Welcome to Resilient RN: Why I Started This, and Who It’s For

Hi, I’m Stephanie, a registered nurse, educator, patient advocate… and someone who’s lived with chronic illness for most of my life.

If you’ve found your way here, you’re probably navigating something complex, painful, or invisible. Maybe you’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or sent home from a doctor’s appointment with more questions than answers. Maybe you’re managing multiple diagnoses and feel like you’re the only one keeping track of the whole picture. Maybe you’re exhausted, scared, burned out... or all three.

I want you to know: You’re not alone. And you’re not crazy. And you deserve better.

What Resilient RN Is

I created Resilient RN because I saw a gap between what the healthcare system delivers and what patients with complex conditions actually need. Especially people like us:

• People with rare or overlapping diagnoses

• People living with invisible illnesses like EDS, POTS, MCAS, CRPS, or chronic fatigue

• People managing care with no clear roadmap

• People carrying trauma from past medical experiences

• People who are tired of advocating alone

Here, you’ll find nurse-led support that’s personal, informed, and judgment-free. Not “you just need to exercise more” support. Not “let’s gaslight you about your labs” support. This is real, compassionate, strategic help from someone who gets it, both from the inside and outside of the system.

Why I Do This

I’ve sat in wheelchairs in waiting rooms. I’ve cried in my car after being dismissed by doctors. I’ve had to explain my own diagnosis to providers. And through it all, I became a nurse. I’ve worked in pain clinics, memory care, hospitals, psych units, and palliative settings and I’ve seen firsthand how broken the system is for people like us.

But I’ve also seen what happens when someone finally gets the right support. When a patient is given the tools, the language, the clarity — and a safe place to land. That’s what Resilient RN is. That’s why I’m here.

What to Expect From This Blog

This blog will be a space for:

• Honest conversations about chronic illness and medical trauma

• Tips on navigating appointments, paperwork, and complex care

• Resilience tools and mindset support

• Education that’s digestible and empowering

• And gentle reminders that you are resilient.

If any of this resonates with you, I hope you’ll stick around. Sign up for my newsletter, follow on Instagram, or just take what you need and rest when you can. You don’t have to do this alone anymore.

Here’s to being resilient... not because we want to be, but because we’ve had to be. And now, because we choose to be.

With care,

Stephanie Sutherland, BSN, RN

Founder, Resilient RN