The Conversing Nurse podcast
Are you a nurse curious about the experiences of other nurses? As a Peds/NICU nurse for 36 years, I have only known this specialty, but I am intrigued by the roles of nurse researchers, nurse educators, and nurse entrepreneurs. Through conversations with nurses from various specialties, my aim is to offer you valuable insights into their lives. Additionally, we will delve into important topics such as bullying and burnout that affect the nursing profession.
Episodes
Do you ever come across someone on Instagram who is meant to teach you something? For me, that person is Ashley Wynn-Grimes, also known as The Cannabis Nurse.
Ashley is the owner of Cannabis Nursing Solutions, LLC where she teaches nurses the ins and outs of the cannabis industry. Cannabis nursing is a nursing specialty recently recognized by the American Nurses Association.
Through Ashley, I learned ...
Susan Farese is a nurse who has done it all. Well, let me rephrase that. Susan is a nurse who has done a lot. Maybe not all, but her career includes clinical nursing, education, staff development, research, legal nurse consulting, management and coaching. She's also a veteran, having served in the Navy and as a former Major in the Army.
How has she been able to manage these stressful, demanding...
Susan Davis is a class act. She's also a doctorally-prepared nurse and CEO of Code PRep, an in-hospital cardiac arrest mock code training program that helps teams prepare, execute, and evaluate codes more effectively. Now, I opened with Susan is a class act, and let me explain. Susan and I recorded an entire 1-hour podcast episode, or at least I thought we recorded. There was just one small problem, I ne...
When I heard Gaby Morales speak about adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, on the Nine One One Nonsense podcast, I knew I had to bring their message to you.
Gaby explained that ACEs are adverse childhood experiences such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as other forms of household dysfunction like mental illness or substance use problems, and living with a violent or incarcerated pare...
I was completely captivated by my guest this week, Dr. Sarah Ratekin. Sarah is the Owner and Chief Happiness Officer of Happiness is Courage, LLC. I’m all about the happy and if there’s one thing the nurses need right now, it’s more happiness.
With a background in organizational ethics and a doctorate in business administration she helps her clients, which include healthcare institutions, improve the emp...
In 375 BC, the ancient philosopher Plato wrote, "Our need will be the real creator." But over time, the phrase has been condensed to its current form, "Necessity is the mother of invention."
Alex Whitefield, aka "The Break Nurse", is an innovator and nurse leader who identified a need: hospitals were using outdated break systems which were making it difficult for nurses to ...
Brian Cerezo is a nurse who likes to have fun, but he's also passionate about the nursing profession and proud about being able to financially support his family. And he doesn't solely rely on his W-2 job. He's made some risky moves by investing in real estate, stocks, and the dreaded crypto. We agreed investing can sometimes be uncertain, but as his portfolio grows, so does his comfort in know...
Tiffany Gibson is a radical nurse leader who has been featured in Oprah Daily and Ebony magazines and proudly shares her two cents on social media and through her podcast. So when she manifested her goal on LinkedIn to book twelve speaking engagements this year, I jumped at the opportunity to invite her to be my guest because her wisdom for nurses cannot go unheard.
Tiffany is an emotional intelligence c...
According to Forbes magazine, the relationship between managers and their employees has a significant impact on their mental health, similar to the effect of a partner. My guest this week, NICU Nurse Manager, Felicia Torres Vaughn, understands this and works hard to build strong relationships with her staff. During our conversation, Felicia clarified some common misconceptions about managers and emphasized th...
It was great reconnecting this week with my old friend and colleague, Rochelle Caldwell. Now let me rephrase that: we are not old, our friendship has just happened to span 43 years. Rochelle is a labor and delivery nurse and an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and since that’s a mouthful, let’s just say an IBCLC. She was inspired to pursue this career path by another nurse, also an IBCLC...
This week, I had an informative conversation with the Founder and CEO of the CRNA School Prep Academy, Jenny Finnell. Like a great nurse entrepreneur, Jenny identified a need: CRNA candidates were struggling to get into these highly competitive schools. So she created the Academy, a place where potential students can find resources on how to land the all-important interview, how to make themselves stand out i...
Kristin Hansen is an enthusiastic, energetic, and highly skilled PICC nurse. However, she admits that it wasn't always easy for her to transition from starting IVs on premature babies in the NICU to placing PICC lines on adults. But with practice and persistence, she learned everything about this interesting nursing specialty and we are so lucky she is sharing her knowledge with us. Kristin explained the...
This week I had an informative and fun conversation about money with my guest, nurse, and finance coach, April Waddell. Yes, you heard me right, I said fun. Talking about money can create anxiety in some and I’m no different but April’s positive and hopeful spirit helped me keep calm and carry on.
After retiring from her work as a Pediatric ICU nurse, April founded Nurse Money Date, a financial coaching busine...
Myra Gamble is so chill and laid-back, it’s hard to believe she’s a Trauma ICU nurse. She’s also done emergency room nursing, hospice, home health, cath lab, interventional radiology, and telemetry. And I imagine that such a wide range of experience has only made her a better ICU nurse.
As I listened to her recount stories from the COVID ICU, I remembered the toll it took on so many healthcare profession...
My guest this week, Lynn John, is a smart, tenacious woman. Deciding in high school to become a nurse, Lynn was told that would never happen. Armed with a prove-them-wrong attitude, she forged on and obtained her Master's in nursing. But after several years of working under institutional abuse in the form of unsafe staffing and mandatory overtime, she realized she did not want to be boxed into a W-2 job ...
Cassidie Thomas is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. This week, I had a conversation with her about fertility nursing, which is a fascinating field that I knew little about until now.
I learned that fertility nurses take care of a diverse group of patients, including couples who struggle with infertility, egg donors, individuals, surrogates, and cancer patients who want to preserve their eggs for future...
**This episode discusses suicide, depression, and addiction, which may be triggering topics for some. Reach out to a mental health professional if you are experiencing depression, addiction, or suicidal ideation**
Mental Health Resouces for Healthcare Workers and First Responders:
National Alliance on Mental Health
(Nurse-Led):
Debriefing the Front Lines
Don't Clock Out
If y...
Hey guys! Today I’m talking about retirement because it's been two years since I retired from nursing! And for anybody who's been with me for a while, you've heard me talk about the challenges of retirement, and there certainly have been some. There have also been many blessings and we'll talk about those too, so let’s get to it!
The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory
Becker's...
This week I had a great conversation about all things remote nursing. My guests are Maggie Lajaunie, Head of Clinical Services, and Blaire McElroy, Clinical Services manager for the remote care company, Veta Health.
I came into the conversation with ZERO knowledge about what remote nursing entailed and I left with a new appreciation of it.
Like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes that day because...
It was a thrill to reconnect with my colleague and friend, Kari Replogle. Kari has a gentle personality that perfectly suits her role as a NICU nurse. But don't let that delightful personality fool you. Kari is also a highly skilled practitioner and self-proclaimed lover of the adrenaline rush. In our conversation, Kari reflected on seeing her mom help people as a nurse, whether in a hospital or a camp s...
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