A registered nurse who specialized in intensive care for 20 years, Lori A. Smith, founder of Balanced Intentions, in Bonita Springs, is making a difference in the lives of professional nurses. Via Smith’s in-person, phone and Zoom well-being coaching and spiritual thought sessions, specially tailored to assist nurses and other caregivers, she works with clients to create compassionate care plans for their wellness from the perspective of having walked thousands of miles in the shoes of others. “Nurses and other caregivers, generally altruistic individuals, tend to put the needs of others before their own. Caregiving defines who they are, not what they do, which is the major reason that nursing burnout occurs,” says Smith, a coach certified by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching.

Registered nurse (RN) burnout syndrome, a state of emotional exhaustion in which an individual feels overwhelmed by work to the point of feeling fatigued, unable to face the demands of the job and unable to engage with others, is recognized by the American Nurses Association and the American Hospital Association. According to a recent PubMed article, it remains an epidemic and is contributing to RN shortages in hospitals, as well as the consequences of increased RN turnover rates, reduced quality of care and threats to patient safety. 

“There is a critical need for nurses and caregivers to have a plan for wellness. I see coaching as an integral part of that path. Everything I do is with the intention of making a difference. I draw from my own experience of nursing burnout and how I recovered, as well as knowledge of the day-to-day routine of a caregiver, from the exhaustion of patient assignments that are too big to not being able to meet the needs of all patients, as well as the feeling of being undervalued and not validated. I want to help my clients to live up to their true potential so they can feel fulfilled and be better caregivers to themselves, their patients and their families,” says Smith. 

Balanced Intentions is located in the Brooks Executive Center at 9990 Coconut Rd., in Bonita Springs. For more information, call 413-636-5091 or visit Balanced Intentions.com. See ad, page 10.