Unlocking the Healing Power of Cannabis - Thriving with PTSD as a Cannabis Nurse - Season 2: Episode 6

Thank you for joining me for another episode of the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with this week's guest, Angelica Martinez-Magee. Angelica has been a nurse for a little less than 3 years, and in this short period of time, she's already become a cannabis nurse entrepreneur. Angelica is a sister survivor, and she's dealt with severe PTSD from the beginning of her nursing career. She also saw her fellow RNs suffer from PTSD because of the pandemic while she was traveling the world, helping in this global effort to fight COVID. As a result of the stress, she turned to cannabis to manage her symptoms and also saw how cannabis helped thousands of others. So let's welcome Angelica to the show. Welcome to the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast, brought to you by The Nurse Speak. A show where we rally some of our nation's greatest nurse leaders, educators, experts, and advocates to tackle some of our greatest challenges that the nursing profession faces. My name is Damion Jenkins, and I'm your host for this show. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn that nurses can do anything. Okay, Angelica, thank you so much for joining me on the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast. Why don't you just take a moment to introduce yourself to the listeners? Let them know a little bit about yourself, where you started in nursing, and where you are today.

Hey, Damion. Um, hi guys, my name's Angelica Martinez McGee. My friends call me Nurse Jelly. Um, and a little bit about myself, I started off at the Cleveland Clinic, uh, on the coronary Intensive Care Unit, which is J31. I really wanted to be working, first of all, in a world-class institution, which it was, and I wanted to see the sickest patients and take care of them. I learned a lot there, and I was able to go to Abu Dhabi for a traveling— a travel nurse. Well, it was an emergency response team to Abu Dhabi, so I really got to see the world too working there. So after that, I decided to travel the United States. I went to New York, California, Akron, Ohio, And, um, I learned a lot along the, along the way. Um, right now I have switched specialties from, uh, travel nursing and critical care to cannabis nursing. So thanks for having me today. I really appreciate it.

My pleasure. Thanks for being here. So you've done quite a lot. Um, and how many years have you been in nursing so far? Well, I've been a nurse over 2 and a half years and a little under 3, so kind of like So in a very short period of time, you've accomplished what some people would accomplish in a lifetime, which is, you know, really special. That's great that you have those experiences. You know, I have similar experiences. I didn't get to travel to another country for nursing, but very short in my career, I was in a variety of settings and did travel nursing and all of that. So it's really interesting to get different perspectives from place to place. Um, but what I've learned in my experiences, and again staying within the United States, is that the things that typically plague nursing are the same no matter where you go.

Yes, this is a global issue, um, and it goes from a variety of things. I think right now the hot button issue is staffing.

Yeah.

So, uh, global issues that I think everyone's really well versed in. I, I could have the same conversation with an— with a nurse from Ireland. Yeah. From Europe. You know, that's what makes us special.

Yeah, right now we're in the— what they're calling the Great Resignation, right? Everyone's leaving their jobs and trying to pursue something that's more in alignment with what they want and what they feel they deserve. And, you know, this is a— I mean, the purpose of this podcast is to develop strategies for nursing success. How can we, um, mitigate the damage that's plaguing nursing, all of the variety of things that we have to deal with, and how can we navigate those complexities and still remain strong within our profession, still, you know, give the nursing care that our patients and communities deserve, and still fulfill the role that we work so hard to achieve as a nurse, right? We put in a lot of sweat, blood, and tears money and all of that into, you know, becoming credentialed as a registered nurse, going to school, passing the NCLEX exam, and then going through the trials and tribulations of clinical to develop our expertise. So what is it? What is the one thing that you want to talk about today as far as the challenge or issue or problem that is affecting the nursing profession?

Yeah, so, and you said it perfectly, blood, sweat, and tears to get our licenses. And then you kind of get into the field and you start practicing and you're just like bombarded with all these things that you just didn't think you would have to ever experience. I know for me, one challenge that I've really had to deal with and come to terms with is my PTSD. I am a sister survivor, which is an individual that has survived the, uh, Larry Nassar scandal. So I started my, my nursing career with PTSD, so I had to really take the time. The beginning of my career, I took a week off from working just to address my mental health. And really what I want to tell nurses right now, yes, I've had a short career, but I was able to do what I was able I was able to do the things that I did because I addressed my PTSD and I took care of myself, right?

Right.

