Club Nurse

Healthcare is doing the most again, so Club Nurse is here to break it all down. This week, Colton covers the biggest nurse news you need to know—from ongoing strikes and major healthcare system headlines to side-hustle warnings and career wins. If you want to stay in the loop without doom-scrolling, this episode has you covered.

This week’s stories:

• NYC nursing strike reaches day 8: Patient safety at the center
• 31,000 Kaiser nurses issue strike notice: Potential walkouts Jan 26 in CA & HI
• Kaiser settles $556M Medicare fraud case: Documentation implications
• Fake nurse with stolen credentials injures patient: Employer charged with fraud
• Chicago nurse accused of selling fake Ozempic: Side hustles & license risk
• Nurse practitioners named best job of 2026: Top-ranked in healthcare and STEM

>>NYC Nurse Strike Update: 15,000 Nurses Officially on Strike, Largest in City’s History

>>31,000 Kaiser Nurses Plan to Strike Across California and Hawaii, From SF to San Diego

>>Kaiser Hit With Record $556M Medicare Fraud Payout — Here’s What It Means for Nurses

>>Fake Nurse Injured Disabled Patient During G-Tube Procedure, Employer Charged With Fraud

>>Feds Say Chicago Nurse Sold Fake Ozempic: What Nurses Need to Know

>>Nurse Practitioner Named Best Job in Healthcare, STEM, and Top 100 Jobs 2026

Jump Ahead to Listen:
02:22 | New York City Nurse Strike Update
04:21 | Upcoming Kaiser Strike: 31,000 Nurses
08:11 | Kaiser’s $556M Medicare Fraud Settlement
10:55 | Fake Nurse Injures Disabled Patient
12:24 | Fake Ozempic Case
13:03 | Nurse Practitioner Named #1 Job

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

NYC nurses said “yeah… no” and walked out — and we’re breaking it ALL down. 🗽💥 

In this episode of Club Nurse, Colton dives into the largest nursing strike in New York City history and unpacks what’s actually going on behind the viral posts and protest signs. We’re talking safe staffing, fair pay, workplace violence, unions, picket lines, and the very messy reality of strike contracts.

If you’ve ever been confused about:

• what a nurse strike really means
• why crossing the picket line is such a hot topic
• how hospitals keep running during strikes
• or where you personally stand in all of it

…this one’s for you. 👀 

>>NYC Nurse Strike Update: 15,000 Nurses Officially on Strike, Largest in City’s History

>>New York Governor Declares Disaster Emergency as Nurses Walk Out

Jump Ahead to Listen:
2:06 – 3:04 | Announcements: Nurse.org is Hiring
3:04 – 4:05 | Pop Culture Break: ‘The Pitt’ at the Golden Globes
4:05 – 5:12 · Defining Strikes & Picket Lines
5:12 – 6:34 · Purpose of a Picket Line & “Crossing the Line”
6:34 – 8:20 · Strike Contracts, Travel Nurses & The Double-Edged Sword
9:13 – 10:11 · NYC Strike Overview & Scale
10:11 – 11:03 · Emergency Order & Out‑of‑State Nurses
11:03 – 11:52 · On Being a “Scab” & Why Nurses Are Striking
11:52 – 13:03 · If You Take a Strike Contract: Practical Advice
14:03 – 14:38 | Solidarity with NYC Nurses

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

This week on Club Nurse, Colton sits down with Mama Nurse Tina (L&D nurse, breastfeeding specialist, and creator of Bump to Latch) for a chaotic-wholesome, wildly informative convo about pregnancy, birth, and the realities of modern healthcare. Tina shares why she’s passionate about making actual maternity info accessible, what it’s really like being a healthcare creator online, and why education should never come with shame.

They cover the greatest hits: minimalist hospital bag tips (think nips + bits, not your whole house), fed is best (with real talk on breastfeeding, combo feeding, and formula prep), plus a nuanced discussion on home birth vs hospital, Pitocin/oxytocin, the stuff nobody warns you about (yes, mucus plug + bloody show). They wrap with Tina’s spicy take on gender reveals: if you might be disappointed, maybe don’t film it for the internet forever. 

