Found Down

On today's episode, I interview Dr. Julie Siemers, DNP, MSN, RN about the importance of acknowledging medical errors and ways to improve patient safety.

Dr. Julie Siemers is a patient safety consultant, industry nurse leader, and educator. She is also the founder of Lifebeat Solutions and the author of the bestselling book ‘Surviving Your Hospital Stay: A Nurse Educator's Guide to Staying Safe and Living to Tell About It.’

She spent 15 years in nursing education, serving in roles ranging from Professor to Dean, and as Executive Director at a large nursing university in California. She has a rich background in direct patient care, with experience in various roles on the medical/surgical care floor, in the Intensive Care Unit, the emergency department, and the trauma resuscitation department at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Additionally, she served as a flight nurse on a trauma helicopter for 10 years.

On this riveting episode we disuss some big takeaways that are important for improving your clinical practice as well as making patient care safer!

1. Count your respirations! Really count them. :)
2. Call the Rapid Response!
3. Speak up!
4. Treat your patients as if they are your family members!

Thank you, Dr. Julie for some interesting and important information about how to make the hospital setting safer.

It takes a village!

Best,

Nicole

On today's episode of Found Down, I interview and catch up with the talented and very funny flight and ground paramedics Chris Pfingsten and Spencer Oliver from the wildly successful EMS 20/20 podcast. We discuss the evolution of their careers, the different scopes of EMS ground and flight paramedics, and the genesis and creation of their podcast. They are truly out there trying to close the knowledge gap that school doesn't provide, as well as prevent us all from being "4th Year Medics."

Can't wait for you all to tune in!

Nicole

On today's episode, I sit down with Shauntel Howard, MSHI, BSN, RN-CHC, a registered nurse for over 10 years and a certified health and burnout coach specializing in burnout prevention.

With firsthand experience overcoming burnout, Shauntel founded ChartLyfe.com to support her colleagues in healthcare.

It was a pleasure to have Shauntel on the show! She offers great insight, her own burnout story, and resources on improving your well-being. Be sure to check out her weekly Peer Support Groups, her health coaching and wonderful resources on her website.

XO,

Nicole

On today's episode, I catch up with a friend of the podcast, Dr. Katrine Wallace a.ka. Epidemiologist Kat to chat all things Fall respiratory viruses like Covid-19, Flu, and RSV, and what the public health implications might be! Do you have questions about which vaccines to get? I promise you we will cover a lot of the common questions circulating right now. We also get into Mpox, Measles and Polio.

If you are an infectious disease nerd, this show is for you! :)

So happy to have you back on this show, Kat so we can all learn from you!

Nicole

P.S. This epidose was recorded 9/12/2024. The waste water data may look different that we we talked about on this episode.

P.S.S. I got my Covid-19 Vaccine and only had a sore arm. :)

After almost a 2 year hiatus, the Found Down Podcast is back. Critical Care nurse and host, Nicole Johnson is back on the show, accompanied by Dr. Des Wood, nurse practitioner and co-owner of Seattle Beauty. Des interviews Nicole this time to find out what's been going on, revisit what the podcast is all about, and inquire about what is in store for this next season!

Thank you so much for listening!

Today I interview Tami Morgan, ARNP, FNP about prioritizing your mental health as a healthcare provider, in particular as a nurse.

Tami is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and owner of Refresh Seattle, a mental health and wellness practice. She provides telehealth services to anyone in WA state and offers a truly holistic approach to mental wellness. She has experience in a wide range of medical specialties and we'll hear later how she incorporates that knowledge into her current practice. She graduated with her Bachelors in Nursing from Washington State University in 2005 and earned her master's in nursing from Seattle University in 2015. She is an active PNW hiker, softball player, world traveler, sports fan, and dog lover. 

Tune in to listen to how to make your mental health a priority, tips on how to improve it, and how to address S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder) this winter.

If you are interested in reaching Tami for an appointment, check out her website here!

Thank you so much for being on the show!

Stay safe and stay sane,

Nicole

Today I interview the amazing Andrea Dalzell, aka the Seated Nurse.