And I think that there's a lot of things going on right now with the nursing community. Um, I know Congress is looking at capping travel nurse pay. Um, I think a lot of nurses are worried, and I think that this is the time to create that space for self-care. Yeah, acknowledge how you're feeling right now. And, you know, honestly, journaling and writing things down has been really therapeutic for me. Mm-hmm. Even just doing simple things like going for a walk or incorporating exercise and holistic lifestyle practices. But I really think that my challenge is a challenge that I think a lot of nurses have been dealing with right now. So.

Yeah, so I mean, it sounds like you came into nursing, as, as you just said, with PTSD already. Um, you know, I first want to say, you know, I'm proud of you for making it through all of that trauma. Um, some people don't recover from that, right? Um, and so thank you for also becoming a nurse and realizing that you can utilize your expertise as a nurse to help other people even in the same situation as you. So that's really incredible, and thanks for sharing that. That also takes a lot of courage to share that. But, you know, nurses are having their— a variety of traumas. Just being a nurse exposes us to a lot of potential traumas, whether it's abuse from patients or family members who Sometimes the abuse is unintentional, sometimes it's intentional, right? We deal with a variety of patients, some who are in acute phases of delirium where they don't know what they're doing because their systems are out of whack and their electrolytes are a mess and their brain is not registering normal behavior. And they hit us upside our head or they pick up, you know, a chair in the room and whack us with it, right? Some nurses deal with sexual harassment. We get sexually harassed or even abused by our patients or family members and sometimes our colleagues, right? There's verbal abuse. We are financially abused because as a profession, still to this day, we're looked at as a bottom line by healthcare industry organizations, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals. We are a bottom line because our services are not a billable service. We can't charge insurance for the care that we give. So hospitals and organizations have to wrap us up into room and board, which causes a financial disparity for the amount of work and expertise that we provide to our patients. We should be pretty close to what other healthcare providers are making, um, but we're not. We're far from it. Now, of course, with high demand situations like the pandemic and nurses being out sick and them needing to hire travel nurses or agency nurses to fill those voids, the prices have gone up as far as what a nurse can make. But we also know that's very temporary, and as soon as things calm down, those salaries are going to go back down. This is sickening.

Yes, you bring up a really great point. And with Congress deciding to— well, making the decision to whether to cap our pay for travel nurses, um, really this is just a way for our own government to say we are only going to pay this much to do this service, right? And it's not like the NCLEX is going to come out with a different version that is less than the standard NCLEX. We all have to take the NCLEX. The standard of education is still the same, and It's really just kind of taking advantage.

Right. And so that, that also goes into the, the argument about are there caps for how much doctors can make? Are there caps for how much, you know, sure, when it comes to charging things like federally funded or state-funded insurance programs, Medicaid, Medicare, right? Yes, there are caps and everyone has to deal with those caps, doctors, everyone. But outside of that, private pay, which most of a nursing salary comes from the private money from these organizations, again, the room and board that they charge. And yes, many people have insurance. That is a goal of US healthcare system, is to have more insured people than uninsured people. But there's no limit on how much doctors or institutions can charge when it comes to the services they're providing. So why would it be the same thing for setting a limit for how much private healthcare staffing agencies can charge institutions? So this, this, this kind of circles back, and I know we're getting off the topic of PTSD, but financial hardship can lead to a lot of PTSD, right? But this circles back to saying so many people are against social medicine, for instance. Let's just use that term very loosely. But people are against social medicine, which is a very structured, streamlined— everyone is covered, everyone has this amount of benefit, here's your cap, no matter where you are on the spectrum, you have access to this. But yet we're putting in all of these kind of Band-Aid laws that are basically telling everyone what to do anyway. So why not create— why not just create overall social medicine and insurance that covers everyone? And if people want the extra bells and whistles for service or care, if they want to go get cosmetic surgery or if they want to have, you know, their rehab in an elite rehabilitation center, then they can still private pay for those services if they like.

Yes, that sounds delightful, right?

Right. And of course it's much more complicated than that. And, um, you know, this has been an argument for decades, but I digress. So, okay, so PTSD, it affects us all. We all have our traumas, and you've had your own unique trauma. And then coming into nursing And then getting exposed to the traumas that we all share, that are all common to us— workplace incivility and bullying, being, you know, attacked by patients or family members, you know, having the financial disparity where you're making a significantly less amount of money than maybe the unit physical therapist, right? And it seems like they do a fraction of the work that we do. And whether that's true or not, it is from our perspective. Nurses are with the patients 24 hours a day, and for most of our shifts out there in a clinical setting, they're for 12 to 16 of those hours in a day. So it, it can lead up to a lot of traumas. So since PTSD is your focus, what are some strategies that you've implemented And I know you were kind of alluding to some of them earlier about self-care, but what are some things that you've done that's personally helped you to manage your PTSD so you can be successful within your role as a nurse?

