Happy Nurses Week! In this special Nurses Week 2026 episode, host Colton Lord celebrates the 5.7 million nurses across the country and unpacks why this year carries extra weight, with Congress officially declaring 2026 the "Year of the Power of Nurses" and the American Nurses Association marking its 130th anniversary.

Colton breaks down everything happening this week, from the 200+ iconic landmarks worldwide lighting up red (including One World Trade Center and Boston's Zakim Bridge) to the ANA's nationwide hospital tour. He also rounds up all the freebies and deals nurses should be cashing in on, including Chipotle's giveaway of 100,000 free entree gift cards, daily prize drops at nurse.org, and exclusive discounts from brands like Lululemon, Figs, Carhartt, and Clove.

But beyond the free burritos and red lights, Colton closes with a heartfelt reminder: your worth as a nurse isn't measured by the rocks, cup of noodles, or empty Ziploc bags some hospitals hand out. Whether you're at the bedside or have pivoted away from it, your impact is real, your care is remembered, and it's always okay to prioritize yourself. Plus, a sneak peek at upcoming guest episodes you won't want to miss.

Tune in, soak up the appreciation, and go get your freebies, bestie. You deserve it.

Connect with Colton on social media:

Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

This week on Club Nurse, Colton is back with a full rundown of the wild, heartbreaking, and wholesome moments happening in healthcare. From jaw-dropping OR mistakes to cosmic-level nurse appreciation, we’re hitting all the feels. 👀

In this episode, we cover:

• Surgeon charged with manslaughter after allegedly removing the wrong organ, despite nurses sounding the alarm
• Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia honoring the nurses and clinicians who cared for his family after the loss of his newborn daughter
• LPN Victoria Alexander tragically killed at work by her estranged husband in a domestic violence incident
• Nurse Blake expanding his “But Did You Die?” comedy tour with 35+ new North American cities
• Artemis II astronaut Reed Wiseman proposing to name a lunar crater “Carroll” after his late NICU nurse wife

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:01:37] Surgeon removes wrong organ, faces manslaughter charges
[00:05:15] Dodgers pitcher honors nurses after daughter's death
[00:08:54] Nurse killed at work by estranged husband
[00:11:07] Nurse Blake adds 35+ cities to comedy tour
[00:12:58] Astronaut honors late NICU nurse wife with lunar crater name

Connect with Colton on social media:

Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

This week on Club Nurse, Colton is breaking down some truly wild healthcare news that has nurses everywhere shaking their heads. From ignored red flags to terrifying workplace violence and the most unhinged discharge situation ever, we’re talking about it all.

Here’s what we get into:

• A nurse who was fired after sounding the alarm about a sketchy med tech… before he allegedly murdered a resident.
• An update on Trump’s proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee and a new bipartisan bill trying to protect international healthcare workers.
• A 69-year-old patient who shot a healthcare worker multiple times inside a Fresno clinic.
• A discharged patient who has refused to leave her hospital room for five months and the hospital’s lawsuit to finally get her out.

Jump Ahead to Listen:
[00:02:26] Nurse’s warning ignored before assisted living resident killed
[00:06:28] Update on proposed $100,000 H1B visa fee for clinicians
[00:07:47] Patient shoots healthcare worker in Fresno clinic
[00:09:53] Patient refuses to leave hospital room for five months

Connect with Colton on social media:

Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

This week on Club Nurse, Colton is back with a Nurse News roundup that actually respects your attention span. No fluff, no doom spiral, just fast updates that matter to you on the floor.

Here’s what you’re getting into:

• California hospitals rolling out weapon detectors at main, ER, and L&D entrances—and what that could mean for your safety at work.
• A 63-year-old Michigan nursing student showing you it’s actually never too late to go for the RN.
• Night shift nurses getting less safety support than days—and why nights still feels like the hospital’s forgotten shift.
• The Healthcare Is Human Act, developed with FIGS, which could bring a $6,000 tax credit for nurses and other clinicians working in shortage areas.

Jump Ahead to Listen:
[00:02:31] New California law: hospital weapons detectors
[00:06:23] 63-year-old Michigan nursing student Margie
[00:10:20] Night shift nurses feeling unsupported
[00:12:11] Proposed $6,000 Healthcare is Human tax credit
[00:13:45] Nurse.org awards shout-outs

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

Nursing news but make it actually interesting. Colton is back breaking down the latest healthcare headlines nurses should know about. From policy updates and AI charting tools to wild legal cases and medical breakthroughs, it’s a quick catch-up on what’s happening across the nursing world.

