nursing isn’t the only way to survive your career and live the life you want.
NOW BACK TO MY “WHY”
my heart
In 2025, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died just 4 weeks later. I dropped everything to become her hospice nurse and had the honor of staying at her bedside until her final breath.
Losing her made something undeniably clear: I didn’t hate nursing like I thought I did and I wasn't actually ready to leave nursing like I thought I was. But I definitely was ready to quit the job that was draining me and start living a more joy-filled life.
So, after ten years of searching, three years of remote nursing, and a 6-month sabbatical, I became an oncology infusion nurse and found the role that feels soul-aligned in the best possible way.
Somewhere in the grief and the searching and the starting over, I looked around and realized I was actually living a life I loved and finally figured out how to unhate my nursing career along the way. And THAT led me to creating the Sleep-Deprived blog to show nurses like you how to do the same.
Falling in love with my nursing career involved one particular death that shook me to my core: my mom’s.
WHAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
The truth is, nursing already handed you the kind of flexibility most careers can only dream of.
Of course, most of us are out here trial-and-erroring our way through it, swapping night shift for days, transferring from one specialty to another, going part-time or per diem for a season, picking up travel contracts across the nation, or even starting businesses.
All that to say, you can easily build a career that fits into the life you've always dreamed of living, one that funds your travel, supports your hobbies, or just gives you weekends with your family. Whatever freedom looks like for YOU, you won't have to start over completely if you trust that your license is already capable of getting you there.
Because with that license, you can build a career that’s completely personalized for YOU and create a life you love at the same time. And THAT is the magic of it all.
And when you treat your nursing career as the foundation of your freedom, your opportunities are limitless.
Your life is begging you to LIVE it, not work yourself into burnout again and again…and again.
WHAT MAGIC LOOKS LIKE IRL
A weekly Friday newsletter for the nurse who needs a little reminder that her life CAN be everything she dreams.
HUDDLE
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A curated list of ALL my fave brands for nurses who are navigating career pivots, creating more joy-filled lives, and even building businesses.
RESOURCES
Get honest, heartfelt, and occasionally unhinged thoughts on nursing, life, wellness, travel, business, and more.
BLOG
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In my little corner of the internet, you'll find...
Now, how will you live yours? 💗
My partner and I do a one-hour cleaning reset together, work on building out our dreamy little backyard landscape, and reward ourselves with a much-needed nap before doing it all again come Monday.
Reset Day
sunday
My partner and I head out to our favorite disc golf course for a round, followed by an afternoon swim in the river with our doggo. And of course, we stop for pizza and a beer on the way home.
Weekend Adventure
saturday
Last shift of the week! We decide to meet up with some friends for dinner out. When we get home, I get my sweatpants on and curl up on the couch with the cat and my fave game on the Switch (currently HP Legacy).
Shift 3/3
friday
I'm back at the clinic, taking care of my people. Another home-cooked meal waiting for me at the end of the day, an evening walk with the doggo, and a chapter or two of whatever book I'm currently obsessed with.
Shift 2/3
thursday
A morning gym session, a grocery run, and an afternoon out on the dirt bike practicing shifting gears without stalling (still working on it lol). Easy dinner at home, some writing time, and an early night in. I'm probably also scheming up our next BIG adventure right about now, too. 😜
Midweek adventure
wednesday
First shift at the infusion clinic, doing the work I love. I come home to a meal my partner made while I was on my commute (he's the best), and we wind down with a walk and a movie before bed.
Shift 1/3
tuesday
Kicking off the week with a morning gym session, errands checked off by lunch, and an afternoon at home tackling my business to-do list. Aaand hosting “the boys” at our house tonight means I get to work on some of fave cozy hobbies, too.
A get-sh*t-done kind of day
MONDAY
dream life
A WEEK IN MY
It is sooo easy to Alice-In-Wonderland yourself down the Google rabbit hole, trying to figure out the best tools, platforms, and strategies for your life, career, and business. So, to help you avoid all the trouble, I put together a list of my absolute favorite recs, resources, & products that I personally use and recommend.
GET Everything I USED to MAKE LIFE Magical AF
MY FAVORITE RESOURCES
let's work together
I work with a small number of businesses each quarter whose products and services I'd genuinely rave about to my sister (who's also a nurse). If your brand makes a nurse's life better, easier, or just a little more joyful — and you believe wholeheartedly in what you're selling — I'd love to hear all about it.
GOT A BRAND THAT NURSES Need ASAP?
PARTNER WITH ME