Well, the first thing I think I can tell anyone who's listening to this is I need you to first recognize, uh, your PTSD symptoms if you're having symptoms, right? Um, having the tools Having the tools to do the self-care is what you need first. You need to recognize what's affecting you, right? For me personally, sleep was the biggest issue I had. I could not sleep. I was working night shifts. I was working almost 3 days a week. And yet, if I wasn't working, I was sleeping all day. I had no energy. Um, and really the first step to that was correcting, okay, let me start traveling and work straight days. Then I worked straight days. And my sleep was much better. But then my PTSD started to— started to become anxiety, right? I started having severe social anxiety. And so it's about recognizing and then addressing those issues. Now, do I still have social anxiety? Absolutely. But when PTSD is really bad, it gets much worse. So I would encourage anybody listening to this, if you want to incorporate self-care incorporate self-care into your everyday life. Identify the things that are bothering you. Identify the symptoms that you have. Perhaps you do need to take the time to speak to somebody, maybe a therapist, to talk like what you're actually feeling. Sometimes with my PTSD, I can't even define how I feel in a moment because My emotions are all out of whack. And the pathway in your brain is completely damaged. You know, the way that your brain actually functions is damaged. Negative thoughts are continuous in my mind sometimes because of my PTSD. And so the way that I help with those things is really meditation, drinking water, eating healthy. Going out for runs, and really just practicing those kind of things and using that in my self-care every day.

Yeah. So self-care is so broad, and there's so many different modalities for managing self-care. And you mentioned a lot of what I would consider the foundational mandatories, right? I call these mandatory self-care. You have to get enough sleep. You have to eat a balanced diet. You have to have enough hydration, right? If we all follow Maslow's hierarchy of needs, You need to make sure these needs are met. So that's foundational. And sometimes meeting even those basic needs in a stressful work environment, like being on the floor for 13 hours straight with limited access to the restroom or a break or anything like that, because you're always on— and it's very hard to get coverage when you have all of the nurses who are always on on and there's no relief nurse, right? We don't have a floating release nurse, a relief nurse, or we don't have a charge nurse who's out of the numbers, or we don't have a unit manager who can step out of their office, you know, leave a meeting and just kind of monitor our patients so we can have 30 minutes to ourselves so we can eat. Sometimes it doesn't happen. It's all— it's more often than not. And in my experience, you know, as bedside nurse there, I can count on both hands how many times I had an uninterrupted break. Seriously, like, it's just, it's incredible. And the only way I would receive an uninterrupted break is if I left the building.

Yes, the only way.

And then hospital administration would tell you not to leave the building, even though the state mandates that you get an uninterrupted lunch break. So where's the disconnect there? This is another trauma, right? This is another trauma that I had to sustain. And people might just say, oh, you're being a baby, or— no, this stuff compounds after years of years and years of this type of abuse. This stuff compounds upon itself, and eventually I get burned out.

And within weeks on a— like, when I worked on closed COVID ICU unit, I faced those same challenges when I had to wear a mask through my entire shift. Did I even want to risk lifting my mask up to drink some water?

No, absolutely not.

Exactly. Do I even risk de-gowning and going to eat? Am I going to expose myself? Sometimes I— like, even the mental, um, strain of worrying about it You know, that's what people don't realize is that working bedside means you're worrying about catching COVID you're worrying about your COVID patients, and you're worrying about COVID on your days off. Yeah, there's no sleeping it. And I'm here to tell everybody listening, start recognizing where you need those self-care.

Yeah, so one, one thing that I help non-nurse individuals um, understand when they're trying to really wrap their heads around the complexities and the challenges that nurses deal with. And the best way that I can help people realize what a nurse goes through is I kind of elicit the mothers that are out there. I ask for all the mothers, women who have children, think about all of the things you worry about constantly about the safety, the well-being, the development, the social relationships, the financial state. Everything that you worry about for your children is the same thing that a nurse worries about for their patients. And it doesn't turn off. And we don't get to pass our patient off to our partner. We don't get to pass our patient off to our family member or a daycare center. It's us. For those 13, 16, sometimes 20-hour shifts depending on what's going on. So, you know, and even then, if you're not a nurse, it's hard to comprehend, right? And sure, many professions have similar cyclical chronic problems and issues, and PTSD happens in more than just nursing, but PTSD is something that affects nursing. And so you're saying self-care is one of the best ways to manage PTSDs or traumas. And it is, um, because if we are— if we are rested and hydrated and nourished, then our body can respond and recuperate better.

