Dr. JoNeil

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

If you are a nurse, nurse leader, or nursing student.. There IS SOMETHING that can be done! The Biology of Bullying!

06/05/2026

There is a moment after workplace bullying when your brain starts asking the wrong question:

“What is wrong with me?”

But the better question is:

“What happened to me?”

Bullying does not just hurt your feelings. It can change how your body responds at work. You may freeze. You may shut down. You may replay the moment for days. You may dread walking back into the building.

That is not weakness.

That is your nervous system trying to protect you.

And once you understand that, you can stop blaming yourself and start choosing what to do next.

This is where recovery begins!

05/27/2026

Tell me what you would like to learn about the Biology of Bullying!

05/24/2026

It starts in some nursing schools.

That is one of the chapters in *The Biology of Bullying* — and today I was reminded exactly why I wrote it.

A student nurse missed a syllabus agreement deadline.

Not the work.

Not the reading.

Not the quiz.

She had already done those.

She missed the agreement form — and was dropped from the class she needs to move forward in her nursing program.

Now she is panicking because one missed checkbox may delay her nursing education by a full year.

Let me be clear.

Nursing school should be hard.

It should require discipline, accountability, time management, professionalism, and follow-through.

But hard is not the same as harmful.

When a student is actively participating, doing the work, and trying to succeed, the response should not automatically be the harshest possible consequence.

That is where the injury begins.

Before nurses ever reach the bedside, many are taught that one mistake means humiliation, exclusion, punishment, and silence.

Then we wonder why nurses enter the profession already scared, guarded, and in survival mode.

This is not about lowering standards.

This is about using judgment.

Because nursing does not need weaker standards.

Nursing needs fewer systems that break people before they even get started.

It starts in nursing school.

And we need to talk about it.

05/14/2026

I am soooo proud to be a member of the Michigan Nurses Honor Guard.

Paying tribute to fellow nurses is a feeling that cannot be fully described. Part of the tribute is to hear about the nurse’s life and service.

The stories are humbling. They remind me that nursing is not just what we do. It is who we become.

Every nurse we honor leaves behind a legacy of care, courage, sacrifice, and love.

It is a privilege to stand in witness to that.

05/13/2026

It’s live.

The Biology of Bullying is officially on Amazon.

This book is for the nurse who was told to toughen up when what she needed was the truth.

Nothing is wrong with your character.

Something is happening in your biology.

Please reach out if you want support navigating the recovery from bullying.

xoxo