Monday, July 28, 2025

Britny Bensman, RN pens new book celebrating Deaf and hard-of-hearing healthcare professionals

 


I am excited to share publication of a new book for children written by Britney Bensman, RN, founder of DeafMed.

We Hear Different. We Care the Same.

This book celebrates the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community by showing the reader that people who are Deaf or hard of hearing can become a wide range of healthcare professionals. In addition to nurses and doctors, people can become veterinarians, veterinarian technicians, dentists,  dental hygienists and athletic trainers and provide compassionate care to everyone.

Preorders are available until August 2nd!

🛒 Available on the Deafmed website and Etsy. 

DeafMed’s motto: Change your can’t to can.

Website: https://www.thedeafmed.com/shop/p/we-hear-different-we-care-the-same

Etsy: https://thedeafmedshop.etsy.com/listing/4341871897

 

Cheers!

Donna


Thursday, July 10, 2025

A nurse's story of advocacy and resilience living with multiple sclerosis and cognitive impairment

 

Living with multiple sclerosis can be a challenge in and of itself. For some people, multiple sclerosis also can be a factor in other issues, such as mild cognitive impairment and, later, dementia. This was the case for SuAnn Cobb, a Tennessee-based pediatric nurse.

Cobb started noticing problems with her memory several years before she eventually retired. After retirement, as she continued having problems with word-finding, she pressed her neurologist for testing. 

These tests confirmed the connection between Cobb’s mild cognitive impairment and her multiple sclerosis. Now, several years after her diagnosis, she is passionate about spreading the message that those with memory loss can lead rich and satisfying lives. She has become actively involved in support groups for MCI, and she’s taken on a leadership role as chair of the board of directors for a local support group called Sharing Experiences Together. She also co-produces and co-hosts the podcast Living Our Best With Memory Loss, where she shares her experiences and offers insights to others facing similar challenges. 

Cobb recently joined Being Patient video journalist Mark Niu in a conversation about her diagnosis journey and her work advocating for others living with memory loss.

 Read more about Suanne Cobb at https://www.beingpatient.com/nurse-turns-to-advocacy-ms-mci/

And listen to her story and experiences at https://youtu.be/n4Md2LO2Eb8

Cheers!

Donna

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Turning personal experience with IBD/Ulcerative Colitis into becoming a nurse


 “People ask me what I remember about being inpatient as long as I was, and while the complications, transfusions, and procedures are things I won’t forget, what I really remember are the nurses sitting in my room and simply talking with me, or asking me about my friends and my basketball team. Nobody else wanted to talk about that, and they made me feel at home in an environment that was anything but. Nurses have a way with their patients in which they make them feel safe. I was the type of patient to ask countless questions about the medicine, procedures, and other nursing interventions just because I was curious. The nurses smiled and answered them all patiently. I sat in that hospital bed, extremely sick and facing a long road to recovery, and I told myself I was going to be a nurse one day.”

Read more about Sarah Kate DelaCourt at:

https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/blog/becoming-a-nurse-turning-personal-experience-a-career

Cheers!

Donna

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Nurse Blake, a nursing rock star, turned his conversion therapy trauma into comedy

 
"Since I was young, my parents always steered me toward healthcare. There was never another option for me. Luckily, as I got older and more comfortable in who I am, I found my own reason to get into healthcare: helping the LGBTQ community. I wanted to be a voice and provider for this community because I didn't have one growing up." 

"While I studied to become a nurse, I was experiencing a whole new realm of anxiety and mental-health issues. So, I started creating funny videos on TikTok to feel relief, and the response was incredible. I realized that I could build a community of people who have shared struggles by making them laugh. I became "Nurse Blake" on TikTok, and my community has now reached 900,000 followers." 

"My followers love that my conversion therapy didn't work. Honestly, my parents should get a refund." 

 Read more about Nurse Blake at:

I Was Sent to Conversion Therapy As a Teen and Still Have Trauma - Business Insider

https://www.instagram.com/nurse.blake/

Nurse Blake · But Did You Die? Comedy Tour · Tik Tok Nurse Comedy – Nurse Blake LLC

Nurse Blake - YouTube

Meet a Champion of Nursing Diversity: Blake Lynch, AKA Nurse Blake - Minority Nurse

Cheers!