And I think what's really important, I really want to express, is like, if you are in a situation, like you said, if you're working in a hospital where you don't have access to those things, you need to start carving out that space for yourself. Your mental health is key. Holistic care is mind, body, and soul, and you have to take care of those three things. We talk about Maslow's hierarchy of needs. You have to start incorporate— incorporating just the basics so that your mind and body and soul can survive, right? This is a very perilous time for nurses, right?

So, so what do you say to the person who is maybe both a workaholic and a superhero, right? Those are the personality traits that they have taken on because they love their job as a nurse. They want to be successful. They want to learn as much as they can. They want to be a yes man initially, right? We all do. We want to, we want to, we want to appease our supervisors and we want, we want to be liked and valued at work. And then also the superhero, you know, nurses have that sometimes that complex as well, because we do save lives. We actually sometimes one intervention, one moment in time determines the difference between whether a patient's going to survive or not. And we get to be part of that. We get to sometimes do that life-saving intervention. So what do you say to a person who's in those kind of personality mindsets and their boss says, "Hey, you know, can you pick up this extra shift this week because we're short?" "Hey, can you stay late today because someone's having car trouble, they're not going to get here on time?" "Hey, can you only take half your time for lunch today because we're getting 2 admissions and we need you to take one?" What do you say to someone who's in that situation in regards to practicing self-care?

So, um, I think the word boundaries—

perfect. Yes. And you know, your volume is going up and down just a little bit, so I'll just repeat what you said in the event that someone didn't hear that. You cannot save someone else if you can't save yourself, right?

Correct. Um, yeah. You have— if you— and I— this is, this is hard because I have a lot of social anxiety, so I always felt like I had to say yes to everything. Yes, yes, of course I do this. And as a team player, when I was working in a COVID ICU, I would go above and beyond to make sure that one, my co-workers were taken care of, and two, the patients were taken care of, right? I understand what it's like to be that superhero nurse that wants to help everybody, but don't do it to the point of you losing yourself or your mental health, it's not worth it.

Yeah. So, so something I heard not long ago is, um, really nurses were dissecting the term superhero, and I personally don't like that term, um, to be placed on me as a healthcare provider because I'm not a superhero, and it's because I'm not fictitious. Right? I'm not some super being with unlimited amounts of power. I don't have unlimited resources available at my fingertips. Um, I, I am mortal, right? I'm human. So I am just as fragile as anyone else. I have the same needs as anyone else. Just because we have a a skill set that provides us an opportunity to literally save people's lives does not mean that we are gods, because we're not.

Um, as a Black woman, I have continually tried to have this conversation with people, and not just people, but we're just trying to emulate that fact of stop calling us superheroes. Like, we are doing a lot right now. Like, you know, just being a Black woman and nurses in general, like, we are doing a lot right now if we compare the two. Um, but there has to be some type of limitation. I don't want that perception put upon me, okay? I can't save everybody, right? I'm only one person. I can like— and this goes back to ratios. How many ratios are nurses supposed to have? Why don't we have standardized ratios? We know that.

We know, we know why they— we know why they don't have standardized ratios, right? So that's not a question. But yes, we should have standardized ratios. And we do know that standardizing ratios to set bare minimums so that institutions can't enforce the properties or the, you know, the percept— what am I trying to say? The idea of greed, right? We can't influence or implement greed as a decision-making for business and say, okay, well, 'You know, this extra nurse on the floor is gonna cost us this much extra per hour, and we only get $750 per day per bed for Medicare. So in order to maximize our profits, we're gonna just have one less nurse on the floor, and they'll be fine because nurses make it work anyway.' And I think that, that thought process is something that nurses are not used to, right?

That is such an awful thing to hear.

Yeah, but that's exactly what happens.

And then what do we encounter, right? Oh, can you take an extra patient? Of course. Oh, he's not coming in, so the shortage gets shorter and shorter and shorter. What I want to tell people, what I want to tell nurses right now is don't risk yourself. Don't risk yourself, okay? Yeah. Take care of yourself.

Right. And again, what would you say to the person who would argue that if they don't get their paycheck on time, that they can't pay their rent and they're going to be on the streets, so they're going to be a yes man? What do you say to them?

Yeah, that's hard.

