Dawn Jarvis

50 things that woman over 50 need to hear Part 1 🧵

You’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from experience. Years of living, working, and adapting don’t vanish just because you’re beginning something new.

Grief is loud, messy and unpredictable.

This year I lost my dad and two close friends and it changed how I see everything, work, wellbeing, relationships, purpose.

If you’re grieving too, I’m sending love your way.

None of us should have to carry this alone.

#GriefAwarenessWeek #BereavementSupport

This year I lost my dad and two close friends.

Grief reshaped everything, even the parts of life that carried on.

If you’re grieving too, I’m holding space for you today.

#GriefAwarenessWeek #BereavementSupport

The truth about grief is that it changes you — even when you’re still expected to carry on.

This year, I lost my dad, and two dear friends one to cancer, one to a hit-and-run.

Nothing about that prepares you.

Grief rarely shows up quietly.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. It reshapes you.

Loss forces you to rethink what matters. It interrupts ordinary life without warning.

2. The silence can feel heavier than the loss itself.

People worry about saying the wrong thing, so they say nothing. Simple acknowledgement makes a difference.

3. You can still, go to meetings, serve clients, and feel shattered inside.

Functioning doesn’t equal coping.

4. Your body responds.

Sleep shifts. Focus fluctuates. Appetite changes. Grief affects far more than feelings.

5. Connection matters.

Gentle check-ins, honest conversations, and shared memories kept me steady.

6. There’s no ‘moving on’.

You move forward while carrying the love, the lessons, and the memories.

7. Talking about grief helps others feel less isolated.

As nurses and healthcare professionals, we often support others through loss. But we rarely give ourselves space to acknowledge our own.

If you’re grieving too, recently or years later, you’re not alone.

I see you.

I’m sending love your way

#GriefAwarenessWeek #BereavementSupport #NurseVoices #HealthAwareness #DiverseNurse

1/ Grief doesn’t arrive quietly. This year I lost my dad and two friends one to cancer, one to a hit-and-run.

It changed me in ways I didn’t expect.

#GriefAwarenessWeek

Moving on from what you thought was “forever” is hard but it’s not the end of your story.

You’re not starting from scratch; you’re starting from experience.

The ending doesn’t erase the meaning — it refines it.

You haven’t failed. You’ve evolved. 🌿💛 #Healing #Resilience

Kindness isn’t a soft extra in healthcare. It’s a skill with real impact.

On World Kindness Day, I’m thinking about how compassion shapes the experiences of patients, families, staff, leaders, and the wider health and social care sector.

Here are seven truths I’ve learned in 35 years as a nurse and now as a consultant:

1️⃣ Kindness affects how safe people feel. When people feel respected and heard, they share more and that leads to better decisions and safer care.

2️⃣ Small actions build trust. A warm greeting, explaining what you’re doing, or noticing distress can stay with someone long after the appointment or visit.

3️⃣ Kindness strengthens teams. When empathy is normal, communication improves and blame culture has less room to grow.

Kindness protects staff wellbeing. 4️⃣Compassion helps you stay connected to your purpose. It reduces emotional fatigue and reminds you why you chose this profession.

5️⃣ Kindness is leadership in action. Leaders who show empathy create workplaces where people feel valued, listened to, and confident to raise concerns.

6️⃣ Kindness improves business outcomes. In health and social care, compassion is part of your brand. It builds trust, loyalty, and reputation.

7️⃣ Kindness is an intervention. It shapes outcomes in ways that clinical tasks alone cannot.

If you work in health and social care, what act of kindness has made a difference to you recently?

#WorldKindnessDay #DiverseNurse #NurseEntrepreneur #HealthcareLeadership #CompassionInCare

Premature babies need more awareness, not assumptions.

World Prematurity Day (17 November) highlights the experiences of families whose babies arrive far earlier than expected. It remains one of the leading causes of newborn illness globally, yet many people still don’t know the signs, risks, or long-term impact.

Here are a few points worth sharing.

1. It is more common than people realise.

Around one in ten babies are born preterm worldwide. Many parents say they felt completely unprepared for the possibility.

2. Families often feel overwhelmed.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment is full of machines, new language, and uncertainty. Parents need clear explanations and kind communication to feel even slightly grounded.

