February Focus: The Heart of Nursing February invites us to slow down and reconnect with what matters most — our hearts, our purpose, and the people who make our work meaningful. This month isn’t just about Valentine’s Day; it’s about honoring the emotional labor nurses carry, the compassion they give, and the courage it takes to keep showing up. Reflection Prompt: What moment recently reminded you why you became a nurse? Share it with us — your story may inspire someone who

By LaQuita Burden, RN, BSN Hello All, It's Friday, February 6th, 2026. Happy Black History Month , I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. We get so afraid of the love we might lose if we choose to simply show up as ourselves, but the truth is any love you lost because of that, was never yours to have in the first place. Please believe you can be everything and anything you want to be.- Erivo So often we hurt our own feelings by thinking we mean more to people than we

By LaQuita Burden, RN, BSN Hello All, It's Friday, January 30th, 2026. I pray you all have a fabulously awesome weekend. If your life was a movie and people were watching, up to this point, what would the audience be screaming at the screen telling you to do with your life? Only you know this answer, is it that you're too scared to make the commitment or to have the conversation! Do it anyway. See the point is you don't know how much future you got! What's gone is gone

IAPC ANNUAL 2026 CONFERENCE IN MIAMI Dear PowerUp Nurses Community, Mental health has never been more urgent or more visible in our society. What was once quietly endured has now become a recognized epidemic affecting individuals, families, communities, and, with particular intensity, the nursing profession itself. Nurses continue to carry extraordinary emotional, psychological, and professional demands, and the need for innovation, support, and leadership in mental health ha

By LaQuita Burden, RN, BSN Hello All, It's Friday, January 9th, 2026. It's OK to Be happy. How many times do we tell ourselves: "I'll be happy when I get the job, when I lose the weight, when I...?" We have to stop chasing fulfillment and postponing joy. And celebrate now. If you're not happy about something, change it. If you're not where you want to be, move. If your discontentment outweighs your contentment, get clarity. Life won't always give you what you want, so

Nursing has always been more than a job. It’s a calling, a responsibility, a form of service that reaches far beyond clinical skill. It’s the quiet courage to show up on the hardest days. It’s the compassion that lingers long after a shift ends. It’s the resilience that grows in the spaces where humanity and healing meet. And yet, the stories behind this work — the real stories — often go untold. That’s why we created Spirit of Nursing , a new national publication dedicated t

By LaQuita Burden, RN, BSN Hello All, It's Friday December 5th, 2025. Have a weekend as fabulous as you are and smile so much that your face hurts. A reminder that you were built differently. Stop trying to fit in, when you were clearly born to stand out. You were never meant to blend-in, you were made to stand out. Your strengths, resilience and unstoppable drive set you apart. While others may follow the beaten path, you carve your own, turning challenges into steppin

By LaQuita Burden, RN, BSN Hello All, it's Friday November 28 th , 2025. I pray everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. A quick reminder to just keep going! Stop skipping the gym. Stop skipping your meditation. Stop your negative self-talk. Stop caring about people who don't care about you. Stop selling yourself short. Stop living someone else's dream. Stop being scared and Just do it. Stop . Start over. Let's go- Scarpino Keep going! You've made it thro

By LaQuita Burden, RN, BSN Hello All, it's Friday November 21st, 2025, I pray everyone has a beautifully restful weekend. The kindness you give doesn't disappear. Even if it feels unnoticed or unreturned, your softness makes the world a little lighter. You never know who needed your patience, your smile or your gentle words. Keep showing up with love . You're planting seeds that will bloom in ways you may never fully see- Unknown Trust the process. We always end up