It's difficult, right? So these are a lot of the complexities that they're ongoing conversations. Um, because again, nurses are financially disproportionate to a lot of the other healthcare, um, members out there. And we also enter at a variety of different educational levels. We have nurses who are LPNs, we have nurses who have an associate's degree, nurses who have bachelor's, master's, doctorates. Um, and so we know that with the higher education comes more knowledge, comes more skills to navigate the system and potentially position yourself into a role that could be a little bit more financially freeing, but it's not guaranteed. And the cost of education is astronomical.

And that's intentional, right?

Of course.

These systems have been put in place to keep us where we are. And to that nurse who feels like they are trapped in a financial, uh, in a financial system that makes them feel like that they can't leave a toxic job, um, I would say to start looking for other jobs and start doing your research. You may not be able to say no today, but in a month from now and 2 weeks from now, when you do your research and you send your resume other places, put yourself in the position where you can leverage your own career. Yeah, this is your career and this is your life.

Yes.

You know, as a nurse with PTSD, it is possible to have a successful career. It is possible to take care of yourself. It is possible to do what you want. That's what I want to tell your followers and any listeners to this right now. Like, having— protect your mental health, it's, it's the key to getting exactly what you want out of your life.

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, I used to be that nurse, and this is why I asked that question. I used to be that nurse that lived paycheck to paycheck. Um, I, I actually had to sleep on my friend's couch for almost all of nursing school, um, so that I can make it through, so that I can afford to be in school, because the studying was so demanding that I couldn't work my full-time job anymore. I had to go to weekends only. And even some weekends I couldn't work because the studying and the projects and all of that that was required of me to be successful in school didn't allow me to work. And I didn't have a family who could support me financially as I went through school. I did it all on my own. And so I was initially concerned if I argue or fight against what I felt was unethical or unfair, that I would be out of a job and I couldn't afford to miss a paycheck because I wouldn't be able to pay my rent. That I, I finally was able to get an apartment once I became a nurse because I had steady income, but I planned.

I am just so— I'm so touched that you shared that with me because I understand, like, everybody goes through different paths, and to sacrifice comfort for your degree— that piece of paper is a big deal right now. A lot of nurses are really upset and angry with how we're being treated right now, but then I also remember all the things that I sacrificed to get to this point.

Well, and it also— we have so many more opportunities as you are now discovering, as you're pivoting into your new role. We have so many different opportunities as a nurse, and I saw that learning from a good friend of mine and seeing how nursing was able to provide him a variety of opportunities and provide a nice, you know, livable wage for his family. And, you know, he was lucky that he got into the OR at Johns Hopkins very early, straight out of school, and wound up having some really awesome neurosurgeons take him under their wing. And now he's a nurse practitioner and he's a first assist and he works in the— so he has it sweet, right? We know surgeon— surgery is like the sweet spot in medicine. And so as a nurse, he was able to kind of sneak in that back door and find himself working alongside, you know, renowned neurosurgeons, which is awesome. Obviously not every nurse is going to have that opportunity, but even seeing his opportunity gave me confidence that I would be able to find a variety of opportunities for myself with the nursing, which completely changed my lifestyle because it gave me educational foundation that I can apply to every aspect of my life. It finally made me feel what being professional feels like, because I never really felt professional before because I always had service industry type jobs, being on the end of customer service. And, you know, even though I was good at customer service, I never felt professional I felt like a worker. I felt like alignment. I didn't feel like I was in control or that I was provided with a foundational set of knowledge or science that I could apply and follow a process. None of that was there for me. This was all trial and error, right? No one taught me how to be a good waiter. But going through that struggle and Knowing that I can't fight my, my leadership when they're telling me to pick up these extra shifts because I was dependent on those paychecks, I did immediately start formulating a plan for exit, which is what you said. You may not be able to say no today, but if you do your due diligence and plan ahead, you can find your exit strategy, leave on good terms, get that good reference so you can go back in the future at a higher rate, and maybe as a consultant in the future. And, you know, you are still advocating for yourself, saying no to situations that you're not going to tolerate, but just doing it in a way that's professional and tactful because that's important.

Yeah, it is. That's such a great, great advice, Damion. I totally agree.

Yeah. All right. So, so you're shifting in your career. And so the, the the traumas of bedside and all of this was just too much, right? It just became too much.

