Instructor Bio

Years of experiencing multiple traumas and watching ineffective de-escalation and de-briefing techniques both in the ER and in the field, I knew something had to change. The focus has always been on patients while the caregivers were neglected and overlooked. Patients keep coming and events have to be quickly pushed aside. Unfortunately when the shift is over all the repression starts to add up. Many tend to fall to unhealthy habits to cope. Learning that the medical community has the highest rate of suicide was shattering. Where were the resources to help and why were we not being educated to help prevent these events from happening? 
My name is Stephanie and I am a 21 year veteran Trauma/Emergency Room/Critical Care Transport RN. I have worked in many hospitals and ambulances from small rural settings to Level 1 Trauma Centers. I have cried until I couldn’t breathe or felt as though I couldn’t take one more step. I continue to do my job daily but now I am more aware of the importance of helping my colleagues, which is often lacking, especially in the extreme stresses they face every day.
I have known and felt firsthand the sting and pain of not being able to help one of my own…something I hope to bring attention to so that others may recognize signs and intervene before it becomes critical.
I have been an educator both in the hospital and out in the community (teaching at schools in a program called TNTT - my largest presentation being 1800 students and teachers). I also know the challenges of adapting different teaching techniques as my 2 grown children were homeschooled until they both entered college, where they graduated with honors during COVID.
In September 2023 I started Balanced HART NW. I am especially focused at this time on first responders, military, healthcare, police, fire, etc. I am passionate about these professions learning the skills to safeguard their mental well-being before they need it and to help them make better coping choices.

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