Andrea Dalzell is a registered nurse, healthcare advocate, disability rights influencer, speaker and most importantly, a survivor. At the age of five, Andrea was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord that causes pain, muscle weakness and paralysis, and she was using a wheelchair full-time by twelve years old. Inspired by her experiences with nurses, she received her nursing degree from the City University of New York, College of Staten Island. Andrea became the first registered nurse in a wheelchair in the state of New York, and she devotes her career to helping others with disabilities live healthier lives whether seated or able-bodied.

 Andrea was crowned Ms. Wheelchair New York 2015, and utilized her title and platform: "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Access," to promote her message and belief that people with disabilities can live a fulfilling life. As an advocate and activist, she has won national recognition over the years, including being named New Mobilitiy's Person of the Year (2021) and the inaugural Craig H. Neilsen Visionary Prize Winner 2020. She has also been featured in Unite Spinal, HomeCare Magazine, Apple's iWatch campaign, Yahoo, and Forbes.

On today's show we talk about Andrea's story and her nursing journey. After 1500 job applications and 75 job interviews, it took a global pandemic to get the break she needed to work bedside. What a story! You will want to tune in for this!

Also, Andrea shares how hospitals and nursing programs could be doing better. Hint: We could be doing better.

Want to get involved? Check out the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities.

Thanks so much for being on the show, Andrea!

Stay Safe and Stay Sane,

Nicole

Today I catch up with American Ninja Warrior and Nurse, Bryan Hill about how this last year has been. Last time we talked, Bryan came on the show to share that he had been diagnosed with Parkinkson's, how that was impacting his life, and how he wanted to get out in front of this secret for his family, particularly for his young son (now 18 months old).

Since we last chatted, Bryan has taken the world by storm, appearing on national television, local news, American Ninja Warrior, and appearing in the documentary by Cut called "Three Dying People Talk about Death" among other things.

Bryan opens up about the day to day of his life, managing stress and how movement is his medicine. His family and his health are his number one priority.

If you want to support Parkinson's research check out this link to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

And go follow what Bryan is up to on social media at @fox_ninja_c.

You are such an inspiration, Bryan!

Stay Safe and Stay Sane,

Nicole

On today's episode I interview Josie Tate, MSN, FNP-C and CEO of Clincepts, a company "created Clincepts to inspire my peers to thrive through the RN to NP transition and love what they do."

"Josie Tate is a family nurse practitioner with a heart to see others succeed. Since starting her nursing journey with a BSN in 2006, she has enjoyed working in a variety of settings with a strong background in inpatient and outpatient cardiology services. Her most memorable times as a nurse include being a preceptor to nursing students and mentor to newly hired employees. 

While she enjoys her role as an NP, she is also passionate about her life outside of practice. She is a wife to her college sweetheart and mom to three fun-filled kids. 

Soon after becoming a nurse practitioner in 2019, she saw new NPs experience a disconnect between obtaining an advanced degree and embracing the title of advanced practice provider. To bridge that gap, she created Clincepts, a job search solution to help nurse practitioners get happily hired.

Josie empowers nurse practitioners in 3 major aspects: passion, pay (beyond just salary), and productivity. She teaches strategies that help NPs articulate their unique professional stories by assisting with resume creation and interview preparation. With this, they can have that ideal job they are passionate about and be paid well for what they do. In addition, she shares ways to be efficient at work, so they can enjoy life outside of work."

If you are transitioning from RN to advanced practice, go check out one of Josie's courses or sign up to her blog to get helpful tips to increase your interviewing skills or buff up your resume!

Thank you so much for being on the show and thank you for helping nurses thrive, Josie!

It was such a pleasure!

Stay Safe and Stay Sane,

Nicole

On today's show I interview Beth Cavenaugh, a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care nurse about her new book that she co-authored, 'The Pleasure and Pain of Nursing - Self-Care Practices to Protect and Replenish Compassion.' The book offers "the nurse's toolkit to stay grounded, tend to yourself with kindness, and minimize professional burnout." This is a fantastic book that should be in every nurse's break room.

Beth talks about her thoughts on nursing, hospice nursing, and how the pandemic has affected our profession. Also, she gets into her nursing trajectory, and where and how she finds joy in hospice nursing. As a reiki provider, Beth shares some treasures from that very specific type of energy work.

I'm excited for you to listen to this episode, feel validated, and maybe find some tools to protect your energy and your practice!

Please go check out Beth's book and subscribe to her blog! She offers real tips and insights for nurses for the death and dying process.

Stay Safe and Stay Sane,

Nicole