Um, I was on an assignment in California and I was dealing with this— I was dealing with, uh, just a dynamic at bedside that I didn't feel comfortable with. Um, I felt like I had a lot of moral injury. It was getting harder and harder to go to work every single day. I was also taking care of my cousin Elisa, who is, uh, she passed away from cancer in December. But she had multiple myeloma. So between working bedside and taking care of Lisa, I felt extremely overwhelmed.

Yeah.

And didn't know what to do with one, my career or even my life. But something that I did discover while taking care of Lisa is cannabis. And in California, cannabis is recreationally legal. So Lisa decided to use cannabis for pain and holistic purposes. And I saw that she had such a positive therapeutic response to it when it came to her nausea, pain, um, and even just stiffness in her body. Um, I decided to do my due diligence. I did my research and I got my CAN-SOUM certification, um, to become a cannabis nurse. So I am pivoting specialties. I am still a nurse, right? We'll say that 100%. I am just I'm a cannabis nurse now, you know.

Well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna rephrase that for you.

Oh, go ahead.

You are a cannabis nurse.

I am a cannabis nurse.

There's never just.

Yes, yes, you caught me. Good, thank you so much.

There's never just. You are a cannabis nurse. You are a nurse, right? A nurse is a nurse is a nurse. We have a foundational skill set that transcends any specialty. You can assess the way I can assess. You can evaluate the way I can evaluate. We follow the same process. Now, our individual expertise enhances with more experience we get over the years, but it doesn't mean that you don't have the same foundational knowledge and expertise that I have because we all had to pass the same exam, right? We had to pass an accredited nursing program, and we all took the same exam to to get our RN behind our name. So yeah, we're nurses, and we are nurses in a variety of roles. So you discovered cannabis to, you know, you saw how it helped Lisa. Yeah. And then did you implement cannabis in your own PTSD management?

I did. I ended up obtaining a cannabis, um, a medicinal card here. I actually live in Ohio. Okay. I am, uh, certified in Ohio and in California. So I have a medicinal cannabis card in Ohio, and I do consume cannabis for my PTSD treatment, right? So as a— and for me particularly, I want to be the cannabis nurse that also incorporates holistic practices into my business. Um, and I—

so sorry, I'm getting a little bit nervous, but I, I have So, you know, are you a member of the American Holistic Nurses Association?

I am. And what I want to let you know is I also joined the, uh, the American Nurses Business Association as well. Um, I really want to put out there that nurses can not only be cannabis nurses or whatever your specialty is, but enter the field of business and we can operate as business owners. Yeah, having my license, have my own certificates, having my own, uh, business means that, you know, the world is kind of right in front of me, and I can not only navigate it as a nurse but as a person with PTSD that can live every day and not be miserable. I mean, it's just so refreshing to, to be able to, to do this and take care of Perfect.

So you said American Nurses Business Association. Do you mean National Nurses and Business Association? All right, perfect. I just wanted to clarify for the listeners. I am a huge advocate of the National Nurses and Business Association. I know I've mentioned it to you before in email correspondence. Um, you know, I've spoken at the conference a couple times already. I'm looking forward to attending the conference that's coming up this summer in Vegas. So anyone who's interested—

yeah, any—

anyone who's interested in business, at a minimum, I recommend becoming a member because they have so many valuable resources to help you streamline your business offerings, to even get started, because sometimes just figuring out how to get started is one of the hardest things.

I think you're doing the modules. They're great for nurses, guys.

Very specific for nurses. And, you know, as the president of the organization would say, Michelle Podlesny, is that nurses are perfect to run businesses because we're problem solvers and we can, we can make anything happen. So, and I say that at the end of every podcast, nurses can do anything, which is So true. So awesome. So you found cannabis to be very helpful for, you know, Lisa, for yourself. I'm sure you're seeing it help with other people. I know that it helps. I have lots of friends and family and even patients and clients of my own who have used a combination of CBD or THC oils or, you know, any other derivative of cannabis or hemp for neuroregulations, activating homeostasis, decreasing inflammation, managing anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction. I have seen it work in a variety of ways, and it's definitely something that there's tons and tons of research out there. It's, it's becoming widely researched, which is great, and hopefully our modern medical system will start to integrate that more fully instead of having it so segmented 'cause it's still kind of separated from what a traditional medical doctor or nurse practitioner may prescribe.

Right, and there's a huge gap between the clinical practice and cannabis usage. And I just really wanna say to all, anybody who's interested in cannabis nursing, there are plenty of specialties for cannabis nursing.

Yeah.

And I mean, I can get a little bit more into the cannabinoids if you want, Um, did you want me to explain like the difference between THC and CBD?