>>Being a Nurse, a Creator, and a Voice for Parents: Mama Nurse Tina

Jump Ahead to Listen: 

[00:01:28] Making healthcare information accessible.
[00:05:03] Building an online business.
[00:08:21] Stand-up comedy as a hobby.
[00:11:21] Essentials for hospital packing.
[00:17:01] Breastfeeding versus formula debate.
[00:19:54] Supplementing with formula options.
[00:21:25] Birth culture and personal agency.
[00:25:00] Home birth vs. free birth.
[00:28:23] Emergency department and labor delivery dynamics.
[00:30:57] Hospital birth vs. home birth.
[00:34:24] Pitocin: usage and concerns.
[00:37:18] Mucus plug explained.
[00:40:31] Gender reveals and expectations.
[00:43:10] Gender roles in parenting.
[00:46:20] Keep learning for better birth.

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Connect with Tina on social media: 

• Instagram: @mama_nurse_tina
• TikTok: @mama_nurse_tina
• Facebook: Mama Nurse Tina
• YouTube: @mamanursetina
• Website: https://www.bumptolatch.com/

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Besties, we’re so back! After a little holiday break, Colton’s kicking off 2026 with a fresh Nurse News drop — and honestly? This week is packed.

We’re talking:

• The heartbreaking loss of certified nurse-midwife & DNP Dr. Janelle Green Smith after childbirth — and why this tragedy is a painful reminder that Black maternal health disparities are still VERY real (even for healthcare leaders).
• “The Pitt” winning big at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards and actually getting hospital life right (aka finally not cringe medical TV). 
• A literal HIV nurse competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race??? Mandy Mango is serving care + charisma and we are OBSESSED. 
• 21,000 NYC nurses voting 97% yes to authorize a strike — safe staffing ratios, wages, and union power are the main character energy here. 
• And yes… the flu is going absolutely feral this year. Like, hospitals bringing masks back feral.

This episode is your reminder that staying informed = staying empowered. So grab your coffee, your scrubs, or your emotional support water bottle… and let’s get into it.

>>Nurses Mourn Midwife and Leader Dr. Janell Green Smith, Who Died After Childbirth

>>'The Pitt' Wins Big at the Critics Choice Awards + Season 2 Launch!

>>Meet Mandy Mango: The Nurse Bringing HIV Care to ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

>>21,000 NYC Nurses on the Brink of a Strike After 97% Vote—What To Know

>>Flu Surge 2026: Record Hospitalizations — What Nurses Need to Know

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:02:34] A Heartbreaking Loss
[00:06:07] 'The Pitt' Wins Big
[00:08:18] Nurse Competes on Drag Race 
[00:10:06] NYC Nurses Near Strike
[00:13:23] Flu Surge Hits Hospitals

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

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Not gonna lie… most of us are “certified” but still low-key panicking when a real code pops off. 😅 This episode with Susan B. Davis, DNP, RN, EMT-P (Rescue RN + the brain behind CodePRep) is all about closing the gap between knowing the basics and actually feeling ready to use them. We get into why traditional mock codes aren’t cutting it, what actually builds confidence (hint: quick, hands-on reps), and how empowered teams = better outcomes. If you’ve ever frozen in a high-stakes moment, this one’s for you. ⚡🫶

>>Certified Nurse but Panicking During a Code? You’re Not Alone—Here’s How to Feel Ready

Jump Ahead to Listen: 

[00:02:02] Nursing career transitions.
[00:05:49] Flight nursing experiences and insights.
[00:07:36] Code Blue Practice Education.
[00:11:28] Confidence in nursing emergencies.
[00:15:14] Code preparation program.
[00:18:06] Cardiac arrest response times.
[00:20:27] New nurse code experience.
[00:27:06] Empowering healthcare decision-making.
[00:30:08] Importance of hands-on training.
[00:32:02] Code training preparedness gaps.
[00:36:44] Master instructor program for nurses.
[00:38:22] Giving yourself grace in nursing.

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

Connect with Susan on LinkedIn & social media:
Instagram: @rescue.rn
Website: https://www.rescuern.com/

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Colton sits down with Nelson Hurtado, founder + CEO of ANP Health, a powerhouse startup helping foreign-educated nurses navigate credentialing, NCLEX prep, immigration, and job placement with 150+ hospitals across the U.S.

