CareHero Podcast

Dr. Katie Boston-Leary was born to be a healthcare professional, but she didn’t know it until a chance encounter led her into the nursing world. Other people saw in her what she didn’t see in herself, and she has made it her personal mission to pay this forward. On today’s show, Dr. Boston-Leary explains how she helps to empower other women of color to believe in themselves and go after leadership roles. We also discuss the Reach Initiative, which was founded by Dr. Boston-Leary, as well as the programs she is involved in within the American Nursing Association. Dr. Boston-Leary absolutely loves her job, and although the road to get there has been full of challenges, she is grateful for all of the experiences she has had along the way, some of which she shares with us today. We discuss how Dr. Boston-Leary keeps a balance in her life, stays centered, and makes sure she is continuously learning and growing within her field. Dr. Boston-Leary encourages all of us to stick to our values, set goals, and always maintain empathy and compassion. Join us to hear more from a very inspiring leader in the healthcare space!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Dr. Boston-Leary would choose the Wonder Woman truth lasso as her superpower. 
• Dr. Boston-Leary's unorthodox entry into the world of healthcare.
• The encouragement Dr. Boston-Leary received to pursue studies and a career in healthcare. 
• Although some of her leaders were tough on her, Dr. Boston-Leary is grateful for all of them.
• What the ANA Enterprise does and why Dr. Boston-Leary loves working for the various programs within it. 
• Dr. Boston-Leary runs us through her typical daily routine and the things she does to center herself. 
• Setting goals and ticking them off is a practice Dr. Boston-Leary finds helpful to minimize stress and keep balanced.
• Methods Dr. Boston-Leary uses to continuously obtain knowledge about developments in her profession. 
• Dr. Boston-Leary shares why she feels like she failed in her first management role.
• The Reach Initiative and Dr. Boston-Leary’s drive for founding it. 
• An experience that Dr. Boston-Leary had with a former employee which made a huge impact on her.
• Quotes Dr. Boston-Leary learned from her previous boss, which inform the way she leads. 
• How Dr. Boston-Leary has helped to empower women of color in the nursing profession. 
• The challenges Dr. Boston-Leary has experienced as a woman of color in her profession.
• Dr. Boston-Leary hopes that leadership in the nursing profession will be a lot more diverse and better resourced in the future. 
• The importance of self-care, balance and finding joy. 
• Don’t define yourself “by what you do, but by who loves you and who you love.”

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

American Nurses Association Enterprise

Case Western University

University of Maryland School of Nursing

The Reach Initiative

LinkedIn

Nurses are a critical part of healthcare and make up the largest part of healthcare practitioners, but the nursing profession continues to face shortages due to a lack of educators, high turnover rates, and inequitable workforce distribution. Today’s guest is Dave Soltau, who believes that we need to incentivize people to help grow and nurture nurses in a positive way. Dave is a Registered Nurse and the Founder and CEO of Advanced Clinical Associates and ACA Wellness Institute, based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. He is also known as DaveTheNurse, a nurse entrepreneur that inspires, educates, and guides nurses and new entrepreneurs. As an experienced clinical nurse, military-trained Captain in the Army Nurse Corps, and a serial entrepreneur, Dave has an amazing story and fantastic advice to share. In this episode, he talks about the beauty of the entrepreneurial spark and the importance of hustling hard, finding ways to make things happen, and setting realistic goals and keep leveling up to avoid complacency. He emphasizes the significance of continually learning and striving to be better, staying positive, and surrounding yourself with good people, ultimately making the most out of life. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• If Dave could choose one superpower, he explains why he would want to see into the future.
• Hear a bit more about Dave’s background and why he chose to become a nurse.
• Fake it until you make it: how Dave advanced his clinical practice using business savvy.
• The entrepreneurial spark that helped Dave to kickstart his business was ignited as early as elementary school.
• What Dave’s future vision for home care is and how he hopes to accomplish it.
• A day in the life of a home care nurse and their duties, from medication to wound vacs.
• The value of hustling hard and figuring out the strategies to win.
• What a day in Dave’s life looks like as a business owner, from troubleshooting to promotion.
• How Dave’s goal-oriented mentality has driven his life and his career, taking the right people with him along the way.
• Being an ER charge nurse gave Dave the opportunity to gain sound clinical experience.
• Advice Dave would give his younger self: learn everything you can, surround yourself with great people, don’t get caught up in the nonsense.
• What Dave loves most about his current role, including making a difference in his community.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Advanced Clinical Associates