So I think the average listener may not know the difference between CBD or THC. So if you can give that real quick, that'd be great. And then we can point them in the direction to additional resources if you have those available.

So two big cannabinoids that we're going to talk about are CBD and THC, right? So THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis, and then CBD is the non-psychoactive component. Now I want to say these are two different things that both work into your endocannabinoid system, and your endocannabinoid system has very similar properties as cannabis. So when those cannabinoids get ingested into your body, it interacts with the endocannabinoid system creating those therapeutic effects that we all know, like helping with pain, nausea, and even sleep. So for me, incorporating cannabis with my insomnia really helped me sleep. So all I would do is take a gummy, take that before bed, and I was able to sleep. And it's really that easy. And there are all sorts of different types of routes of administration. You can only consume CBD, you can only consume THC, or you can consume both. There are just so many different varieties, so I would encourage people to do your research. If you are interested in learning more, I have started my own company. Uh, my company is called Angelic Pathway with a K. A-N-G-E-L-I-K P-A-T-H-W-A-Y. And, um, that is basically where my website is, www.angelicpathway.com, or Instagram. Um, as a cannabis nurse, I really wanted to, um, really focus on education. You know, what do people need to learn about? What— why aren't medicinal cannabis patients learning these general educational topics, right? As a cannabis card holder, I never went through any sort of educational programs together.

I mean, I know the answer to that.

I mean, yes, we all know the answer to that.

The answer to that is because nurses aren't running those programs.

And I hope to change that one day.

Exactly. So, so, you know, just like I got into nursing education, I saw a gap, right? You're seeing a gap in nursing education related to this. So there is no education or very little education around medical use of cannabis. And even for individuals who get a card, who go through the process of being approved for a card, even they are getting very little education about it. Yeah. So one thing I want to just kind of piggyback on as we wrap up here, or, or just have you maybe explain a little bit differently— endocannabinoid system. That's a mouthful.

It's a mouthful, right?

It is built into our neurological system, right? A lot of neuroreceptors take those molecules and then process those chemicals the same way they would with any other chemical messenger. Serotonin, for instance. We all know that serotonin— or many of us know that serotonin is, you know, a neurotransmitter that is kind of related to the pleasure response, the happy response. It calms us. It makes us feel good. And the cannabinoids themselves from what I'm learning with, with speaking with other individuals who are in this specialty and doing my own research, is that they connect with every body system and help to kind of just be like a throttle for those systems. It comes in and says, wait a minute, there's too much inflammation going on here, I'm gonna tone it down a little bit. Or, hey, you're not producing enough of this, neurotransmitter that helps regulate, you know, happiness. So we're going to, you know, rev this up a little bit. And so it's amazing that the system is natural. It's been in our body forever, and now we've learned how to unlock this regular— this regulatory property through the consumption of these cannabinoids.

Right. And so when we talk about consumption and route of administrations and, um, oh, there was another word I wanted to use— homeostasis. Right? All these things are things that we've learned in nursing, right? But the endocannabinoid system, not so much, right? We barely covered that topic. I mean, not at all, actually.

I was gonna say, I've never heard of it until I became a nurse entrepreneur and started, you know, connecting with cannabis nurses, right?

And so, um, what I want people, um, so wait, you, your question was to explain a little bit, right? So homeostasis, um, means that you kind of get back into the middle. So when we talk about holistic care. Cannabis is a great app— it can be a great application for holistic care, specifically for my PTSD, because I can consume cannabis, and it can create a homeostasis, like an actual homeostasis in my body to help with my anxiety, whether it's lower my heart rate, or to lower my, my blood pressure, right, creating that therapeutic response and relaxation. Um, and there's another point I wanted to say, but I totally forgot it. But yes, you're absolutely right. Um, you know, as nurses, we have the potential to, um, really educate people about this amazing organ that, you know, that we don't really— that people don't really know much about.

Yeah, yeah, I think it's incredible. And, you know, to just kind of talk a little bit about the pushback that a lot of, you know, lawmakers and even nurses themselves may be very against the use of cannabis. What I like to say to those individuals is just think about all of the poisons and toxins that we are willing to put into our bodies that do not come from Mother Nature, that are much more harmful if consumed in abundance or with the wrong dosage that are completely legal, have sometimes very little regulation, and you don't turn a side eye to that. Right. So OxyContin, for instance. Yes, it's a controlled substance. Yes, you have to have a prescription. Yes, some pharmacies and medical providers are much more strict about authorizing the prescription of that drug. But yet it's still readily available. And we don't— we're not fussing and hooting and, and judging these people for using OxyContin for pain. And OxyContin is typically never used for acute pain. It's always for chronic pain. So why can't we be as willing to accept the use of cannabis to alleviate those symptoms where there is zero documented overdose incidences.

