As a part of Roseman University's mission to develop compassionate healthcare workers, the Library is excited to post a brief reflection on Mental Health Month by BSN 2025 student Sante' Thomas, who recently finished her practicum in a mental health setting. An emergent, empathetic nurse, Sante' writes in this piece about closing her mind off from patients for her own sanity and to avoid burnout and ends with a compelling call to action.
Have you ever taken a moment to consider the thin lines that separate things in life? One we often think about is the line between love and hate. With highly peaked positive emotions it’s easy to spiral and experience extremely negative emotions with the same person. Another fine line, that politics has us looking at lately, is borders between states or countries. They are often very fine lines and stepping across one of these could change your rights or privileges. Recently, during a conversation with a veteran Roseman student I was presented with the fine line between being sane and being insane.
Some people are completely in touch with their emotions, and have their mind and body aligned; but many more are one crisis, traumatic event, or death away from figuratively, “losing their marbles”.
Of the different states a human can be in, being clinically insane is the one state where the person experiencing it probably is unaware that they are. When one has unknowingly crossed the thin line from being fully aware of the purpose and interpretation of their actions to being in a mental health crisis, they have lost their ability to discern right from wrong. Sadly, some of us may walk that line daily. As a student nurse who chose mental health for their practicum, I am constantly dimming my empathy. Understanding the point of view of a patient on a legal 2000 hold makes me wonder if I am fully mentally healthy. But half the battle is asking yourself if you are thinking straight. Mental health is often stigmatized, diminished, and ignored as if the status of our ability to communicate and make decisions is less important than the status of our heart or kidney function.
Whether due to cultural, sexual, or socioeconomic restriction the status of many minds is a back burner topic that is not addressed unless they cross the thin line into insanity. I challenge everyone reading to make a conscious decision to assess their own mind as well as the mental status of those around us. We never know what type of day someone else is having so a smile, compassionate touch or five minutes of active listening, can make all the difference in the world. You may think I’m “crazy” and blasphemous but had one or two elements in your life been different you might be dead, wearing paper scrubs, or crying into a gallon of ice cream. So, de-stigmatize and re-sensitize yourself to the importance of mental health for yourself, those around you, and everyone you interact with.
As a part of Roseman University's mission to develop compassionate healthcare workers, the Library is excited to post a brief reflection on Mental Health Month by BSN 2025 student Sante' Thomas, who recently finished her practicum in a mental health setting. An emergent, empathetic nurse, Sante' writes in this piece about closing her mind off from patients for her own sanity and to avoid burnout and ends with a compelling call to action.
Have you ever taken a moment to consider the thin lines that separate things in life? One we often think about is the line between love and hate. With highly peaked positive emotions it’s easy to spiral and experience extremely negative emotions with the same person. Another fine line, that politics has us looking at lately, is borders between states or countries. They are often very fine lines and stepping across one of these could change your rights or privileges. Recently, during a conversation with a veteran Roseman student I was presented with the fine line between being sane and being insane.
Some people are completely in touch with their emotions, and have their mind and body aligned; but many more are one crisis, traumatic event, or death away from figuratively, “losing their marbles”.
Of the different states a human can be in, being clinically insane is the one state where the person experiencing it probably is unaware that they are. When one has unknowingly crossed the thin line from being fully aware of the purpose and interpretation of their actions to being in a mental health crisis, they have lost their ability to discern right from wrong. Sadly, some of us may walk that line daily. As a student nurse who chose mental health for their practicum, I am constantly dimming my empathy. Understanding the point of view of a patient on a legal 2000 hold makes me wonder if I am fully mentally healthy. But half the battle is asking yourself if you are thinking straight. Mental health is often stigmatized, diminished, and ignored as if the status of our ability to communicate and make decisions is less important than the status of our heart or kidney function.
Whether due to cultural, sexual, or socioeconomic restriction the status of many minds is a back burner topic that is not addressed unless they cross the thin line into insanity. I challenge everyone reading to make a conscious decision to assess their own mind as well as the mental status of those around us. We never know what type of day someone else is having so a smile, compassionate touch or five minutes of active listening, can make all the difference in the world. You may think I’m “crazy” and blasphemous but had one or two elements in your life been different you might be dead, wearing paper scrubs, or crying into a gallon of ice cream. So, de-stigmatize and re-sensitize yourself to the importance of mental health for yourself, those around you, and everyone you interact with.