Beyond the Mic Conversation with Dr. Latoria Boyland, DNP
All One Nurse | May 2026 Edition
Did you know that Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed every May since 1949? Mental Health America founded the national observance to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and help connect people with support.
Each May, we are reminded that mental health is not separate from overall health. It is connected to how people think, feel, cope, heal, work, serve, and show up in the world.
For nurses, this conversation matters deeply.
We care for people in some of their most vulnerable moments. We meet patients who are anxious, grieving, overwhelmed, withdrawn, angry, afraid, or silently carrying pain. Therefore, we must learn to care for the whole person — not just the diagnosis, chart, medication list, or presenting symptom.
That is why this episode of the All One Nurse Podcast felt so important.
I sat down with Dr. Latoria “Tori” Boyland, DNP, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, advocate, speaker, founder of Tori Talks LLC, and owner of Zenith Behavioral Health & Wellness. Her message was clear, powerful, and needed:
Mental illness is illness. People deserve care, dignity, patience, and grace.
As Dr. Tori shared during our conversation, many people suffer in silence because they fear being judged. However, when we talk openly and compassionately about mental health, we help break down shame. We also help bridge the gap between the stethoscope and the soul.
At All One Nurse, that is the heart of the mission — returning to the human side of healthcare.
Why Mental Health Awareness Matters for Nurses
Mental health is not a small issue in the United States.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 59.3 million U.S. adults lived with a mental illness in 2022, which represents more than 1 in 5 adults. Serious mental illness affected millions more, creating a major need for timely, compassionate care.
In addition, access to care remains a serious challenge. Mental Health America’s 2024 report found that there were 340 individuals for every one mental health provider in the United States. The report also noted that more than 122 million people lived in a mental health workforce shortage area.
Suicide also remains a heartbreaking public health concern. The CDC reports that more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023, which means one person died by suicide about every 11 minutes.
These numbers are more than statistics.
They are patients.
They are families.
They are students.
They are nurses.
They are people sitting beside us, working with us, and sometimes silently suffering in front of us.
Because of that, awareness must become action.
Mental Illness Deserves Compassion, Not Shame
One of the strongest takeaways from Dr. Tori’s interview was the need to normalize conversations around mental illness.
She reminded us that mental illness should not be treated as shameful or separate from the rest of healthcare. Just as we treat diabetes, cancer, asthma, hypertension, or heart disease with seriousness and compassion, mental illness also deserves assessment, treatment, support, and follow-up.
However, stigma often keeps people quiet.
Some people hide their depression. Others hide their anxiety, trauma, substance use, grief, or emotional exhaustion. Many people fear being labeled, dismissed, judged, or misunderstood.
As Dr. Tori explained, mental illness may be connected to trauma, genetics, stress, substance use, environment, or a combination of factors. She also discussed co-occurring disorders, where a person may live with both a mental illness and a substance use disorder.
Her point was powerful:
We cannot assume we know someone’s full story based only on what we see on the outside.
Sometimes, the behavior we judge is connected to pain we have not taken time to understand.
What Should Nurses Remember About Mental Healthcare?
Dr. Tori’s advice to nurses was practical and clear:
Assess thoroughly.
Consult when needed.
Stay within your scope.
Treat every person with dignity.
Mental health touches every area of nursing. It shows up in med-surg, ICU, ER, OB, pediatrics, hospice, education, community health, long-term care, and beyond.
That is especially important for nursing students and new nurses to understand.
You do not have to know everything. However, you do need to know when to ask for help. Consulting another professional is not a weakness. It is safe practice.
In nursing, wisdom is not pretending to have every answer. Wisdom is knowing when to pause, assess, ask, and advocate.
Never Be a “Two-Minute Nurse”
One of the most memorable moments from our conversation was Dr. Tori’s encouragement to nurses:
Never be a two-minute, three-minute, four-minute, or five-minute nurse.
That does not mean nurses are not busy. Nurses are extremely busy. Many are balancing heavy assignments, documentation, family updates, medications, patient needs, and constant interruptions.
Still, presence matters.
A patient may not open up during the first few seconds of an interaction. They may need time to feel safe. They may need to know that the nurse standing in front of them sees them as a person and not just a task.
As I shared during the episode, when you cross the threshold into a patient’s room, make them believe you are fully present, whether you are there for three minutes or thirty.