It's impossible to overdose on cannabis.

That's what I'm saying, zero documented overdose instance. You know, people, there's stories out there, of course people make up stuff, but you can't OD on it. It's natural and it doesn't have to be smoked. That's the other thing. So some people complain about, well, it's still bad for your lungs. Yeah, sure, if you're smoking it, it is still bad for your lungs. I'm not going to argue that. You're still consuming tar and everything else. It's just as bad as cigarettes, but it's natural.

When we look at topicals and tinctures and gummies and edibles and suppositories that are all infused with cannabis, it is not just smoking. I really urge people to look into just educating yourself on what's really out there. Yeah. And what the possibilities could be.

Awesome. So last but not least, as we wrap up this episode, Um, what is— other than your website, because I'm sure your website has a resources section that you can point people into these resources— other than your website, is there a good trustworthy resource that if people wanted to have like the answers of what to trust, what not to trust, where can they go?

That's hard to really say.

So you say you're certified through what organization?

If you want to learn more about cannabis nursing and CANSOUM— now I am a CANSOUM approved instructor. I teach course that will certify you to become a cannabis nurse or healthcare worker. So I would say if you have questions about that, go to Cansoom.com. There is a plethora of information there. Now from, I guess what's difficult is from a clinical perspective, right? If you want to know what strains or what dosage or what works for your specific issue, this is still a Schedule 1 drug. There is no one source to give you concrete yeses or nos. Now, there are a lot of great resources out there, but specific for your listeners, um, if you're interested in possibly taking the class, I do teach it. Um, you can go to angelicpathway.com to learn more about that. Um, and then also in the resources tab, I will be posting resources, um, to actually, you know, educate. So you can look up what a cannabis nurse is, um, on my resources page. There's actually the, um, Ohio, uh, medicinal cannabis, uh, uh, website is also on my resources page. So as I build my business, I'm going to create more resources. So you're welcome to check back with me too, if you'd like to know more.

Awesome. Perfect. So, you know, I fully understand that there's limited resource about what sources to seek out for your own personal use. Um, and you know, as nurses, we're not allowed to prescribe, right? So we can't really tell people what they should or shouldn't take. Always consult with a physician to make sure that it's appropriate for you and that it doesn't interact with any other medications or treatments that you may be on. But it could be an option for you to replace some of those medications. Just as you mentioned to me before, you were on a lot of medications to manage your PTSD. And they weren't working.

They were not. And I'll say this, um, oh, actually, I remembered what I wanted to say. Last day I worked as a bedside nurse, I had a conversation with another travel nurse, and we literally said, every patient on this floor has been poisoned by food. And that's just the reality of our healthcare system, right? Um, as a person that has chosen cannabis to help me with my PTSD I've never felt healthier, um, I've never felt happier, um, and I'm not sorry. And I'm really sad that as a, as a nurse, I really have to be careful if I ever want to go back to bedside. I may be told no. Yeah, I, I do consume now.

Yeah, that's a whole other discussion, but yeah, and that's the reality we live in. I mean, uh, institutions do have a right to say zero drugs. But again, I challenge policymakers and people who write the policies to consider, would you allow a nurse who has a prescription for OxyContin to come and work but not a nurse who has a prescription for medical marijuana? So it's kind of like, you know, I can guarantee a nurse is not going to be toking up right before work. They're not going to do that, but they might have it in their system because they need to have it to sleep, like in your situation.

Exactly. And let's have these discussions. So you can always send me a question or anything if you ever want to talk about that.

Awesome. Thank you so much, Angelica, for being on the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with me today. Um, I will have all the ways people can connect with you in the show notes of this episode, and I look forward to watching you as you go on your cannabis nurse journey. Thanks for being here. Take care.

Thank you so much for having me, Damion Jenkins, and I hope to talk to you again soon. Bye.

And that concludes episode 6 of the Nursing Strategies for Success podcast with this week's guest, Angelica Martinez McGee. All of the ways to connect with Angelica will be in the show notes of this episode. And if you have any questions about anything that we covered in today's episode, feel free to visit thenursespeak.com/contact and get in touch with me. I would love to have a conversation with you. So until next episode, take care, be well, and remember that nurses can do anything.