This episode covers:

• Nurses getting drafted? Let’s unpack the actual law and why it’s not happening right now.
• A nurse creating a kid-friendly YouTube series (Nurse Dolly) to make health and doctor visits less scary for kids.
• Wisconsin trying to pass a bill for safer nurse-to-patient ratios and banning mandatory overtime.
• A new blood test that might predict Alzheimer’s symptoms years before they start.
• Epic rolling out AI tools that could seriously cut down nurse charting time.
• A travel nurse suing over missing pay and overtime… because apparently someone thought nurses wouldn’t notice.
• A nurse fired after reusing an insulin vial linked to an HIV-positive patient (yikes).

Jump Ahead to Listen:
[00:02:13] Could nurses be drafted?
[00:04:17] Nurse Dolly kids’ health YouTube channel
[00:05:49] Wisconsin Nurse Staffing and Patient Protection Act
[00:08:10] New blood test predicting Alzheimer’s symptoms
[00:09:32] Epic AI tools to cut nurse charting
[00:11:22] NYC strike travel nurse wage lawsuit
[00:13:08] Nurse fired after reusing HIV-contaminated insulin vial

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

Nurses deserve better than spending half a shift glued to a computer, and Microsoft might finally be helping. This week on Club Nurse, Colton talks with Mary Varghese Presti, former Johns Hopkins peds nurse turned Microsoft Health & Life Sciences leader, about Dragon Copilot for Nurses. They break down how ambient AI in Epic Rover can capture assessments in real time and help populate flowsheets, cutting down charting time and mental load. They also talk privacy, why this tool was built specifically for nursing workflows, and how nurses can stay involved as AI rolls out in healthcare.   

If you’ve ever stayed late to chart, skipped water, or held your pee for a heroic and medically inadvisable amount of time, this one’s for you.  

>>AI That Charts for Nurses? Microsoft’s New Ambient Tool Could Ease Burnout and Save Time

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:00:48] Introducing guest Mary Varghese Presti
[00:03:04] Mary’s path from bedside to policy and tech
[00:05:24] Why talk about AI and nursing now
[00:06:21] What Dragon Copilot for nurses is
[00:07:31] Nurses as “silent surveillance system”
[00:10:23] Using Copilot in noisy and ED settings
[00:11:39] Built specifically for nursing documentation
[00:13:05] Step-by-step: using Copilot in a patient room
[00:17:21] From pilots to general availability in hospitals
[00:18:08] Faster, richer documentation and patient safety
[00:21:21] Adopting new tech and changing nurse workflows

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

Connect with Mary on LinkedIn

This week’s news is giving myth-busting, true crime, nurse solidarity, Super Bowl romance, strike wins, and discount meds. We’re running through the biggest nurse headlines in the exact order they dropped, so you can stay informed without doom-scrolling your nervous system into oblivion.

• Joint Commission clears up the “no drinks at the nurses station” myth and basically says… your water bottle isn’t the villain.
• Netflix’s The Investigation of Lucy Letby dives into the neonatal nurse case and hospital red flags.
• All 14 OB nurses resign after a Tennessee hospital shuts down its entire L&D unit. Rural healthcare crisis, unlocked.
• A male nurse gets legally married during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. Main character energy.
• NYC nurses secure a major strike victory with staffing and pay wins.
• Kaiser nurses in CA and Hawaii continue striking, with more workers joining.
• Trump Rx vs. Cost Plus Drugs vs. GoodRx breakdown for cheaper meds.

Jump Ahead to Listen:
[00:02:49] Joint Commission myth on drinks at nurses’ station
[00:06:02] Netflix documentary on nurse Lucy Letby
[00:08:58] 14 OB nurses resign after L&D closure in Tennessee
[00:11:59] Nurse marries during Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show
[00:13:28] New York City nurses strike agreement
[00:15:12] Ongoing Kaiser nurses strike in CA and HI
[00:15:51] TrumpRx, GoodRx, and Cost Plus Drugs overview

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

Healthcare really said “no peace” again, so Club Nurse is clocking in to translate the chaos. This week, Colton covers the nurse news everyone’s talking about, from heartbreaking loss to major advocacy moves and strikes that could reshape staffing and patient safety. If you want the context without living on your For You page, this episode does the work for you.

