How can for 22 years in a row Nursing as a profession voted the most "trusted" profession but also the LEAST respected and LEAST valued? Nursing has been cited to be the least respected and most stressed, according to experts and national data. In this episode, Amie and Sara discuss this conundrum of a situation. We also discussed how other professions rank with the trust of the public. Thank you to our episode sponsor, healthcareproviders.ca ! Attention, hospital employees, retirees and HR in C...
Mar 07, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Trigger warning: the case discussed in this episode may be triggering for some In the true crime episode, the Gritty Nurses are back at it again with Bruce Sackman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division. They discuss the shocking case of serial killer Lucy Letby, a British former neonatal nurse who was convicted and murdered seven infants and attempted the murder of six others between June 2015 and June 201...
Feb 22, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In this episode, Amie and Sara discuss the Black Maternal Health Crisis in relation to the most concerning case/situation of Brittany Watts. We discuss the history of nurses who "police" their patients, obstetrical racism and the changes needed to prevent what happened to Brittany Watts from happening again. We stand in Solidarity with Brittany Watts against racial injustice. Thank you to our episode sponsor, healthcareproviders.ca ! Attention, hospital employees, retirees and HR in Ontario! Pic...
Feb 08, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 3
This week on Quick and Gritty Takes, Amie & Sara discuss: Ontario: Parents who waited 11 hours in Ontario ER with a child suffering allergic reaction focus their anger - "Not at the nurses, not at the doctors, not at SickKids, just at our government," Canada: Justin Trudeau adviser defends use of crude language in online exchange with right-wing group. International: Organs of dead Black incarcerated ppl in Alabama are being removed & used for med school anatomy courses w/o family consen...
Feb 02, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 2
"Cover your head or you'll get a cold"...." Close that window or you will catch a chill"...." Drink this tea...it will clear your sinuses".....Are you in the health field and you hear these remedies from your parents? How do you handle these conversations? Do you ignore your parents, or do you educate them? Or is there a bit of truth to what they say, their teachings or ways of knowing? Listen as Amie & Sara dive into this interesting topic! Pre-Order our Upcoming Book, The Wisdom Of Nurses!...
Jan 25, 2024•16 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to "Quick & Gritty Takes" our independent news network where we discuss hot topics in news provincially, nationally and internationally. We will take 4-5 news items and in under 20 minutes discuss our "gritty takes" on the subject matter. We hope that this can be a forum where you take these topics and continue the conversation. We also will add a patient safety tip at the end for all listeners because increasing health literacy and patient safety is always top of mind for us. Today'...
Jan 18, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Happy NEW YEAR 2024! What were the 3 most popular resolutions for 2024? Did you guess fitness, finances and weight loss? You guessed right! There has been A LOT of buzz around the medicine OZEMPIC. What is the "skinny" truth on Ozempic? We hear a lot about celebrities using it for weight loss, but what about the patients who need it? It's time to talk about our society's perceptions related to weight, fitness, well-being and what a health body size is--without being judgy a-holes (we think healt...
Jan 11, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 1
In this episode, Amie & Sara discuss their year-end and how much has changed over 2023. They also discuss the hottest topic this week in healthcare to close the year. Pre-Order our Upcoming Book, The Wisdom Of Nurses! https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443468718/the-wisdom-of-nurses/ https://www.grittynurse.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grittynursepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grittynurse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gritty.nurse.podcast/ Twitter: https://twitter....
Dec 14, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 25
Yes we have talked about nursing retention...and we have to keep talling about it... What will it take to actually retain nurses? Will CEO's and hospital executives listen and adhere to nurse-led interventions? The Gritty Nurses take a deeper dive into the results of Nursing retention toolkit: Improving the working lives of nurses in Canada, of which they were contributing members. Which parts resonated the most with them and why? Take a listen to find out. Resources: https://www.canada.ca/en/he...
Dec 07, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 24
Trigger warning: this episode discusses topics which may be triggering for some. In this episode, the Gritty Nurses discuss the recent case of a physician who has been suspended 3 times and convicted of sexual assault, but is allowed to continue to practice! Whatever happened to zero tolerance policies or the fact that he is a danger to the public as a REPEAT OFFENDER? They discuss this story and other cases, how the College of Physicians of Ontario handled it, what the law is on sexual assault,...
