It’s tough out there in the healthcare world. Thank you, COVID.
Nurses and other professionals are experiencing burnout at an unprecedented rate.
They’re losing hope. Fast.
The Institute of Medicine predicts a nursing shortage of 1.1 million by the end of this year. Most of them are expected to quit because of accelerated stress and burnout from working conditions created by the pandemic.
Others are choosing early retirement or a new career entirely.
Our aging population requires more healthcare providers and capable care teams. Without a rapid course correction, all stakeholders in healthcare, including patients, will feel the negative impact of this exodus.
Hi, I’m Connie Merritt, RN, BSN, PHN, and national healthcare keynote speaker
What this audience needs now is a serious tourniquet—a thought-provoking mind shift to stop the flow of unhappy, overworked, and burned-out healthcare professionals leaving their careers.
I speak to people in healthcare who crave the joy they once had in their work and life. Through the survival skills of horses, I give the audience a fresh perspective so they can…
- Be more present (and pleasant) for their patients, their co-workers, and themselves
- Build greater trust with their care team and ancillary staff
- Create a kinder, more compassionate work environment
- Have hope and stay in a career they felt a calling to pursue (and worked hard to achieve!)
What’s new + exciting
Bringing horse sense to post-COVID healing
Since 2008, I’ve studied under one of the world-renowned natural horsemanship trainers.
In my talk, I share “horse whispering” insights I’ve learned that are empowering and healing—especially for post-COVID healthcare workers and their patients.
Why clients seek me out
- For more than 25 years, I’ve spoken to the nation’s top healthcare companies, organizations, and associations—many are repeat clients—so I know what resonates (and what doesn’t) with these audiences.
- I’m a geek when it comes to researching healthcare trends and human behavior. I weave in what I learn to keep my topics current and relevant.
- I got my BSN and PHN, then spent my nursing career in Critical Care and the Emergency Department. I was even a village nurse in French-speaking Switzerland. Been in the trenches? Check.
- Through my book from McGraw-Hill, Too Busy for Your Own Good, I’ve helped millions of people live in the present, enjoy what matters most, and get more done without multi-tasking.
- I’ve had my share, and then some, of personal challenges and losses. They keep my storytelling true, compelling, and inspiring.
On a personal note or two…
I’m fluent in French. Which means I can’t resist a warm, buttery croissant.
When I was nine years old, I kept all the books and banking for my dad’s business. Budgets and spreadsheets don’t scare me.
I’ve mentored three young women through college, so Millennials don’t scare me either.
I’m a licensed pilot. On my first cross-country solo flight, I nearly had a mid-air collision with a California condor. That scared me.
When I’m not on the speaking trail, you can find me hanging out with my Quarter Horse, Trio, or doing volunteer equine therapy for veterans with PTSD.