This week’s stories:

• Death of VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti: Honoring his life and the impact on the nursing community
• L&D nurse Jen Hamilton calls out unsafe staffing: The one question every birthing patient should ask
• Nurses launch national petition on immigration enforcement: Protecting healthcare spaces and public trust
• 31,000 Kaiser nurses begin strike in CA & HI: Safe staffing, wages, and worker protections on the line

Heavy topics, real conversations, and the reminders nurses need right now.

>>Dedicated VA ICU Nurse Alex Pretti Dead After Clash with Border Patrol in Minneapolis

>>L&D Nurse Jen Hamilton Calls Out Unsafe Staffing: ‘Ask This Question Before You Deliver’

>>‘Nurses SHIFT Change’ Petition Raises Public Health Concerns About Immigration Enforcement

>>31,000 Kaiser Nurses and Healthcare Workers Strike Across California and Hawaii

Jump Ahead to Listen:
[01:05] Coping with a Heavy News Cycle
[03:06] Introducing the Case of VA ICU Nurse Alex Pretti
[04:05] Honoring Alex Pretti’s Life & Career
[05:20] Community Reaction & Where to Learn More
[06:18] The Question for Expecting Parents About Safe Staffing
[07:09] What AWHONN Safe Staffing Standards Mean
[08:06] Why Ratios Matter During Labor & Delivery
[09:23] Nurses’ Petition on Immigration & Public Health
[10:30] Key Reform Demands in the Petition
[11:12] How Nurses Can Take Action on the Petition

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

In this episode of the Love n’ Leary Nursing Podcast, Marion Leary and Rebecca Love announce the podcast’s new partnership with Nurse.org and reflect on how this milestone represents the power of saying yes to opportunity. They revisit the early conversations that sparked the show, including imposter syndrome and career uncertainty, and connect those experiences to the broader responsibility of nurse leadership. The discussion explores advocacy, the importance of nurses using their voices with confidence, and how storytelling, policy engagement, and diverse communication platforms can expand nursing influence. Together, Marion and Rebecca emphasize how nurses can shape public narratives, strengthen the profession, and drive meaningful change across healthcare. 

>>Love n' Leary Nursing Podcast

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn

Connect with Marion on social media:
Instagram: @marionleary
TikTok: @marionleary
Facebook: Marion Leary

This episode is for every nurse who’s ever been like… “am I actually CRNA material?” 😅 

It’s CRNA Week, and Colton sits down with Jenny Finnell, CRNA (12+ years in anesthesia and the founder of CRNA School Prep Academy + TeachRN) to talk about what it really takes to get into CRNA school—and to make it through once you’re in. They get into imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, finding your deeper “why,” and how to filter out the noise and focus on feedback that actually helps. If you’re CRNA-curious, ICU, or prepping to apply, this one’s your sign.

>>So You Want to Be a CRNA? Let’s Talk Reality, Rejection, and Readiness

Jump Ahead to Listen:

02:22 | Jenny’s Origin Story: Discovering Anesthesia
05:07 | What Makes a Strong CRNA Candidate (Beyond Grades)
06:37 | Jenny’s Application Journey: Rejection, GRE, and Persistence
09:15 | How CRNA School Requirements Have Evolved
11:24 | Transitioning from ICU RN to Independent CRNA
15:23 | Finding Your Voice as a Bedside Nurse
16:47 | Imposter Syndrome, Comparison, and Fear of Failure
19:46 | Choosing Yourself & Trying Even If You Might Fail
21:06 | How CRNA School Prep Academy Was Born
23:18 | Jenny’s Deep ‘Why’ for Mentorship & CRNA Practice
25:40 | The Power of Passionate Care in Nursing
27:02 | When to Join CRNA School Prep Academy & What’s Included
28:34 | Community, Connections & Future Classmates
29:29 | Is CRNA School Really That Hard?
30:05 | How Do People Afford CRNA School? Loans, Savings, Strategy
33:33 | Final Advice

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn and social media:
Instagram: @crnaschoolprepacademy