Nov 23, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Trigger warning: this episode discusses topics which may be triggering for some. Our episode starts with the story of Emily Callahan, an American nurse activity manager with Doctors Without Borders, who shared her experience working with Palestinians in Gaza before returning to the US. 07:49 - Source: CNN In this episode, the Gritty Nurses discuss the role of nursing and war. They discuss nurses' roles during war & conflict, nurses' experiences, international law during war and the fact that...
Nov 08, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 22
The Annual Gritty Nurse Halloween episode is here! Sara, Amie, and Nurse Matt sit down and talk about what makes hospitals so scary! We share our insights, nursing ghost stories and what spooky shows we are watching now! We also discuss how we might make hospitals less scary! So turn down the lights, charge your defibrillators, grab your favourite nurse deadite--you don't miss this episode! New Book Coming Soon "THE WISDOM OF NURSES"- Published By Harper Collins From the hosts of the hit podcast...
Oct 26, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 21
In this powerful episode, the Gritty Nurses chat with Minaa B, a licensed mental health professional and therapist specializing in treating depression, anxiety, and trauma. She is also the author of the book "Owning our own struggles- A Path to Healing and Finding Community in a Broken World" and sits on the Mental Health Advisory Committee for Wondermind, a mental fitness company co-founded by Selena Gomez. They chat about why there is still so much stigma around mental health, how we can break...
Oct 05, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Be warned--this episode is not for your kids, ok? We are MAD---annoyed in fact that we have to have this conversation---but here we are. In this episode, the Gritty Nurses discuss the current state of prviate vs. public healthcare in Canada. Is healthcare still universal, or are we sliding down a slippery slope? They discuss what privatized healthcare looks like, whether we should be concerned, and what they think should be occurring. References: https://www.ipolitics.ca/queens-park/health-canad...
Sep 21, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 19
In this episode, the Gritty Nurses sit down with another fellow nurse, podcaster and entrepreneur, Amanda Guarniere! Amanda is an Ivy-league educated Nurse Practitioner, Keynote Speaker and Career Mentor who helps nursing professionals find and land their dream job. She founded The Résumé Rx in 2018 and since then has grown the community to over 40,000 nursing students and professionals worldwide. They chat about how she pivoted from bedside nursing to becoming a business owner, whether she sees...
Sep 07, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Thank you to HMA Benefits for sponsoring this episode! Picture this: a benefit plan designed for casual and part-time hospital employees and retirees in Ontario who aren't covered by their hospital's group health plan. Introducing Healthcare Providers Group Insurance Plan – a friendly partner dedicated to your health and wellbeing! With affordable plan premiums and an exceptional support team, Healthcare Providers is dedicated to helping you every step of the way. Enrolling is easy, and you'll h...
Aug 25, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Thanks to the Healthcare Providers Group Insurance Plan for sponsoring this episode! ! Picture this: a benefit plan designed for casual and part-time hospital employees and retirees in Ontario who aren't covered by their hospital's group health plan. Introducing Healthcare Providers Group Insurance Plan – a friendly partner dedicated to your health and wellbeing! Enrolling is easy, and you'll have access to a wide range of health and basic dental benefits from day one. With affordable plan premi...
Aug 10, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 16
In this episode, the Gritty Nurses discuss a recent arbitration decision that will increase wages of nurses part of the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) by 11% over the next 2 years. They discuss their thoughts and opinions of this wage increase that was so badly needed and well-deserved by nurses! Although this win was historic for nurses in Ontario--not all nurses get this pay bump. Listen to hear the positives, and what is still needed after a step in the right direction. Bill 124: In 2019, t...
Jul 27, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 15
In this exciting episode, the Gritty Nurses interview the one and only Nurse Blake! If you haven't seen his hilarious, heartwarming and HONEST videos, you have been missing out! Blake Lynch (aka Nurse Blake) is a nurse, creator, internationally touring comedian, healthcare advocate, and keynote speaker. Earning viral video status via his light takes on his experience as a nurse, he now takes his comedy to stages around the world bringing nurses together through his humor and inspiration. Nurse B...
Jul 13, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 14
In this episode, Amie and Sara speak with Shelly-Ann Rampersad, the Managing Director of Florence in Canada, a global tech start-up on a mission to tackle the healthcare staffing gap. We discuss needed innovations in healthcare and tech, why this app was created and the pro's and cons of creating a healthcare app such as Florence. Bio: Shelly-Ann Rampersad is Managing Director of Florence in Canada, a global tech start-up on a mission to tackle the healthcare staffing gap. She is the former Vice...
