Send us a text 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 the importance of mentorship. She also encouraged the idea of embracing fai...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 81
Send us a text 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 who witnessed her interactions with postpartum mothers and recognized her...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 80
Send us a text 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 in a crowd of candidates, how to improve their emotional intelligence, and...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Send us a text 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 criteria for becoming a PICC candidate, the technologies used, the teamwork r...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Send us a text 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 business and you’ll love hearing the reason behind the name. I never considere...
Feb 21, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 77
Send us a text 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 professionals. I loved hearing how she organizes her day (she may have a touch of OCD), ...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Send us a text 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 until retirement. So she switched gears and started a real estate investment c...
Feb 07, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Send us a text 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 use. These patients often undergo hormone treatments and surgical procedures,...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Send us a text **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 you like wild rides, you will love listening to my guest this week, a Registered Nurse, First Assist, and my ...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Send us a text 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 Clinical Leadership article: Crisis Looms as 800,000 Nurses Plan to Exit the Workforce by 2027 Top 10 Fina...
Jan 17, 2024•23 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Send us a text 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 once again, I was blown away by these two dynamic nurse leaders. They elevate the p...
Jan 10, 2024•57 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Send us a text 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 setting and became inspired to follow in her footsteps. It's no mystery how she...
Dec 20, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Send us a text If you've been listening to the podcast for a while you’ve heard me say that we would be discussing bullying and, I’m happy to report that after over 65 episodes, I'm finally doing that. And I'm not only talking about it, I'm talking to the expert about it. My guest, Dr. Phyllis Quinlan, a Ph.D.-prepared nurse, literally wrote the book on Bullying and Chronic Incivility in Nursing. With a combined 45 years as a nurse, educator, LNC, and executive coach, and having experienced bull...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Send us a text **CAUTION** In this episode we discuss mental health, including suicide. If you are experiencing mental health challenges and have thought of harming yourself, there is help for you. Call or text 988, the Suicide/Crisis Hotline. Help is available 24/7/365. Please reach out. What do psych nursing, powerlifting, and The Walking Dead have in common? My guest for this week, Tara "Taz" Kittrell. Her long career serving the mental health needs of women and children has progressed from a...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Send us a text Ever since I started this podcast, I have been looking forward to talking with a nurse who is also a JD. Recently, I got the opportunity to have an insightful conversation with Kwamane Liddell. Kwamane is a healthcare visionary. You only need to glance at his LinkedIn profile to see the many accolades he has received from various sectors, including healthcare, business, innovation, and technology. Here are just a few examples: - He was the first African-American male to graduate f...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Send us a text Paras Barnett was leading a robust life as a nurse. She worked at a prestigious institution, provided expert nursing care to her patients, was a strong organizational leader, and a loving wife and friend. However, despite all this, she felt like something was missing and was on the verge of burnout. So she became a Caritas coach, and in the process, learned how to prioritize self-care in order to be able to fill the cup of others. This single act catapulted her into humanitarian w...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Send us a text Meet Danielle Sarik, a dedicated pediatric nurse scientist who is committed to improving the lives of our most vulnerable population. I always enjoy hearing about how nurses first entered the profession, and I was surprised to learn that Danielle was inspired to become a nurse after working on global health policy with a nurse leader. As the Director of Nursing Research for Nicholas Children's Hospital in Florida, she helps nurses engage in research and become change agents themse...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Send us a text As we approach Veterans Day this week, I want to introduce Captain Jennifer Savage-Cawley, a long-time friend and colleague who served as a nurse in the United States Air Force. Since starting this podcast, I've been eager to talk with a military nurse and Jennifer made that possible. I was immediately curious to know why Jennifer joined the Air Force. Her response was hilarious and did not disappoint. Jennifer shared that military nursing can be challenging. It involves long hour...
