Nurses Helping Nurses: Inside a Healing Outreach After the Hurricane (With Melanie Van Sistine, Courtney Kindrew and Tara Kosmas)

In this episode of Nurse Converse, host Melanie Van Sistine is joined by nurse leaders Courtney, founder of Rekindled Nurse, and Tara, founder of Debriefing the Front Lines. Together, they reflect on a nurse-led relief outreach trip to Asheville, North Carolina, organized nearly a year after devastating hurricanes impacted the community.The conversation explores how nurses showed up for local healthcare workers through intentional community care, emotional debriefing, and peer support when headlines had faded. Courtney and Tara share their personal journeys into nonprofit leadership, the importance of processing trauma, and why nurses are uniquely positioned to lead healing efforts beyond the bedside.This episode is a powerful reminder that meaningful impact does not require perfection, only heart, and that alone is no longer enough.>>Nurses Helping Nurses: Inside a Healing Outreach After the HurricaneJump Ahead to Listen: [2:18] Courtney’s nursing background[4:32] How Rekindled Nurse supports nurses[7:02] Tara’s path to nursing and trauma work[8:58] Launching Debriefing the Front Lines[10:22] Why debriefing matters after crisis[11:53] Intention behind the Asheville trip[12:57] Hurricanes that sparked the first outreach[14:23] From Florida outreach to Asheville[16:45] What the community was still carrying[18:11] Nurses forming a team in the house[20:23] The courage it takes to receive help[21:40] Simple ways to support these nonprofits[23:24] “I don’t have enough to give”[24:55] Small gestures and caring for yourselfConnect with Melanie on social media: Instagram: @mels.crafty.cornerTikTok: @mels.crafty.cornerShop Mel's Crafty Corner!For more information:Full transcript and videos: Nurse.org/podcastJoin our newsletter: nurse.orgInstagram: @nurse_orgTikTok: @nurse.orgFacebook: @nurse.orgYouTube: Nurse.org