Sarah Bergakker is a nurse anesthetist, educator, speaker, and the founder of MOOXLI, a continuing education organization offering community and a supported path forward for health care professionals. She practices with Just Breathe Anesthesia Staffing and is a repeat invited guest lecturer at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Rooted in mindfulness, self-compassion, and boundaried agency, her work helps clinicians move their mindset, oxygenate their soul, and live differently without abandoning themselves in the process. Through immersive learning experiences, the MOOXLI Membership, the MOOXLI App, and her writing, she equips health care professionals with practical, evidence-based tools to build sustainable, values-aligned careers.
Her writing on clinical education, simulation training, and clinician well-being has appeared in the AANA Journal, Home Health Care Management and Practice, and The Pulse Magazine. She also writes on the MOOXLI blog and MOOXLI Substack, and shares updates on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Most of us know the experience of something unexpected happening and reacting before we pause long enough to engage our frontal lobe. We hear ourselves say something we do not mean, feel anger surge before we understand why, or watch ourselves react in a way that feels misaligned with who we believe we are. We say, “I saw red,” “It felt like I was outside my body,” or “I do …
Unprocessed trauma is running your next patient encounter
A colleague recently recommended licensed clinical social worker Terri Cole’s book Too Much after seeing a quote I shared on social media about no longer accommodating people who refuse to take responsibility for their own emotional work. Her timing was remarkable.
As I read, I felt as though Cole had somehow studied the way I lived for much of my life. I recognized the constant monitoring of other people’s emotions, …
High-functioning codependency is quietly draining doctors
When I read CRNA Christine King’s recent article, “Why I left health care after almost 20 years,” I saw many parts of my own story overlap with hers. Her story of moral injury and the heartbreak of working within systems that prioritize profit over human well-being is common among health care professionals.
Her decision to walk away to protect her health and peace is entirely valid. I almost did the …
Moral injury in health care: You can choose to stay
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