Jon Dahl, BSN, RN, CCRN

Nurses carry the weight of everything their patients can’t hold alone—fear, pain, uncertainty, and the constant demand to stay sharp in environments where seconds matter. Jon understands the struggles of many burdens nurses struggle with, such as the unexpected or expected death of a patient, and how traumatizing that can be for nurses. He understands the support nurses require to do their best: showing up steady, prepared, and human, while also prioritizing their own mental health so they can continue caring without burning out.

Jon Dahl, BSN, RN, CCRN, represents that standard. His background spans high-acuity critical care settings, including Neuro, Trauma, Medical, and Surgical ICUs, as well as Stepdown/PCU, Medical-Surgical, and Rehabilitation Units. Through travel and float pool roles, he learned to adapt quickly, communicate clearly, and prioritize safety across various teams and workflows, while remaining grounded in evidence-based practice and respectful collaboration. Jon wants others to know that what matters most is not the list of his prior accomplishments —it’s what that experience is being used for: to help nurses strengthen their clinical confidence, decision-making, integrity, honesty, teamwork, and to create a culture where patient safety and nurse well-being are treated as inseparable.

Jon understands the struggle that other nurses deal with in the workplace and feels an immense sense of empathy towards those nurses who are struggling with their mental health. He wants other nurses to know it is not too late to get help, change your patterns & habits, and become the person you were meant to be. Jon has made mistakes in his professional career and is building his integrity and trust on a daily basis. Jon understands that change affects all of us in both positive and negative ways. However, what matters is progress, not perfection. He aims to help himself and others progress, free from the limitations that hold them back, break free from the trauma they may have experienced, and live a life full of happiness and success.

Now, as he advances his education in a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Herzing University, Jon is expanding that mission even further—helping nurses recognize burnout early, rebuild resilience, and regain the clarity and stability that protects both their patients and their lives outside the hospital. Because when nurses are supported, patients receive better care, teams function more safely, and the profession becomes sustainable again.

Jon attributes his success to gratitude. Staying grateful for the opportunities, mentors, and challenging experiences he has encountered has shaped how he views the world and how he presents himself in it. Gratitude keeps him grounded. It keeps him hungry in the right way—motivated to bring his best while staying humble enough to keep learning. It helps him treat every win and every setback as a training opportunity, not as a verdict.

That mindset is what drives Jon’s mission.

Nurses carry a weight most people never see: long shifts, constant pressure, life-and-death decisions, and the emotional residue that follows them home. Too often, they’re expected to push through until burnout becomes the baseline and suffering becomes normal. Jon’s mission is to intervene before it reaches that point—to help nurses protect their mental health before it’s too late.

Jon believes that the quality of a nurse’s life and work is deeply tied to their state—encompassing energy, focus, emotional regulation, and meaning. When the inner world is steady, the outer results improve: clearer thinking, stronger communication, better decision-making, and more consistent, compassionate care. This isn’t motivational talk. It’s a practical, disciplined approach to getting nurses back in control of themselves, one standard and one habit at a time.

Jon is building a path back to clarity, confidence, and hope by targeting the real drivers of burnout: chronic stress, depletion, isolation, shame, and the belief that asking for help is weakness. He wants nurses to feel strong again—not just on their best days, but consistently. He wants them to walk into work grounded, present, and proud of who they are, even after what they’ve been through. When patients visit Jon, he wants them to feel safe first. Safe enough to breathe. Safe enough to stop pretending they’re fine. Safe enough to tell the truth without fear of being judged or dismissed. He wants them to feel seen and respected—not like a diagnosis, not like a problem to manage, but like a whole person with a story that matters. He wants them to feel heard in a way that’s rare in healthcare: listened to fully, taken seriously, and met with steady compassion.

He wants patients to leave with hope—not vague optimism, but real hope backed by a clear plan. Clear about what’s going on, clear about what the next steps are, and clear that improvement is possible. He wants them to feel in control again, with choices they understand and tools they can actually use. Most of all, he wants them to feel supported. Not alone between appointments. Not judged for struggling. Not trapped. He wants every patient to leave feeling safer, clearer, and more hopeful than when they arrived—like they can take the next step, and like they don’t have to take it alone.

Outside of work, Jon loves spending time with his family, including his beautiful wife and two children. He loves traveling with them to explore new places, which allows him to recharge and gain fresh perspectives that he brings back to his personal and professional life. He continually strives to progress spiritually, physically, and psychologically, aiming to become the best version of himself he can be for himself and others.

• Xavier University - Bachelor of Science - BS, Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
• Weber State University - Athletic Therapy
• Herzing University - Master's degree, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing

• Critical Care Registered Nurse (Adult) (CCRN-A)

• Daily Award Winner 2020
• Daily Award Winner 2021

• AACN
• National Student Nurses' Association
• psychology today