PHONE +1 929-324-9308Introducing Code Calm: A Nurse’s Guide To Surviving & Thriving
Code Calm is an honest, practical guide created by nurses who have been there. Led by Nurse Blake, 10 nurses & a paramedic worked together as authors and editors for more than a year to bring this book to life. It combines personal stories with practical tools for navigating burnout, compassion fatigue, moral injury, stress, trauma, sleep, boundaries, relationships and the emotional weight of caring for others.
This isn’t another book telling nurses to become more resilient while ignoring the realities of healthcare. Code Calm acknowledges the challenges nurses face while helping them care for themselves without losing the purpose that brought them to nursing.
Available now for preorder on Kindle. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HGCVDYFM) Releasing September 21 in Kindle and paperback editions.
When you order a copy, you’re helping provide free books to nurses, hospitals and nursing programs across the country.
Explore the 10 Chapters
Chapter 1: Finding My Purpose in Nursing
Author: Danyel Portillo, BSN, RN
Nursing careers rarely follow a straight path. Danyel shares how burnout, personal growth and new opportunities reshaped her understanding of what it means to be a nurse. This chapter helps readers reconnect with their purpose, embrace change and recognize that leaving the bedside does not mean leaving nursing behind.
Chapter 2: The Weight of Caring
Author: Giovanna Navarro, BSN, RN
Burnout, compassion fatigue, moral injury and depression can overlap, but they are not the same. Giovanna helps nurses recognize the differences, understand what their minds and bodies may be communicating and begin recovering without blaming themselves for the pressures created by healthcare systems.
Chapter 3: The Art of Self-Care
Authors: Jennifer Herrmeyer, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN; and Kasey Pacheco-Moran, BSN, RN,
HNB-BC Self-care is more than an occasional day off or trip to the spa. This chapter explores realistic ways
nurses can care for their physical, mental and emotional well-being—even with demanding schedules.
Readers learn how small, consistent choices can preserve their energy and help them continue caring
without running completely empty.
Chapter 4: Healthy Relationships In and Out of Work
Author: Carolyn Harmon, BSN, RN
The stress of nursing can follow us home and affect our relationships with coworkers, friends, partners and family. Carolyn explores communication, workplace conflict, boundaries and the importance of building relationships rooted in mutual respect. The chapter helps nurses protect their peace without disconnecting from the people who matter.
Chapter 5: Building Your Mental Health Toolkit
Authors: James C. Boomhower, LMHC-A, MS, FP-C, C-NPT, CCISM; Shelby Jones, MSN, RN; and Kasey Pacheco-Moran, BSN, RN, HNB-BC
Nurses need practical tools they can reach for before, during and after difficult moments. This chapter introduces strategies for managing stress, regulating emotions, grounding the nervous system and seeking support. It reinforces that it is okay not to be okay—but nurses need the right tools and connections to navigate those challenges.
Chapter 6: It’s Not Failure, It’s Physiology
Authors: Giovanna Navarro, BSN, RN; and Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC
Chronic stress is not a personal failure; it creates real physiological changes in the body. This chapter explains how ongoing pressure affects the nervous system, emotions, energy and decision-making. It gives nurses practical ways to understand their stress responses and begin moving from survival mode toward recovery.
Chapter 7: The Shift Worker’s Guide to Better Sleep
Author: Maggie Aime, MSN, RN
Night shifts, rotating schedules and long hours can make quality sleep feel impossible. Maggie explains how shift work disrupts the body’s natural rhythms and offers realistic strategies nurses can use to improve rest. The focus is not on achieving perfect sleep, but on making meaningful improvements within the realities of nursing.
Chapter 8: The Power of Emotional Intelligence
Authors: Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC; and Tiffany Gibson, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN
Emotional intelligence can transform how nurses communicate, lead and respond under pressure. This chapter explores self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy and relationship management. Readers learn how to navigate difficult conversations, strengthen teamwork and lead with greater intention without ignoring their own needs.
Chapter 9: Recognizing and Healing from Trauma
Author: Jennifer Herrmeyer, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
Repeated exposure to emergencies, loss, violence and suffering can leave lasting effects. Drawing from clinical expertise and lived experience, Jennifer helps nurses recognize trauma responses and understand why painful experiences do not always stay at work. The chapter offers a compassionate path toward seeking help, processing trauma and healing without shame.
Chapter 10: Balancing Work, Life, and Everything in Between
Authors: Jennifer Herrmeyer, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN; and Kasey Pacheco-Moran, BSN, RN, HNBBC
Perfect balance may not exist, but a more sustainable and meaningful life does. This chapter helps nurses examine their priorities, responsibilities and boundaries while letting go of the pressure to do everything alone. It encourages readers to replace the pursuit of perfect balance with a life built around harmony, values and support.