Jun 29, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 13
In this episode, Sara and Amie chat with Nurse Hadley, and what it's like looking after patients at the end of life. They caht about what drew her into hospice nursing, what kinds of things patients think about and what their biggest regrets are. They talk about how her work has shaped her thoughts about her own end of life plans and her upcoming book called The In-Between! Hadley Vlahos, RN, is a hospice registered nurse, mother, and wife. Her husband also works in the medical field as a doctor...
Jun 15, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 12
In this episode, Sara and Amie dicuss a hot topic! The controversial use of agency nurses and Internationally Educated Nurses. Using both were supposed to solve the problem of short staffing, but has it helped? They discuss price gouging, short staffing, costs to healthcare organizations, and holding agencies accountable. Little public information about how much is being spent on agency staff, and most of it is anecdotal. Don't hate the player-hate the game! Links: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/n...
May 31, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 11
In this eye-opening episode, Sara and Amie interview nurse, politician and Minister of Seniors of Canada, Kamal Khera. They discuss the national standards for seniors, the top priorities for seniors, concerns related to oversight in long-term care, access to treatment and how nursing and others in healthcare be a part of the solution. The Honourable Kamal Khera was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Brampton West in 2015. Minister Khera is one of the youngest women ever elected to Par...
May 18, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In this episode, Sara and Amie interview guest Bruce Sackman, a former Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations about the Florida Nursing License Scandal. We also discuss Netfilx's The Good Nurse, a true story based Charles Edmund Cullen an American serial killer. Cullen, a nurse, murdered dozens – possibly hundreds – of patients during a 16-year career spanning several New Jersey medical centers, until being arrested ...
May 04, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Thanks to WeRPN for sponsoring this episode! We want to share an amazing opportunity for RPNs & PSWs in Ontario! Designed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, WeRPNs Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing program (aka BEGIN) is a tuition reimbursement program for eligible students enrolled in bridging programs. To learn more, go to https://begin.werpn.com/ or email info@begin.werpn.com The Gritty Nurses decided to team up with another Canadian medical podcast duo, Doctor vs. Comedia...
Apr 20, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Thanks to WeRPN for sponsoring this episode! We want to share an amazing opportunity for RPNs & PSWs in Ontario! Designed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, WeRPNs Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing program (aka BEGIN) is a tuition reimbursement program for eligible students enrolled in bridging programs. To learn more, go to https://begin.werpn.com/ or email info@begin.werpn.com Trigger warning (intimate partner violence and sexual assault): the stories discussed in this epis...
Apr 06, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Thanks to WeRPN for sponsoring this episode! We want to share an amazing opportunity for RPNs & PSWs in Ontario! Designed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, WeRPNs Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing program (aka BEGIN) is a tuition reimbursement program for eligible students enrolled in bridging programs. To learn more, go to https://begin.werpn.com/ or email info@begin.werpn.com In this episode, Amie & Sara discuss the case of nurse DonQuenick Joppy with nurse Amanda Goli...
Mar 23, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Nurses being abused on the job is unfortunately common, but what happens when it's the other way around? In this episode, Amie and Sara discuss the shocking case of baby Nikko, whose nurse was caught slamming him down face first into a bassinet, with video evidence to prove it. They discuss the event, was happened afterwards, and steps that should be taken to prevent a situation like this from happening again. They discuss the idea of Family Integrated Care, more transparency and screening in th...
Mar 09, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Could you be a badass nurse entrepreneur? So many of us want to be our own boss, but don't actually know how! In this episode, we have not just one but THREE nurse entrepreneurs sharing their hacks: nurse and healthcare writer Janine Kelbach, and of course Sara and Amie! Janine Kelbach, BSN RNC-OB, is a wife, mom of 2 boys (and a Great Dane), educator and author of the book, Entreprenurse: 30+ Nurses Turn Into Business Owners and Share Their Secrets to Success . She has been a Freelance Health C...
Feb 24, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode, nurses and healthcare advocates Amie Archibald-Varley & Sara Fung discuss the strike of over 7000+ nurses in New York and their victory. The crisis surrounding safe patient-nurse ratios, a larger nursing workforce and low morale is a universal and International nursing issue—should more nurses across the globe go on strike? If so- tell us where and when- we ride at dawn. "Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; But make it hot by striking"~ William Bultler Yeats. "The la...
Feb 09, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 3