Donna

Monday, May 19, 2025

Three cancer diagnoses, including loss of an eye, didn't stop Gerardo Cantu-Hernandez from becoming a nurse. Support from South Texas College was key to his success!

 

At just 23 years old, South Texas College associate degree in nursing graduate Gerardo Cantu-Hernandez has faced more battles than many will in a lifetime.

Born with cancer caused by a rare mutation that led to the loss of his eye at age 4 and re-diagnosed twice as a teen and young adult, he was once told he would never become a nurse. But at STC, he found a community that believed in him, empowered him and helped him reclaim his dreams.

“STC saw strength where others only saw struggle. While another institution told me I couldn’t be a nurse, STC gave me a chance and helped me believe in myself,” he said. “STC helped me realize that only I have the power to define my future.”

A San Juan native, Cantu-Hernandez was inspired to pursue a career in the medical field after frequent hospital visits throughout his childhood due to his own health challenges, where he discovered that nursing offered a world of possibilities.

“The first time I was diagnosed, I was very young,” he said. “But the second time, I was 14 and was fortunate to be surrounded by amazing oncology nurses. One of them was a travel nurse and she opened my eyes to the fact that nursing isn’t limited to just one place, there are opportunities to travel the world and help all kinds of people.”

When he was rediagnosed with cancer, this time in his right knee, he endured another surgery, one that required replacing bone with metal rods. He faced intense physical therapy and had to relearn how to walk, but through it all, his spirit never wavered.

“Losing my eye at such a young age was, of course, a struggle, but over the years I adapted, and it was the same the second time around,” he shared. “As I started physical therapy and regained strength in my leg, I became fully capable again. I never wanted to use my condition as an excuse or believe I couldn’t make something of myself. I’m just as capable as anybody else.”

 Read more at:

https://news.southtexascollege.edu/dont-let-anyone-write-your-storystc-nursing-graduate-defies-the-odds-after-three-cancer-diagnoses/


Cheers!

Donna


Monday, May 5, 2025

In honor of Nurses Week, Jennifer Hudson welcomed Andrea Dalzell, "The Seated Nurse"!


Sponsored by FIGS | In honor of Nurses Week, Jennifer Hudson welcomes Andrea Dalzell - also known as “The Seated Nurse” - a trailblazing RN redefining what’s possible in healthcare. After 76 rejections, Andrea rose to lead oncology nursing at New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, showing up every day with skill, heart, and unstoppable spirit. To honor her incredible journey, FIGS teamed up with Jennifer to surprise Andrea with three years' worth of FIGS and a donation to DNPs of Color, the organization of her choice. #FIGSPartner

View the episode at:

How ‘The Seated Nurse’ Beat the Odds in Health Care | JenniferHudsonShow.com

Watch on YouTube: 

How ‘The Seated Nurse’ Beat the Odds in Health Care

Learn more about Andrea Dalzell at:

https://www.theseatednurse.com/


Cheers!

Donna

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Boston Marathon bombing survivor, now a double amputee, completes doctorate in nursing program. Meet Dr. Jessica Kensky and her service dog "Rescue"!

BOSTON - From tragedy to triumph. After losing a leg in the Boston Marathon bombings, Jessica Kensky proudly walked the graduation stage Friday with her service dog, Rescue, in hand.

It took eight years for Kensky to earn her doctorate in nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, so yes, you can now call her Dr. Kensky.

"It's nice to feel like I'm getting back to things that were a part of me and a part of the trajectory that I was on before I was hurt," she told WBZ-TV at her graduation ceremony.

She and her husband, Patrick Downes, both lost a leg after the 2013 blasts. After months of surgeries, rehab and setbacks, Kensky made the difficult decision to amputate her remaining leg. She found the courage to keep going through her supporters and passion in caring for patients.

"She's worked her tail off," Downes said. "I still picture her sitting in her wheelchair at Walter Reed Skyping into her classes."  

Read more at:

Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jessica Kensky earns doctorate in nursing - CBS Boston

Cheers!

Donna