In this heart-centered episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson has the true pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Kate FitzPatrick – Chief Nurse Executive for Jefferson Health and a respected leader in our field – to talk about something close to both of our hearts: how leaders can foster healthy work cultures, especially in times of adversity.

Through her own stories of being bullied and the lessons she’s carried forward into leadership, Kate shares powerful insights about what it means to lead with grace, empathy, and hope. We talk about why presence matters, how leaders can serve as cultural anthropologists, and the importance of deeply listening to our teams.

If you're struggling with workplace culture, feeling disconnected, or want to better support your teams through difficult times – this episode is for you.

In this vulnerable and powerful episode on the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Bob Dent – a nurse executive, executive coach, author, and someone I’ve respected for over a decade – to explore how leaders can create emotionally safe, respectful, and human-centered workplaces in healthcare.

We go beyond the buzzwords and dive into the realities of fear-based leadership, toxic cultures, and mental health challenges in leadership. Bob shares not only his incredible professional insights, but also his deeply personal story of navigating chronic suicidality and seeking help – a conversation that will stay with you long after the episode ends.

In this Q&A edition of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson dives into real-world leadership dilemmas brought up during a recent keynote with 600+ healthcare leaders. From handling hostile emails (a.k.a. “nastygrams”) to protecting new nurses from being humiliated by physicians, to standing up for your float pool team – Renee shares real strategies that work.

You’ll learn how to respond to disruptive communication without escalating conflict, how to confront behavior while keeping your HR team in the loop, and how to build a true learning culture that supports – not shames – new team members.

If you've ever been blindsided by a rude email, struggled to defend your staff, or worried that confrontation will get twisted into you being the bully – this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Kit Bredimus, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing at Midland Memorial Hospital. Kit is a nationally recognized nurse executive and a driving force behind creating a respectful and emotionally intelligent work culture.

This episode is for every leader who wants to do more than just manage — it’s for those ready to lead with intention, vulnerability, and courage. Kit shares how understanding himself first helped him guide others more effectively, why emotional intelligence is non-negotiable in healthcare, and how vulnerability became his leadership superpower.

In this episode of the Coffee Break, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Luanne Smedley, Executive Director and Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Stanford Children’s Health. Luanne is a true soul sister in the fight against workplace bullying and incivility.

After a work stoppage and years of strained relationships in the NICU, Luanne led a powerful, interprofessional culture reset — starting with leadership and expanding to the entire team. What began as tough conversations among leaders turned into a structured, monthly opportunity for nurses, NPs, and physicians to talk, listen, and heal together.

What’s the result? Dramatic improvements in communication, trust, sick time, incident reports, vacancy, and turnover. This episode is packed with lessons for any leader ready to turn the tide on workplace dysfunction.

In this deeply personal and transformative episode, I sit down with Todd Angelucci – a passionate advocate for men in nursing, a former Army medic, and now a mentor and coach – to talk about wellness, resilience, and transformational leadership.

Todd shares his extraordinary journey from healthcare professional to brain tumor survivor, and how that life-altering diagnosis led to a deeper understanding of himself, his purpose, and the wounds we all carry. Together, we unpack his experience, his transition into mentoring, and the unique challenges men face in nursing and healthcare leadership.

Todd also dives into his work helping men become more of who they truly are – through self-awareness, vulnerability, and connection. His story and his message are powerful reminders that yes, we do hard things – and we don’t have to do them alone.

This conversation is raw, real, and absolutely inspiring.

In this Q&A edition of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson answers three powerful questions from nurse leaders about the behavioral challenges they face daily. Renee shares practical strategies and proven scripts to help leaders navigate emotional reactions to feedback, foster peer-to-peer accountability, and coach their teams instead of constantly solving problems for them.

Whether you’ve ever faced an employee who gets defensive, wondered how to stop the tattling and start empowering peer feedback, or felt the strain of being the constant problem-solver for your team, this episode is packed with real-life stories and advice you can use today.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Renee Thompson welcomes Rose L. Horton, MSM, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, FAAN – Founder & CEO of NotOnMyWatch Consulting Partners – to the Coffee Break podcast. Rose shares the story behind her viral movement, #NotOnMyWatch, and how one conversation turned into a rallying cry for maternal equity and safety.

Together, Renee and Rose explore the shared drive that leaders must cultivate: taking responsibility, co-creating joyful, purpose-driven teams, and refusing to be bystanders in the face of injustice – whether it’s maternal mortality or bullying in the workplace. You’ll learn how Rose and her team transformed heartbreak into hope, built psychological safety, and standardized equitable care practices that made every patient feel safe, seen, and heard.

This episode is full of real talk, inspiration, and practical leadership gold. Don’t miss it.

In honor of Nurses Week, Dr. Renee Thompson takes a heartfelt detour from the usual Coffee Break episodes to deliver a special message to nurses everywhere. Renee reflects on why we chose nursing in the first place – not for convenience, but for compassion, courage, and heart.

She shares powerful stories from her keynote, Celebrate Nurses: Human by Birth – Hero by Choice, including a beautiful reminder about finding the good – and beauty – in others, even on the hard days.

Tune in for a celebration of nursing, laughter about how nurses’ lives differ from other professions, encouragement to reconnect with your "why," and inspiration to keep finding the beauty around you – and in yourself.

When it comes to workplace violence in healthcare, there are so many factors outside our control – but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kelly Austin, Vice President of Hospital Workplace Violence at KLA Risk Consulting, to talk about the real, tangible ways healthcare leaders can reduce injuries and protect their teams. We unpack the biggest gaps in hospital workplace violence prevention – from under-involving frontline staff to one-size-fits-all training – and explore how leaders can make small, smart shifts to get big results.

If you’ve ever wondered how to truly involve your employees, what effective training actually looks like, or how to spot and de-escalate agitation before it turns violent, this is the episode for you.