HAW Academy

University of Kentucky

Dave The Nurse

Dave Soltau on Twitter

Dave Soltau on LinkedIn

Dave Soltau Email

Dave Soltau on Instagram

Dave Soltau on YouTube

Gary Vaynerchuk

Today’s guest is Dr. Linda Hofler, a Clinical Assistant Professor at East Carolina University College of Nursing, and an experienced senior clinical leader and healthcare executive, hailing from Greenville, North Carolina. She is an accomplished healthcare professional with 40 years of clinical experience and more than three decades of healthcare leadership experience. Tuning in, you will hear all about her journey from a farm in Wisconsin to bedside nursing, to nurse management, and now, to education. Dr. Hofler emphasizes the value of hard work and finding your own path, the importance of embracing curiosity and being open to learning, and how anyone can step up their game in an emergency or crisis situation. She also talks about the power of jumping into the unknown and being willing to take risks. Dr. Holfer reminds us to never forgot our humanity and always practice kindness, respect, and compassion. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Dr. Hofler believes that kindness is a superpower.
• Learn a bit about Dr. Hofler’s background and how she found her way into nursing.
• Find out more about her role at East Carolina University College of Nursing.
• Hear her experience of healthcare being reinvented in front of her eyes during COVID-19.
• Dr. Hofler shares her hopes for the future of healthcare, particularly in nursing.
• What she likes most about her academic role; a new perspective on how to influence people to go into healthcare.
• Dr. Hofler emphasizes the need to focus on the people without the distraction of technology.
• The role that virtual learning has played in educating young leaders during the pandemic.
• What it means to be a Magnet hospital and why it’s important for an organization to obtain.
• Retaining nurses during a national shortage and the increased appreciation for nurses during the pandemic.
• How Dr. Hofler got to where she is today by being willing to volunteer for uncomfortable roles.
• Dr. Hofler talks about mindfulness and the importance of having a healthy routine.
• What she would do to improve healthcare in America: stop investing in sick-care.
• Dr. Hofler’s final words of advice: stay strong, don’t let distractions get you down.
• Key takeaways from the episode.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

LinkedIn

East Carolina University College of Nursing

East Carolina University

Vidant Health

American College of Healthcare Executives

Viterbo University

American Organization for Nursing Leadership

Dr. Jaines has been called a guardian angel by her patients, and after listening to this episode, you’ll understand why. As a start, Dr. Jaines runs us through her journey of working as a custodian in a hospital to pay her way through nursing school, to being a correctional nurse, HIV nurse, and as of May 2020, a nurse practitioner. Dr. Jaines’ job is very challenging and very rewarding, and the COVID-19 pandemic added the element of the unknown. All of this could be overwhelming but Dr. Jaines takes everything day-by-day and her positive mindset and strong support system keep her motivated. Throughout all of her experiences, Dr. Jaines has learnt so much (and is still continuously learning), and she shares some of her wisdom with us today. We discuss the importance of setting one’s ego aside and valuing other opinions, the need for development of time management skills in order to maintain a healthy work/life balance, and the reform that Dr Jaines wishes to see in the healthcare system. Dr. Jaines also stresses the fact that we should never judge a book by its cover and opens up about the humbling experience she had working with prisoners. Most importantly, Dr. Jaines says: be kind to yourself; every part of your journey is valuable and deserves to be celebrated. Dr. Jaines is inspired by her co-workers and we are inspired by her!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Dr. Jaines would choose invisibility as her superpower. 
• Dr. Jaines runs us through her journey of becoming a trauma/acute surgery nurse practitioner. 
• Being a custodian helped Dr. Jaines gain valuable knowledge and perspective for her current job. 
• The gap in practice that Dr. Jaines noticed in the outpatient setting and how this inspired her scholarly project.
• The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Dr. Jaines’ rapid response intervention from being implemented but the idea is strong. 
• When you are part of a team, it’s so important to keep your ego at bay and value other people’s opinions. 
• Dr. Jaines’ shares her favorite part of her job, and the part that is the most challenging. 
• The continuous learning can be overwhelming, but Dr. Jaines takes things day-by-day and asks lots of questions.
• Time management is a vital skill to learn in order to maintain a work/life balance.
• Hear about the support system that helps Dr. Jaines take her mind off work and avoid burn-out.
• The humbling, eye-opening experience of working as a correctional nurse. 
• Inspiration Dr. Jaines’ draws from the way her team dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Dr. Jaines’ dream of healthcare reform so that the system becomes more patient centered. 
• Advice from Dr. Jaines’ mom: every day you wake up is a new beginning. 
• No matter where you are in your life, be kind to yourself and celebrate yourself. 
• The unfairness of standardized testing and how it leads to the medical profession losing out on a lot of great people. 
• Encouragement to other CareHeroes to keep up the good work!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Baystate Medical Centre 

