Susan Allison-Dean is a Board Certified Advanced Holistic Nurse and Certified Clinical Aromatherapy professional with over thirty years of experience in nursing. During the first half of her career, she practiced mainly as a Certified Wound, Ostomy, & Continence Clinical Nurse Specialist, holding a joint position with Yale-New Haven Hospital & Yale University.
In 1999, she experienced the profound loss of two significant family members just two days apart. This loss and the profound healing experiences that she experienced in nature led her to leave the disease-care model and shift her practice to health promotion, specifically nature and health.
Sue is the Founder and CEO of TheNatureNurse.com, which focuses on connecting women with nature so they may live more joyous, vibrant, awe-inspiring lives in harmony with Mother Nature. She is the co-chair of the Global Nature Nurse Network, connecting nurses who specifically partner with the natural world to enhance holistic health and prevent disease.
Sue also enjoys writing, traveling with her husband, and dabbling in other creative arts. She lives in New York and North Carolina in the US.
How you became a nature nurse
4:12 deep level grief, profound loneliness, pain
6:02 mother nature 24/7 availability – transformative – helped me to live a joyous and productive life. Bring light into people’s lives.
9:03 Florence Nightingale “nature itself is healing”
Pioneering Membership of the Global Nature Nurse Network
14:03 Sonya Jacobec, Professor School of Nursing, Calgary Alberta studies the health environment connection and the vital role of parks and nature in promoting well being, particularly those experiencing rehabilitation, disability, dementia, palliative and end of life care. (sonya https://findingnature.org.uk) PArx https://www.parkprescriptions.caCanada’s
Donna Gaffney, Advanced Practice Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse, psychotherapist, and educator Donna Gaffney and National Board-certified health and wellness coach Nicole Foster provide essential strategies and resources in
“Courageous Well Being For Nurses” – a chapter on time spent in nature, self care, mindfulness, self compassion tools.
Andrea Jaramillo founder of Forest nurse, certified forest therapy guide, urban farmer, ceremonialist, apprentice of traditional medicines from Central and South America. Originally from Equador, lives in Boston.
Nan Provost, 36 years surgery RN. Widow to suicide. Develops suicide prevention programs using nature and water as for wellness health and recovery. Paddle board racer
Ed Lord, lecturer in mental health nursing st Swansea University in Wales. Ed’s PhD explored experiences
Sarah Howes, Professor school of Nursing, Plymouth university in SW England recently published “creating equitable and sustainable nature immersion to support restoration from stress within mental health nursing” in Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
Martin Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Nursing UWE, Bristol (sustainability and planetary health)
20:24 Vision: Pioneer A New Specialty in Nursing
Verla cites podcast episode with Professor Andy Jones systematic review and meta analysis of green space exposure and health outcomes (103 observational and 40 interventional studies investigating 100 outcomes: green space exposure decreased heart rate and blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, increased HRV, decreased preterm birth, diabetes, and all cause mortality in particular cardiovascular mortality.
35:17 Personal Connection with Nature, focus on the connection piece
An intimate relationship with a non human beings
40:10 nature medicine/the medicine walk/ indigenous culture, an empowerment program vs a hiking group, create opportunity for people to slow down, have to be intentional about connecting with nature
42:39 if it’s safe and you “know your nature” get outside go for a walk, a swim, paddle board, float on a boat…..know where you aer going (eg rip tide flags pay attention)
2019 Matthew White ideal is 2 hours/week – I need more, getting outside is adjunct therapy – part of lifestyle health along with diet, sleep, and exercise.