Nelson breaks down how ANP is changing the game:

• 🚀 Guiding nurses through credentialing, English exams, and NCLEX prep (including their bilingual app, LearNCLEX 📱✨)
• 🏥 Connecting qualified international nurses to hospitals battling staffing shortages
• 🤝 Offering an ethical recruitment model that benefits both nurses and healthcare systems
• 📈 Helping hospitals plan long-term instead of scrambling for last-minute travel nurses
• 🌍 Bringing in nurses who offer unmatched grit, gratitude, and retention

If you want to understand how international nurses are strengthening U.S. hospitals — and how ANP is making that pathway way more accessible — this episode is your sign to tune in.

>>How to Work in the US as a Foreign-Educated Nurse

>>This Startup Helps Foreign-Educated Nurses Land Jobs in The U.S. 

Jump Ahead to Listen: 

[00:02:07] Nursing career journey in the US.
[00:05:02] Impact over income in nursing.
[00:07:34] International nursing experience.
[00:10:21] International nurse credentialing process.
[00:15:37] Nurse sponsorship and hospital roles.
[00:19:06] Ethical recruitment for international nurses.
[00:20:40] Navigating the nursing process.
[00:24:54] Healthcare perspectives and gratitude.
[00:29:43] Different nursing specialties discussed.
[00:30:58] International nurses in demand.
[00:34:14] Facility dependent work experiences.

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Connect with Nelson on LinkedIn & on social media:

Instagram: @enfermeriaenusa

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Colton is back with post-Thanksgiving vibes, talking about the reality of working holidays, feeling all the feels, and reminding us that social media perfection is
 ✨ fake ✨—but our emotions? Very much real.

Then we dive into the wildest nurse news:

• 👀 A fake nurse in Arizona caught using a stolen license (yes… again. WHY is this a recurring theme?).
• 😭 The sweetest ER staff ever surprises an environmental services worker with a plane ticket home for Christmas. Prepare your tear ducts.
• 🔥 And the big one: The Department of Education just dropped a definition change that excludes nursing from “professional degree” programs… meaning major loan caps for NP and CRNA students. Translation? Huge ripple effects for the future of nursing, rural care, and literally anyone who needs healthcare in this country. Colton breaks it ALL down—what it means, who it hits hardest, and why the frustration is 100% valid.

If you’re a nurse, a student, or just a human trying to keep up with the chaos of healthcare, this episode is your sign to stay informed, stay loud, and stay connected. 

>>Fake Nurse With Notorious Kenyan Fraud Past Arrested After Working at U.S. Hospice

>>ER Staff Secretly Raise Money to Fly Custodian Home For Christmas, Video Will Make You Cry

>>Nursing Excluded as 'Professional' Degree By Department of Education

>>ANA Leads Petition Calling on DoED to Recognize Nursing as a Professional Degree

>>DoED Responds To Nurses With Fact Sheet Clarifying Professional Degree Definitions

>>Poll: 59% of Nurses ‘Less Likely’ to Seek Graduate Degree Because of DoED Loan Policy

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:03:53] Fake nurse arrested for fraud.
[00:06:14] Heartwarming ER story.
[00:08:43] Nursing excluded as professional degree.
[00:10:40] Graduate nursing degree funding issues.
[00:14:30] Graduate nursing student loan cap.

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

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

In this episode of Club Nurse, Colton chats with Jessica Sylvester, MBA, RN, BSN—nurse of 22 years, former ER director, and now founder & CEO of Humla Health, a nurse-built tech platform that lets credentialed W-2 nurses create profiles, match with facilities, and self-schedule like Uber/Rover instead of being chained to traditional agency contracts. She opens up about her roots in rural Minnesota, how her mom’s struggle with mental illness shaped her path into nursing, what COVID exposed about staffing, and why she finally jumped from “stable leader job” into building something totally new for nurses.

They get into:

• Flexibility as a non-negotiable for modern nurses
• Why it’s more a morale crisis than a true “nursing shortage”
• Everyday nurse workarounds as real innovation
• The fear, risk, and reality of launching a nurse-led startup
• Protecting your mental health while still loving nursing again

If you’ve ever thought, “There HAS to be a better way to do this,” this episode is your sign to go make it real. 

>>Inside Humla Health: A Nurse-Led Revolution in Staffing, Flexibility & Mental Health

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:02:00] Mental health in nursing journey.
[00:05:32] Disruptive nursing technology platform.
[00:09:12] Nurse flexibility and control.
[00:12:48] Empowering nurses to innovate.
[00:14:32] The journey of entrepreneurship.
[00:17:59] AI's impact on nursing jobs.
[00:22:57] Direct nurse-to-facility relationships.
[00:27:31] Nursing entrepreneurship and innovation.
[00:28:25] Nurses starting their own companies.