College of Our Lady of the Elms

Mass Live News Article

CBS Boston Article

CNN Article

 There are so many opportunities that come with having a nursing qualification. You are not only confined to bedside or outpatient nursing. You can use your qualification to work in research, administration, or pharmaceuticals, like today’s guest, Kevin Knoblock. As a nurse practitioner at Massachusetts General Hospital and a clinical scientist at AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Kevin has had a diverse professional journey. In today’s episode, we hear about the wide-ranging path Kevin has walked and how a range of qualifications has led to improvements in all his professional roles. We talk about some obstacles he faces in administration, where he stresses the importance of working in an integrated – rather than siloed – way. Kevin emphasizes the importance of staying at the top of your game if you work in healthcare. It is not the kind of career where you leave your work at work; it’s a lifestyle. Having been on both the management and clinical sides of healthcare, Kevin has excellent insights on communicating with those in administration. After sharing them, we also touch on the best advice he has received, his work with the non-profit, Human Rights Campaign, and why you should never underestimate the power of kindness. Tune in to hear more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

 •   Why Kevin would choose flying as his superpower if he could.

•   Kevin’s diverse academic and professional background and the roles he has had.

•   Advice for those who are considering following the same path as Kevin.

•   Hear about Kevin’s journey as a nurse practitioner and what the role entails.

•   What gastroenterology involves.

•   How Kevin came to work in his role as a clinical scientist at AMAG Pharmaceuticals.

•   The biggest challenges Kevin faces in his administrative role.

•   Top tips on dealing with the administrative burden that many in clinical practice dread.

•   How Kevin stays on top of his learning in the fast-moving healthcare world.

•   Navigating communication with management and Kevin’s advice on how to approach it.

•   One of the standout moments from Kevin’s career as a nurse practitioner.

•   How having Crohn’s disease has helped Kevin be a better listener.

•   What Kevin would do to change healthcare in America if he could.

•   The best advice Kevin has been given and his favorite compliment he has received.

•   Kevin’s involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and what the organization does.

•   What's in store for nurse practitioners in the future.

•   Final words from Kevin: Always be positive and kind! 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kevin Knoblock on LinkedIn

Massachusetts General Hospital

AMAG Pharmaceuticals

Human Rights Campaign

MGH Institute of Health Professions

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

Harvard University, Extension School

Boston University

Human Rights Campaign

To be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or CRNA, you have to consistently be at the top of your game. You are required have to the best skillset and to be able to manage any type of emergency. CRNA’s don’t have the opportunity to fail and always have to function at their best. Today on CareHero Podcast, we have a fantastic guest: Christy Davis from the Tip Top Anesthesia Group. Christy is a CRNA, a CEO, and a supermom. She has some great information and tips to share with everybody, including how traveling abroad can lead to finding your passion and how seeing a gap in the market and finding a way to fill it can lead to an amazing new business venture. She also touches on the importance of networking and staying on top of your game, and how she has made this a priority in her career. Stay tuned for tip-top tips from Christy Davis, all on today’s episode!

 Key Points From This Episode:

 •   The one superpower Christy would have if she had one: Invisibility. 

•   CRNA: What it is and what they do.

•   How Christy got into the healthcare world. 

•   We hear about her eye-opening trip to Guatemala. 

•   Her lightbulb moment that changed her direction towards becoming a CRNA.

•   Factors influencing her decision between CRNA, MBA, and nurse practitioner.

•   How Christy founded Tip Top Anesthesia Group.

•   The role networking plays in the continuing growth of her business.

•   Tips for nurses who aren’t strong at networking.

•   The pressure of being a CRNA and the crucial factor of constantly being on top of your game.