Meet the Contributors
Nurse Blake
Blake Lynch, BSN, RN
Blake Lynch, known as Nurse Blake, is a nurse, comedian, educator and healthcare advocate with experience at Level I trauma centers across the country. He is the founder of NurseCon at Sea and Camp NurseCon and the creator of the Nurse Support Network. Through humor, education, storytelling and advocacy, Blake has built a global community where healthcare professionals can learn, recharge and feel seen. He led the development of Code Calm and wrote its foreword.
Danyel Portillo
Danyel Portillo, BSN, RN
Danyel is a nursing leader with more than 35 years in healthcare, including three decades as a registered nurse. Her career has included emergency nursing, intensive care, entrepreneurship, medical devices, pharmaceutical sales, rare-disease education and patient advocacy. She is the founder of Unevenly Balanced, a platform dedicated to helping professionals rediscover balance and purpose through whole-person healing.
Giovanna Navarro
Giovanna Navarro, BSN, RN
Giovanna is an award-winning nurse, international keynote speaker and author of the Amazon bestselling book Burn Bright, Not Out. She has more than 25 years of experience in neuroscience, behavioral health, electrophysiology and critical care. Drawing from research and her own experiences with burnout and autoimmune illness, she helps nurses and healthcare leaders strengthen emotional resilience and transform stress into greater clarity.
Jennifer Herrmeyer
Jennifer Herrmeyer, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN
Jennifer is an emergency and critical care nurse with more than 34 years of experience across cardiacstep-down, pediatric home care, intensive care and emergency nursing. She teaches life-support classes, trauma and pediatric emergency courses, and certification reviews nationwide. Jennifer also advocates for healthcare professionals affected by domestic violence, PTSD and the psychological demands of emergency care.
Kasey Pacheco-Moran
Kasey Pacheco-Moran, BSN, RN, HNB-BC
Kasey is a board-certified holistic nurse and the CEO of Preservers of Life, a consulting and connectionagency bridging wellness, business and innovation. She combines holistic nursing principles with strategic leadership to help individuals and organizations achieve sustainable growth. Kasey is passionate about empowering nurses to work collectively toward a healthier profession and healthcare system.
Carolyn Harmon
Carolyn Harmon, BSN, RN
Carolyn is a Student Nurse Experience Coordinator, nurse writer and nursing content creator with experience in emergency care, perioperative nursing and leadership. Her work focuses on conflict resolution, compassionate communication and navigating difficult professional conversations. She is passionate about helping nurses find their voices and build healthier, more collaborative relationships.
James C. Boomhower
James C. Boomhower, LMHC-A, MS, FP-C, C-NPT, CCISM
James is a critical care transport specialist-paramedic and mental health professional with more than 20 years of experience in emergency medicine, air medical transport and clinical behavioral health. He serves as Peer Support Director at Boston MedFlight and is the founder of Stay Fit 4 Duty, a national platform supporting the mental health and resilience of first responders and healthcare professionals.
Shelby Jones
Shelby Jones, MSN, RN
Shelby is a critical care nurse and educator with 18 years in the profession. After spending a decade in intensive care, she expanded her work into academia and entrepreneurship. She teaches nursing students at the University of Central Florida and is the founder of The ICU Nurse Writes, where she uses education, advocacy and creativity to support nurses beyond the bedside.
Wendy Garvin Mayo
Wendy Garvin Mayo, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC
Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo is a healthcare leader and stress-management strategist with more than 20 years of experience in clinical practice, research, academia, leadership and the pharmaceutical industry. She created The Stress Blueprint and serves as CEO of Collaborative Cancer Care, a mental health practice supporting patients, caregivers and oncology professionals. She is also the author of SHAPE Your Life: 5-Step Blueprint for Sustainable Stress Management.
Maggie Aime
Maggie Aime, MSN, RN
Maggie is a registered nurse with more than 25 years of healthcare experience spanning medicalsurgical nursing, oncology, cardiology, kidney transplantation, pediatrics, case management and utilization management. She is the founder of The Write RN, where she creates clear, compassionate content that helps patients and healthcare professionals navigate healthcare and personal medical finance.
Tiffany Gibson
Tiffany Gibson, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN
Tiffany is a nurse executive, consultant and educator specializing in emotional intelligence, staff development and soul-led leadership. As the founder of New Nurse Academy, she helps nurses and healthcare leaders lead with authenticity, equity and empathy. Her work focuses on creating psychologically safe, inclusive healthcare environments where people feel respected and supported.
Margaret Veloski
Margaret “Maggie” Veloski, BSN, MBA, RN
Maggie is a nurse executive and healthcare consultant with more than a decade of experience improving clinical operations and developing innovative healthcare programs. She is the founder of Prospira Health Partners and a national nursing conference speaker whose work addresses workplace bullying, professional purpose and nurse well-being. Maggie served as an editor of Code Calm alongside Jennifer Herrmeyer.