[MM] Welcome to this episode of the NLN podcast Nursing EDge Unscripted the Surface track. Unscripted conversation Surface joins two adventurous nurse educators, Dr. Rachel Onello and Dr. Michelle Moulton, myself, as we reach beyond the surface to uncover stories from the trenches of education that feature challenges and vulnerable moments that occur right at the edge of innovation.
Our conversations will unpack how to transcend these challenges and reveal ways to grow and thrive within the context of the NLN core values. This episode is entitled Beneath the Surface and we will focus on introducing your hosts and where we see this podcast going and why we think it's needed right now in nursing education. [RO] So, Michelle you know what I'm hearing you say is that this is probably going to end up somewhere between NPR Radio and Bravo TV, hopefully on the end
closer to NPR Radio. [MM] Hopefully, yes, exactly Rachel. Thank you so much. And we want to just thank you also for joining this conversation as we begin this new adventure. [RO] Exactly. So you know, Michelle, I think it would might be really helpful if we started by unpacking the title of this podcast track Surface because it could mean any number
of things. It could be something very tangible to the surface of a tabletop to the surface of water to something more abstract and conceptual like beneath the surface of water or what lies beneath the surface. And so I'm curious to hear what your vision and take on this podcast title is. [MM] Thank you, thank you Rachel. I think, when I think of the word surface, I really, my mind goes right to water surface. And I think of
an analogy to surface tension. How the molecules of water on the surface are very tightly organized, very structured. And especially when things are really calm and then when something comes right unexpectedly hurling toward the water, hurling toward the surface and breaks that surface tension...those molecules in that moment become very disorganized, very unstructured, very unpredictable. And then there's this moment of as things are coming the molecules are coming back
together and reorganizing. And I just love that analogy of sort of everything's okay and calm and structured and then at the face of something new and interesting or different things get a little disorganized, a little chaotic, and then things kind of settle back down into structure once again.
[RO] I appreciate you sharing that because I think that articulates the vision of this podcast track so well because it is one thing to be able to teach and be innovative and use brain science and thrive in nursing education when the waters are calm, but it is an entirely different thing to do it when the waters are choppy. Not only when the waters are choppy but there's gale force winds coming in there's a hole in your boat and you're just
trying to keep the semester moving forward. And have a wonderful experience for your students so I think that's a great, a great articulation and I think it kind of gives a great preview into some of the conversations that we're gonna have. So we joked around about this falling between NPR and Bravo TV, but I think that kind of captures the essence that we're gonna be real and raw and have vulnerable conversations with the educators in the trenches of what they're doing and how they are
thriving and helping to move academia forward. So I think that's great. I think it would be really helpful too for us to share with our listeners and those who are watching a little bit about what are some of the possible topics that might come up on this track over time. And so I think of things like first day jitters anything from handling difficult situations in academia. How about we unpack what some of those conversations might be like beneath the surface?
[MM] That sounds great Rachel. You know, when I look back at my 10 or so years of teaching and then even beyond that and in conjunction with that my nursing career...there were a lot of bumps in the road. You know, I would even at times call it burnout. I had moments of burnout and real vulnerability in those moments when you're learning and growing and and kind of transforming and transitioning into like the next chapter in
your career. And when I think about those moments, for better or for worse, it always comes back to that moment of struggle that I had. The people that I turned to, the mentors, the books that I read, the the knowledge that I acquired from people much wiser and much more experienced and how that network really helped to turn things around to kind of get over that struggle in those moments of growth and, and quite honestly, discomfort at times
and uncertainty. So I really think, I really hope we can center on working with listening to our guests to uncover themes around grit, resilience, vulnerability, flipping the script, really the affective side of nursing education. [RO] And I would add that too I would say yes and yes and what is some of the research out there telling us what are some of the best practices in education and how do you implement them when the water's calm and when the water's choppy.
What about brain science and how can we really help move the needle in the quality of nursing education that we provide for our students? So I see this hitting a wide range of audiences that's not specific to a specific nursing program or level of education. And so I think that this is going to resonate with a lot of folks. I'm excited for where our conversations are gonna go.
[MM] I am too, Rachel. [RO] So I think we should wrap up this first quick intro episode with the questions that we're gonna ask our guests when they come on to talk to us. What do you think? [MM] Sounds good. [RO] All right. Rapid fire questions. Michelle, you are up first.
if you were to write a memoir what would you title the book? [MM] I'd call it, "The Struggle Bus: Hop On or Drive." [RO] What's on the top of your reading list right now for fun? [MM] I'm just about a few pages from finishing, "The Secret Life of Bees," which is an old classic but I just picked it up. [RO] I like it. What's your favorite quote?
[MM] You know, I don't have one ever on the top of my head because I can't really memorize things very well, but I do, I do have a collection of fortune cookies fortunes on my refrigerator. So i pulled one off and I like this one: the reward of the thing well done is to have done it. [RO] That's a good one. That's worthy of going on the refrigerator. [MM] Yeah. [RO] I like it. If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive who would it be?
[MM] I really had to give some thought to this and my list was really long.
it would be anyone who is really willing to break all the rules. Anyone who is willing to put themselves out there, try something new, speak up, really again like we talked about, this theme of flipping the script...anyone that would be willing to do that so I couldn't pick just one person. I have maybe like 10 or 15. [RO] That's awesome and that's a dinner party I want to get invited to. So [MM] Yeah it's going to be a party. That's right, not a
dinner date, but a party of rule breakers. [RO] Awesome. [MM] All right, you ready, Rachel? [RO] I'm ready. [MM] All right, so if you were to write a memoir what would you title the book? [RO] How to Build a Plane While Flying It. [MM] I love that. That's like a manual of life. I love it. What is on the top of your reading list right now for fun? [RO] "How to Think Like a Monk" by Jay Shetty.
Actually, my book list is getting pretty thick and I will disclose a lot of it is coming from Michelle Moulton who texts me and says, Rachel, have you seen this new book out? And then I get on Amazon Prime and it, it's my list, my pile's getting high but on the top of that pile, "How to Think Like a Monk" by Jay Shetty. [MM] Awesome and you know we could probably invite all of those authors to our party. [RO] Yeah probably so. [MM] Yeah. So what is your favorite quote?
[RO] I have a lot of them. I actually have a book of quotes that I when I, when it resonates with me, I write it down and I think probably one of my all-time favorite over time has been, "Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about." [MM] I love that. You know what, that really lends to your curiosity I think, right? [RO] Thank you. Yeah I think so. [MM] If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive who would it be? [RO] So I gotta tell you, I struggled too, just
like you. There were a lot of people that I would want to have dinner with that would challenge my thinking, that would engage in scholarly debate. You know, I am always the first one to step up for a little bit of a spicy conversation and some scholarly debate. But if I had to land on one person right now I think I really want to sit around a table and have a conversation with Brene Brown. [MM] I would be right there with you. I hope you invite me. [RO] You'll be there, okay ?
[MM] Table for three! Yes, all right. Thank you, Rachel. That was great. [RO] So Michelle, you know I think that brings us to the end of our first little introduction episode to Surface where we're sort of dipping our toes in the water so to speak into the surface of the water um and you know, it's always a joy
working with you. I love the conversations we have and I'm really excited about the types of conversation and dialogue we're gonna have with our future guests in the upcoming episodes. [MM] Thank you, Rachel, and it is always an absolute pleasure to work with you as well. And I am looking forward to our next conversation on the next episode of the NLN Nursing EDge Unscripted Surface podcast. See you then! [RO] Bye!