•   The CRNA versus M.D Anesthetists experience and how it influences the job. 

•   A typical day for a CRNA, CEO supermom: Chaotic.

•   Tips for someone who wants to start their own business or private practice.

•   Christy describes two inspiring moments she’s encountered during her career.

•   How Christy fosters the culture within her organization: It’s a family. 

•   How best to work and communicate with facility management.

•   The best piece of advice Christy has ever received: Be available and present. 

•   How Christy is managing and balancing personal and professional life during the pandemic.

•   The future of CRNAs according to Christy.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 CareHero Podcast

Christy Davis on LinkedIn

Tip Top Anesthesia on Facebook

California Association of Nurse Anesthetics (CANA)

Nurses, being the largest sector of healthcare workers in every country, play such a vital role during a global pandemic. Today we speak with Trinity Goodman, an ICU nurse whose passion for healthcare developed at a young age. During her childhood, Trinity spent a significant amount of time in hospitals while she looked after her mother, a domestic violence survivor who underwent multiple surgeries. This experience inspired Trinity to pursue her nursing career. Her passion to help people eventually led her to travel to multiple states to help fight the pandemic and treat coronavirus patients. In April 2020, she worked in New York City when it was the epicenter of the epidemic in the United States. She also went to Texas, where personal protective equipment was extremely scarce. Trinity shares her insights on what it is like as a nurse fighting in the frontlines during the coronavirus. Trinity also reveals the best advice that she has been given and how she manages to handle her busy career while completing her Master’s program and still taking care of herself and her relationships. Tune in to hear more of Trinity Goodman’s remarkable story and insights.

 Key Points From This Episode:

•    Trinity studied nursing in Berea College in Kentucky.

•    Hear how her mother’s domestic violence situation drew Trinity into the medical field.

•    Trinity’s passion for the ICU.

•    The pandemic inspired her and her friends to travel to New York and Texas to treat coronavirus patients, which was an exhausting but amazing experience.

•    How FEMA contacted a company to contract nurses during the pandemic.

•    How compartmentalizing helped her get through everything.

•    The devastating effects of coronavirus and how different the situations were between New York and Texas.

•    How nurses had to handle situations with little or no equipment.

•    The militaristic routine she and fellow nurses went through every day.

•    How the pandemic was the best and worst thing that has happened to Trinity, changed the trajectory of her career, and gave her a purpose in life.

•    Her emotional attachment to Rachel Platten – Fight Song, which was played at her hospital celebrating each time a patient successfully came off a ventilator.

•    Trinity is completing her Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner program while working during the pandemic.

•    Information about her new website and podcast: Intubated and Sedated

•    Hear the best piece of advice that Trinity has ever been given.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Trinity Goodman – Personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/trinitydall/?hl=en

Berea College, Berea, Kentucky - https://www.berea.edu/

Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri - https://www.maryville.edu/

FEMA - https://www.fema.gov/

Intubated and Sedated - Website  - https://www.intubatedandsedated.com/

Intubated and Sedated – Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intubatedandsedatedpodcast/?hl=en

NBC Lex18 Article Covering Trinity’s Time in NYC - https://www.lex18.com/news/coronavirus/kentucky-nurse-working-in-nyc-hospital-battling-covid-19?

It doesn’t matter how far you are into your career, you can always further your education. The key thing is to stop waiting and just go for it.

This insight comes from today’s conversation with nursing power couple Tanya and David Damron. A tale of opposites attracting, we talk about how Tanya and David first met before exploring their respective roles as Assistant Director of Nursing (Tanya) and Charge Nurse and IABP Life Flight Team Lead (David). 

We then dive into why Tanya and David pursued their Bachelor degrees while at a midpoint in their careers and how they managed their studies while working. After reflecting on how they landed their positions, we touch on the lessons that they’ve learned along the way. We discuss what they do to help their patients, with Tanya shedding light on the value of hospices and how they’re an often misunderstood niche of the medical industry. We ask Tanya and David for their top advice and their answers highlight the importance of teamwork, communication, and learning from your mistakes. 

Near the end of the episode, we explore the future of medicine and how learning about other healthcare fields can be as easy as picking up the phone. 

Tune in to hear more of Tanya and David’s incredible story.

 Key Points From This Episode:

 •   How Tanya and David met, and their experience of working together.

•   Hear which superpowers today’s guests would choose. 

