A Circle of Care for Nurses | CODE YOU

Circle of Care

Nurses, we see you — wise, compassionate, and skilled, yet tired, overwhelmed, and considering leaving nursing practice.

Take a deep breath—you’re in the right place.

Let us reintroduce ourselves. We are Tamara Ramirez and Phyllis Morton, co-founders of CODE YOU, and we want to share with you why we created this space for nurses like you—nurses who are called to care, but who so often go without receiving care themselves.

We’ve both spent decades in healthcare as nurses, educators, mentors, and leaders. We've seen the beauty of this profession—but we’ve also lived its heartbreak. We've walked the long shifts, the ethical stress, the grief of loss, the quiet weight of always being strong for someone else. We’ve sat in the silence after code blues, held space for families in pain, and gone home wondering how to keep showing up the next day.

And when the pandemic hit, we watched all of that intensify.

We saw the devastation not just in patient outcomes, but in our colleagues’ spirits. We saw nurses burning out, breaking down, and walking away. We saw new nurses leave within their first two years—overwhelmed, unsupported, and unsure if they could ever return. We saw a system stretched so thin that even those who wanted to care, simply couldn’t anymore.

That heartbreak—that collective unraveling—was the moment CODE YOU was born.

We knew something had to change. Not just another checklist for resilience. Not a surface-level spa day or a shiny program that never gets to the soul of the matter. Nurses didn’t need more pressure to fix themselves. They needed something deeper. They needed to be seen. To be held. To belong.

We started CODE YOU to create what we never had: a circle of care for nurses.

We are both Southern Methodist University-trained spiritual directors, certified life coaches, and lifelong nurses. We’ve walked the road to brokenness—and the road back. We’ve experienced what it’s like to feel lost and what it takes to feel whole again.

We know what shatters nurses. And we know what restores us.

CODE YOU exists to offer that healing. We are here to resuscitate and strengthen the heart and soul of nursing through a wholistic, spiritually grounded, evidence-informed approach that supports nurses—not just in what we do, but in who we are.

The CODE YOU Approach

There are many well-intentioned efforts to address the nursing crisis, but most are missing the root: the need to care for the inner life of the nurse. We’re not about quick fixes or trendy solutions—we’re here for the long haul, offering:

🌀 A Circle of Trust: Our programs are built on Parker Palmer’s concept of a "circle of trust"

“A circle of trust has no agenda except to help people listen to their own souls and discern their own truths… Its singular purpose is to support the inner journey of each person in the group, to make each soul feel safe enough to show up and speak its truth, to help each person listen to his or her own inner teacher.” – Parker J. Palmer

We call it a circle of care—a space where you don’t have to perform, prove, or pretend. You just come as you are and are welcomed as you are.

🧠 Education + Reflection: We blend insight and information with spiritual practice and deep listening. We equip nurses with tools for wholistic wellbeing that go far beyond surface-level self-care.

🧬 Evidence-Based + Spiritually Grounded: Our work draws from Jean Watson’s Caring Science, research from Duke’s Center for Spirituality, Harvard’s Center for Wellness, and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. We integrate science, soul, and story to meet the real needs of real nurses.

💛 Body, Mind, Spirit Care: From retreats to virtual gatherings, every offering is designed to nourish the full human experience of being a nurse—not just the professional role.

💸 Accessible Support: Scholarships, beta pricing, and donation-funded programs allow us to say yes to more nurses—regardless of income or setting.

We offer:

• Half-day retreats rooted in reflection, rest, and education

• A Wholistic Nursing Leadership Course for emerging leaders

• Ongoing Coaching, Mentoring, and follow-up Support

• And one of our most accessible offerings, open to all:

Our free monthly virtual wellbeing or soul care gathering, designed to be a gentle, nourishing touchpoint for any nurse—wherever you are, however you’re feeling.

🗓 2nd Thursday of each month 

⏰ 7:30 PM Central (50 minutes) 

📍 Online via Zoom 

📚 1 CE available ($5 per session or $45/year through August)

✨ What to Expect:

• A warm, welcoming space—come as you are, when you can

• Wholistic practices to support your heart and soul

• Insightful Monthly Topics on nurse wellbeing

• Connection with others who understand the weight you carry

• The option to earn 1 ANCC-accredited CE hour

👉 [Register HERE to receive your Zoom link]

When you register, you're not just signing up for a session—you're stepping into a rhythm of care and a circle of belonging. This is not about fixing yourself. It’s about not walking alone.

Because the future of nursing depends not just on policies or staffing ratios—but on nurses being supported at the deepest levels.

We hope to see you in the circle.

With deep respect and care, 

Tamara Ramirez & Phyllis Morton 

Co-Founders, CODE YOU