Nov 08, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 64
Send us a text In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing D.D. Finder, aka, Delta Delta Finder. D.D. has had a remarkable 20-year healthcare career which has taken him from the Peace Corps to an EMT, from flight nursing to the ICU, and landing in Interventional Radiology. Now, there is a new chapter in his life: author. And what does he write about? Something he is intimately familiar with. His debut novel, Ready Left, Ready Right gives us a cockpit view of the intense pressures ...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Send us a text * * WARNING** During this episode, we discuss infant loss, suicide, and grief **PROCEED WITH CAUTION** On a recent Sunday morning in October, I sat down with my long-time friend and colleague, Angela Gonzales. The month of October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and we brought awareness to this all too common and often minimized topic by remembering Angela’s son, Daniel. Daniel was born to Angela and her husband David on June 9th, 2010 at 32 weeks gestation and lived ...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Send us a text I recently looked up the word 'mogul' in the dictionary and found this definition: an important or powerful person. This perfectly describes Savannah Arroyo, who is a nurse by profession and an accomplished real estate investor as well. After years as a nurse administrator, Savannah was seeking a better balance between work and life, aka less work and more life. And that's when she ventured into real estate investing. In just three years since her journey began, she has acquired o...
Oct 18, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 61
Send us a text I had so much fun talking with Giovanna Navarro, her passion and energy were palpable! She’s a dynamic and accomplished nurse with a remarkable range of abilities. With over twenty years of nursing experience, she is also a devoted wife and mother, as well as a savvy businesswoman. As a HeartMath practitioner, she is highly regarded for her exceptional emotional intelligence. She travels around the world conducting biomedical research as the lead researcher on a team of scientists...
Oct 11, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Send us a text When you hear the words "health policy", what comes to mind? A dry, barren desert? Not for John Silver, a nurse who has dedicated decades of his life to studying it and believes it’s anything but dry and lacking in substance. He was so passionate about understanding it that he left nursing to pursue a Ph.D. in comparative studies. He serves as President of the organization, Nurses Transforming Healthcare, whose mission is to transform healthcare into a model based on wellness and ...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Send us a text Sarah Waldron is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and a Certified Nurse Midwife who started out in High School volunteering in L&D, was pulled into a room to watch a birth and was hooked! After becoming a nurse, her path to midwifery was not linear. Along the way, she worked in Med-Surg and pediatric emergency care but her experience in these different areas of nursing has been invaluable in her work as a midwife. After many successful home births, Sarah opened her own prac...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Send us a text With so many unknowns in the world, it was nice to talk with someone who knows himself so well. Licensed vocational nurse, Andres Perez knows his motivation to be a nurse, knows his scope of practice, knows he loves emergency nursing, and knows he wants to continue his education to be a registered nurse. He also knows what brings down his stress level: music. Between the voice and the violin, he's got self-care literally at his fingertips. After speaking with Andres, I know he'll ...
Sep 20, 2023•49 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Send us a text How do you move from emergency nursing to technology? Patrick Pickarts did it with enthusiasm, his get-out-of-jail-free card, and a smidge of reckless abandon because that's how he rolls. He admits that learning how to tweak an electronic health record is not as easy as caring for a patient with a tweaked back. Patrick's current project involves utilizing technology to assist hospitals in freeing up busy nurses from the tedious task of calling staff for open shifts. Can I get an a...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Send us a text Meet Lakeisha Falwell, an oncology nurse practitioner who is truly inspiring. Her passion and commitment to her craft shine through in her words as she shares insights about her work. She talks about the patients she serves, the collaborations she engages in, and the setting she works in. Lakeisha also emphasizes the importance of active listening skills to improve communication with her patients. What sets her apart is her unwavering compassion towards those she cares for. She is...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 55
Send us a text I was fascinated by Janelle Barowski's profile on LinkedIn and knew I had to connect with her. She's a nurse and a talented freelance medical writer, having worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. Janelle found her calling in medical writing after realizing that bedside nursing no longer fulfilled her, and has since achieved the work-life balance that many strive for. She explained that nurses are highly sought after in medical writing due to their expertise and com...
Aug 02, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 54
Send us a text Today’s episode is all about THE premier digital newsletter made by nurses, for nurses and it’s called the Nursing Beat. At its helm are CEO Tamara AL-Yassin and COO, Hannah Berns. This power duo mustered up their courage, left the emergency room for the board room, and haven’t looked back. It takes a village to create a newsletter this good so Tamara and Hannah have surrounded themselves with brilliant content contributors, advisors, and out-of-the-box thinkers. Nurses are busy! ...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Send us a text Welcome to The Conversing Nurse podcast's anniversary episode! Today marks a year since we started this journey, and it has been an incredible one, full of challenges and accomplishments. This year in podcasting has been full of firsts: creating a website, managing social media, recording, publishing, and just all the techy things in general. After retiring from 36 years in nursing, it’s been important to me to stay connected to the nursing community and after this year, I feel mo...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 52