•   Why Tanya and David pursued their Bachelor’s degrees in nursing.

•   How they managed to attain their degrees while working. 

•   The benefit of getting your Bachelor's degree; “You can work anywhere.”

•   Exploring Tanya and David’s respective roles at their facilities. 

•   David shares the top lessons that he’s picked up throughout his career. 

•   Why Tanya chose to further her career within the hospice care field.

•   What a typical day looks like for Tanya and David.

•   Maintaining honest working relationships by communicating with management.

•   Dave and Tanya give listeners their best advice on teamwork and learning from mistakes.

•   Reflections on the future of nursing and the healthcare industry.

•   What you can do to learn more about hospice work. 

•   We summarize our key takeaways from our conversation with David and Tanya.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Intermountain Healthcare - https://intermountainhealthcare.org/

Home Health and Hospice for Utah - https://hospice4utah.com/

Life Flight Network - https://www.lifeflight.org/

While every healthcare professional plays a vital and irreplaceable role when providing care, you may find that you can make a greater impact when working in management. Today we speak with Lupe Ojeda, Chief Nursing Officer, who began her career as a nurse on the frontline of healthcare delivery. Early in our conversation, Lupe shares how her passion for healthcare developed as she looked after her father and saw the difference that nurses can make in a patient’s life. We then dive into her start as a nurse and how she continued her education while working. Despite the challenge of working and studying, Lupe highlights the good example that this set for her children and that this extra work unlocked success later in life. We ask Lupe about her first management position and she gives listeners advice on being noticed and opening yourself up for career advancement. A key theme of this episode, Lupe discusses why leadership and management are learned skills and that good management seeks to provide patients with the best possible care. Near the end of the episode, Lupe touches on the worst and best advice that she’s been given and how she stays mentally and physically healthy. Tune in to hear more of Lupe Ojeda's incredible insights.

 Key Points From This Episode:

 •    Hear how Lupe’s passion for healthcare began and her goal to be “that one nurse.”

•    How the pandemic has caused a shift in how people see nursing and essential work.

•    Lupe’s start in the medical profession and pursuing further education.

•    The powerful benefits of working while attending school.

•    Unlocking more opportunities through education.

•    Practical steps that you can take to move into management roles.  

•    Aiming to improve the quality of patient care however you can.

•    Finding your ‘knack’; there are many different management streams. 

•    Not letting your years spent as a nurse define your path to success.

•    Why management and leadership are skills that anyone can learn. 

•    What a typical day as a Chief Nursing Officer looks like.

•    Lupe’s advice for communicating with your nursing management team.

•    Hear the best and worst pieces of advice that Lupe has ever been given.

•    How Lupe stays mentally and physically healthy, even when losing patients.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

LA Downtown Medical Center - https://ladowntownmc.com/

East Los Angeles College - https://www.elac.edu/

Pepperdine University - https://www.pepperdine.edu/

The Joint Commission Standards - https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/

Welcome to Episode Zero of CareHero Podcast, a podcast designed to supercharge the careers of nurses and other healthcare professionals! In this episode you’ll meet your hosts, Gerard Hernandez and Martin Hui, hear about their experience in the world of healthcare, and learn what you can expect from this show in future episodes. Gerard and Martin talk about what motivated them to start CareHero Podcast and their goal to interview guests across a wide spectrum of careers in healthcare so that you can apply the skills their guests share to your own personal and professional growth. As you’ll hear today, knowledge is power, so be sure to tune in going forward and partake in the wealth of information you’ll learn in future episodes!

Key Points From This Episode

 •    Why does CareHero Podcast exist? What can listeners expect from this podcast going forward?

•    Introducing our hosts, Gerard and Martin, their work in healthcare, and why they started a podcast about nursing career development.

•    How much Gerard and Martin learned in their own lives from networking and listening to podcasts about career development.

•    Discussing the wide spectrum of guests in different nursing positions CareHero Podcast plans to interview.

•    How often our CareHero listeners can expect new episodes to come out.

•    The wide applicability of our content to all healthcare professionals, beyond nurses.

•    The idea that knowledge is power; the notion that half an hour or less with us could improve your career forever.

•    A reminder to share CareHero Podcast, visit our website at www.careheropodcast.com, subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and give us a review!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode

CareHero Podcast - www.careheropodcast.com