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Connect With Jessica on LinkedIn

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Ever thought about trading your bedside badge for a flight suit? 🚁💉

In this episode of Club Nurse, Colton chats with Janessa Dean — former ICU + flight nurse turned flight nurse coach and creator of Flight Prep Academy. She breaks down exactly what flight nursing is, how the teams work (pilot + medic + nurse), what actually happens on scene calls vs inter-facility transfers, and why the job is way more about autonomy, critical thinking, and teamwork than TV drama.

Janessa gets super real about:

• What flight nurses actually do in the air (intubations, vents, chest tubes, RSI… all of it)
• Safety, fear of flying, and how “three to go, one to say no” keeps crews alive
• The experience you really need (spoiler: 3 years ER or ICU, not 47 certs)
• How to start in flight nursing now as a student: externships, ride-alongs, networking
• Why hopping between units might be holding you back from your dream job
• Mentorship, coaching, and dealing with the hidden trauma + burnout of caring for critical patients
• Pay, schedules, and what 24-hour shifts + living at the base actually look like
• Using your RN license as a tool, not your whole identity — and leaning into entrepreneurship as a nurse

If you’ve ever looked up at a helicopter and thought, “That could be me,” this episode is your sign to start making a plan instead of just daydreaming.

>>So You Want to Be a Flight Nurse? The No-BS Guide with Janessa Dean

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:01:13] Flight nursing coaching journey.
[00:04:25] Scene calls in flight nursing.
[00:08:40] Fear of flying in helicopters.
[00:11:26] Flight nurse experience requirements.
[00:13:09] Importance of networking in nursing.
[00:16:28] Burnout in healthcare professionals.
[00:21:25] Flight nursing training challenges.
[00:22:34] Critical care nursing pathways.
[00:27:00] Teamwork and camaraderie in nursing.
[00:30:04] Flight nursing reality show idea.
[00:32:33] Career changes in nursing.
[00:34:45] Be an entrepreneur as a nurse.

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

Connect with Janessa Dean on social media:

Instagram: @janessadeancoaching
TikTok: @janessadeancoaching

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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

Okay besties… buckle up, cuz this week’s Nurse News episode is honestly a rollercoaster. Colton is back spilling all the nurse-world tea — and some of it is MESSY.

We’re talking:

• 👀 A viral, gut-wrenching ER video showing a Black mom in active labor being completely ignored (how is this still happening??)
• ✂️ An 18-year-old who literally ripped a nurse’s hair out and is now facing felony charges (girl, BE SERIOUS.)
• 💉 The flu-season glow-up: trivalent vaccines are in, quadrivalent is out + the at-home flu mist moment none of us saw coming
• 🏫 A school nurse who stood 10 toes DOWN after being pressured to break HIPAA (Amber Wood = certified icon)
• 🚨 Another “fake nurse” saga because apparently impersonating an RN is everyone’s villain origin story now (???)

Colton breaks it all down with his classic mix of humor, real talk, and “pls someone check on healthcare” energy. If you want to stay informed, stay entertained, and stay slightly stressed about the state of nursing… this ep is for you.

>>Patient Rips Out Nurse’s Hair — Now Faces Felony Charges

>>What Nurses Should Know About Flu Season 2025

>>School Nurse Forced by Superintendent to Compile List of Students with HFM Disease

>>Another Fake Nurse Sentenced: Why Credential Fraud Is Rising in Healthcare

Jump Ahead to Listen:
[00:01:23] Medical racism in emergency care.
[00:04:25] Patient faces felony charges.
[00:06:16] Flu mist self-administration program.
[00:09:07] School nurse protecting HIPAA.
[00:11:42] Nurse credential fraud.

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

🎙️ About the Club Nurse Podcast

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague.

🌐 Connect With Us

• Official Website: Visit nurse.org/clubnurse for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.
• Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Club Nurse on YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.
• Follow Nurse.org:
  • Instagram: @nurse_org
  • Facebook: @nurse-org
  • LinkedIn: @nurse-org
  • TikTok: @nurse.org

Connect with Colton on social media:

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