In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, we’re back with another Reel vs. Real — this time diving into pharmacy TikTok with special guest Kyle, an ICU pharmacist and pharmacy content creator.

We react to viral pharmacy and healthcare videos and unpack what social media gets right, what it oversimplifies, and what gets completely lost when complex clinical work is condensed into 60 seconds. From STAT colace calls and vancomycin debates to medication safety, burnout, and interprofessional dynamics, we talk honestly about the realities behind the reels.

This isn’t a call-out episode, it’s a conversation about nuance, teamwork, and how healthcare professionals can show up online without tearing each other down.

Whether you’re a pharmacist, nurse, APP, physician, student, or just curious about what really happens behind the scenes, this episode is for you.

The hospital doesn’t close for snow.

In this mini episode of Banter at the Bedside, we share real-time stories from working through a blizzard — including one nurse’s very first experience navigating extreme weather with absolutely zero preparation.

From bald tires and no gloves, to hotel mishaps, frozen hands, and still somehow making it through the hospital doors — this episode is a reminder of what healthcare workers are asked to do when the rest of the world shuts down.

We talk about:

• What no one teaches you about working through bad weather
• The real stories behind “just getting to work”
• How teams show up for each other when conditions are unsafe
• Why it’s okay if the first time feels overwhelming

This isn’t a how-to guide — it’s a real, honest conversation about resilience, learning the hard way, and why these stories deserve to be told.

If you’ve ever worked through snow, hurricanes, or impossible conditions — this one’s for you.

In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, we’re talking about codes — the first ones, the chaotic ones, the ones that still stick with you years later.

From ICU to ER to floors and even elevators, we share real stories about what it’s actually like to run a code in different parts of the hospital. We talk about freezing during your first code, team dynamics in the room, why location matters more than people realize, and what happens after the room clears.

An ER physician joins the conversation to break down how emergency department codes differ from ICU codes — what works, what doesn’t, and why some environments feel more controlled than others. We also get honest about coping, debriefing, dark humor, emotional walls, and why not every code leaves you the same.

If you work in healthcare and have ever thought:

• “I didn’t know what I was doing during my first code”
• “That code stayed with me longer than I expected”
• “Why does this feel so different depending on where it happens?”

This episode is for you.

In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, the team dives into one of the most frustrating - and ethically complex - realities in healthcare: when patients or families refuse care.

From refusing central lines but demanding dialysis, to being full code while declining life-saving interventions, we unpack the moments that leave nurses, APPs, and physicians stuck in impossible situations. Joined by an ICU physician and experienced bedside nurse, we talk autonomy, capacity, cherry-picking care, and how “one foot in, one foot out” medicine impacts outcomes — and providers.

We also explore how COVID, social media, Google, and even AI have changed patient trust, why communication and presentation matter more than we think, and how healthcare workers balance respecting patient choice while still trying to do what’s medically sound.

This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about patient rights, ethical gray zones, burnout, and what happens when refusing care puts everyone in limbo.

Opinions are our own. This episode is for discussion, not medical advice.

In this Consult & Calling episode of Banter at the Bedside, we sit down with longtime cardiac ICU nurse and co-host Kaleigh for a raw, honest conversation about what it really means to be “the strong one” at work and at home.

With over 17 years in nursing and 15 in the CICU, Kaleigh reflects on how healthcare has shaped her identity, her boundaries, and her perspective on life. The conversation dives into the emotional and physical toll of bedside nursing, the invisible weight carried by working parents in healthcare, and the guilt that comes with leaving home to go and take care of others. 

Together, they talk about burnout, compartmentalization, empathy fatigue, motherhood in the hospital setting, and much more. This episode is a reminder that while healthcare workers are often seen as resilient and unshakable, they’re also human. Often navigating seasons of life, exhaustion, and growth just like everyone else.

Whether you’re a nurse, APP, physician, parent, or simply someone trying to balance caring for others while caring for yourself, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, we talk about one of the most misunderstood parts of working in healthcare: how grief and dark humor often exist side by side.

Healthcare providers meet people on the worst days of their lives — moments filled with loss, anger, shock, and heartbreak. In those spaces, laughter sometimes shows up too. Not because the pain isn’t real, but because humor can be a way to survive it.

ICU teams and a palliative care physician share honest stories about death, end-of-life care, delivering devastating news, and the emotional weight of being the person in the room when everything changes. We explore why dark humor isn’t a lack of compassion, how grief comes out in unexpected ways, and why no one should have to carry these moments alone.

This episode isn’t about being funny.
It’s about being human — and the connections that carry us through the hardest parts of medicine.

Content note: This episode discusses death, grief, and end-of-life experiences. This episode may be triggering for individuals. If it is, thats okay we will catch you next week. 

Are hospital superstitions real — or are they just how healthcare workers survive the chaos?

In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, the team dives into hospital superstitions we all believe are real: the full moon shift, cursed rooms, black clouds, banned words like “quiet,” and why certain shoes, scrubs, or shirts get permanently retired after a bad night. What starts as humor turns into a deeper conversation about coping, trauma, intuition, and the unexplainable moments we witness at the bedside.

From ICU night shifts to end-of-life care, the hosts explore whether these beliefs are confirmation bias, shared culture, or a way to make sense of loss when we’ve done everything right — and still lose. As always, this episode is for conversation and connection, not medical advice.

How much does working in healthcare change you over time?
In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, hosts are joined with seasoned ICU staff to reflect on the “then vs now”. Speaking on the moments that shape healthcare professionals—from early career expectations to the reality of growth, leadership, burnout, confidence, and finding your voice.

This conversation explores how perspectives shift with experience, how identity evolves inside medicine, and what it means to look back on who you were while honoring who you’ve become. Whether you’re early in your healthcare career or years into practice, this episode offers honest reflection, validation, and encouragement for every stage of the journey. Whether you’re a nurse, APP, physician, or student, this episode offers reassurance that growth isn’t linear—and that change is part of the process. It also shows that no matter how many things change... somethings will always stay the same

In this festive (and slightly chaotic) episode of Banter at the Bedside, Abby, Hass, Kaitlyn, and Kaleigh dive into what the holidays really look like for healthcare workers. From Christmas shifts in the CICU to wild Med-Onc float stories, smuggled Budweisers, unit potlucks, Mariah Carey debates, and the Great Hawaiian Slider Shortage of 2023—this one has everything.

If you’ve ever worked a holiday shift, cried in a supply closet, catered Thanksgiving for your unit, or scratched off a lottery ticket with a patient (lol), this episode is for you. Or if you've ever wondered how your nurse or doctor is doing while working- you can finally answer that question. Grab a cookie from the potluck table and join us as we talk holiday chaos, healthcare culture, and why this season hits different when you’re wearing scrubs.

How a passion for physiology shaped a career in the most unforgiving corners of medicine—that’s where this episode of Banter at the Bedside begins. Host Abby puts co-host Hass in the hot seat for a deep, honest conversation about his path into medicine. Hass shares how his love for physiology influenced his journey through training, the challenges he faced, and the mentors who helped him find community and belonging.
Together, Abby and Hass explore identity in medicine, teamwork in healthcare, and the unspoken pressures clinicians navigate. They discuss the impact of COVID-19 on pulmonary and critical care medicine, the cultural experiences that shaped Hass’s perspective, and the wellness strategies that keep clinicians grounded.
This episode offers valuable insights for anyone in—or considering—a career in medicine, from finding mentorship to building resilience in high-stakes environments. And of course… Abby closes things out by asking the questions Hass dreads the most.