3. Nurses make a huge difference.

Taking the time to explain equipment, encourage involvement in care, and acknowledge parents’ emotions can help reduce fear and build trust.

4. Prematurity affects families far beyond the hospital.

Breathing challenges, feeding difficulties, and ongoing developmental reviews are common. Good information helps families know what to expect.

5. Health education matters.

Smoking cessation, managing conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, recognising early labour, and tackling infections can reduce preventable preterm births.

6. Inequalities cannot be ignored.

Families from minoritised groups often face higher rates of prematurity. Listening with respect and addressing their concerns supports equity in care.

World Prematurity Day is a chance to highlight the courage of parents and the dedication of neonatal teams. Better awareness helps families feel informed, supported, and less alone.

#WorldPrematurityDay #PrematurityAwareness #NICU #NeonatalCare #DiverseNurse

Workplaces that ignore diabetes are putting staff at risk.

Today is World Diabetes Day. The current campaign theme is “Diabetes and Well-Being”, with a focus this year on the impact of diabetes in the workplace.

Diabetes is not a private “lifestyle issue” that staff should hide. It is a long-term condition that directly affects safety, performance and retention.

Here is what I see through a nursing and leadership lens:

1️⃣ Diabetes is a workplace health and safety issue.

Missed breaks, unsafe shift patterns and pressure to “just get on with it” raise the risk of hypos, complications and burnout.

2️⃣ Breaks and flexibility keep people safe.

People with diabetes need space to check blood glucose, take medication and eat. That is not special treatment; it is basic safety issue .

3️⃣ Stigma and shame pushes people to not disclose .

Comments about weight, sugar or “self-inflicted illness” make staff hide their condition. That can lead to delayed care and worse outcomes.

4️⃣ Managers need simple, practical guidance.

Line managers are not diabetic specialists . Short, evidence-based guidance helps them make fair decisions about rotas, sickness and adjustments.

5️⃣ Nurse led voices can change culture.

Nurses understand how stress, shift work and long-term conditions interact. When we speak about diabetes at work, we protect both staff and patients.

On this World Diabetes Day, ask:

Do our policies match the reality of a busy shift?

Would a new starter with diabetes feel safe to disclose?

What one change could we make this month to support people with diabetes at work?

I’m Dawn, The Diverse Nurse. I help health and social care leaders and businesses build inclusive, values-led workplaces where staff with long-term conditions can thrive.

#WorldDiabetesDay #DiabetesAndWellbeing #DiabetesAtWork #WorkplaceWellbeing #NurseEntrepreneur

We remember the courage to care even in the face of war.

On Remembrance Sunday, I think about the nurses who served quietly but powerfully:

Those who comforted the dying, carried stretchers, cleaned wounds, and listened to last words whispered in pain.

Their service reminds us that nursing has always been an act of courage, not just on the battlefield, but wherever there’s suffering.

Three reflections for healthcare professionals:

1️⃣ Caring under pressure is part of our legacy.

From field hospitals to pandemic wards, nurses have always worked in crisis. Compassion under pressure is not new, it’s our professional inheritance.

2️⃣ War reshapes health and care continues long after.

Veterans and their families live with visible and invisible wounds. Our duty to “prioritise people” (The NMC Code, section 1) means acknowledging how loss, grief, and trauma shape health for years to come.

3️⃣ Professionalism is remembrance in action.

Every time we uphold dignity, advocate for fairness, or act with honesty, we honour those who did the same under unimaginable circumstances.

Today, as we pause to remember, I want to honour every nurse past and present who has cared in times of conflict and peace.

#RemembranceSunday #LestWeForget #NursesRemember #VeteransHealth #DiverseNurse

Healthcare leaders: Clarity is care.

Unclear direction creates confusion, stress and risk.

Your team can’t deliver safe, effective care if they’re second-guessing what you mean.

Say it simply.

Repeat it often.

Make it stick.

#Leadership #Healthcare

3 things I learnt the hard way about love and loss in my 50s 💙 🧵

“Healing isn’t forgetting — it’s accepting.”

You don’t erase the past — you learn from it.

Healing is the moment you stop wishing it was different and start living with what is.

That’s real freedom.