Sometimes, the most important assessment is not only what you hear through the stethoscope.
Sometimes, it is what the patient finally feels safe enough to say.
Grace Is Part of Good Nursing Care
Dr. Tori closed the episode with a message every nurse, student, and healthcare professional can carry into practice:
Give people grace.
Many people walk around wearing invisible masks. They hide their emotions, trauma, fear, depression, addiction, or anxiety because they are afraid of how others will respond.
As nurses, we do not always know what a person has survived. We do not know what happened before they arrived at the bedside, clinic, recovery center, classroom, or emergency room.
So, before judgment, choose curiosity.
Before frustration, choose assessment.
Before labeling, choose humanity.
Before dismissing, choose grace.
Grace does not mean ignoring unsafe behavior. It does not mean avoiding boundaries. Instead, grace means remembering that every person has a story, and every story deserves dignity.
A Word for Nurses This Mental Health Awareness Month
Nurses are trained to care for others, but we must also care for ourselves.
Dr. Tori shared that self-awareness and self-care are essential because nurses cannot pour from an empty cup. For her, decompression may look like quiet time, a movie, rest, a short getaway, or even turning the radio off after work and riding home in silence.
For you, it may look different.
It may look like prayer.
It may look like therapy.
It may look like journaling.
It may look like setting boundaries.
It may look like asking for help.
It may look like finally admitting, “I am not okay.”
Whatever it looks like, your mental health matters too.
Nurse, you are not a machine.
You are not just a role.
You are not only what you give to others.
You are human.
You are worthy of care.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to need support too.
What Can We Do Now?
This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s do more than post about mental health. Let’s practice awareness in real life.
Check on the strong friend.
Listen to the patient who feels difficult.
Encourage the nursing student who feels overwhelmed.
Consult when you are unsure.
Speak with compassion.
Give grace.
And if you are struggling, please reach out for support.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress, thoughts of suicide, a mental health crisis, or substance use concerns, call or text 988 or chat through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline provides free, confidential support for mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, and crisis situations.
Mental health is health.
And as nurses, we have the opportunity to be part of the healing, not only through our skills, but also through our presence, patience, empathy, and grace.
Meet Our Guest: Dr. Latoria Boyland, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner | Advocate | Speaker | Founder of Tori Talks LLC | Owner of Zenith Behavioral Health & Wellness
Dr. Tori brings wisdom, compassion, and clinical expertise to the mental health space. Through her work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, advocate, and speaker, she encourages people to seek support, release shame, and understand that mental health care is an essential part of whole-person wellness.
📌 Connect with Tori
🟦Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoria.boyland.9
💡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latoriaboyland/
RListen & Take the Next Step
🎧 Episode: All One Nurse – “Empathy and Grace in Mental Healthcare with Dr. Latoria Boyland.”
🟣Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empathy-and-grace-in-mental-health-care-with-dr/id1755700754?i=1000673155372
🟢Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZeiLLTSLyc4jju5TUusWp?si=ENWQEmbER5W8hAXOV1OT4Q
🌐 Explore → Resources, mentorship, and tools: All One Nurse Linktree –https://linktr.ee/allonenurse
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Resources Referenced
- Mental Health America — Mental Health Awareness Month Founded Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949 and provides annual resources for May awareness campaigns.
- SAMHSA — Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit Provides national resources and information to support mental health awareness every May.
- National Institute of Mental Health — Mental Illness Statistics Provides U.S. prevalence data on any mental illness and serious mental illness among adults.
- NAMI — Mental Health by the Numbers / Types of Conditions Provides national mental health statistics, including the “1 in 5 adults” and early onset data.
- Mental Health America — 2024 State of Mental Health in America Report Includes provider shortage data, including 340 individuals for every one mental health provider.
- CDC — Suicide Data and Statistics Provides national suicide data and trends in the United States.
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics — Changes in Suicide Rates in the United States From 2022 to 2023 Provides suicide rate updates by year, sex, and age group.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Provides 24/7 call, text, and chat support for people experiencing mental health crisis, emotional distress, substance use concerns, or thoughts of suicide.
These links offer evidence-based, patient-friendly education that complements Dr. Tori’s insights.
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“Bridging the gap between the stethoscope and the soul.”- Nurse Shenell
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