In the season 4 premiere, Nick Chmielewski speaks with Bill Orrell, MBA, BSN, RN, a managing director and member of BRG's Clinical Transformation Team. They summarize 2024 in terms of performance improvement and project work and outcomes within BRG; discuss what they anticipate for 2025; and review industry trends around medical care, including inpatient care, ambulatory services, and change management. They also discuss the podcast series as it moves into the new season.

In this episode, Nick Chmielewski welcomes back Noreen Hudson, MSN, RN, BRG’s Nursing team lead for perioperative services. This episode continues a series that started in season two reviewing the various departments comprising the perioperative services division. They focus on the evaluation process of pre-anesthesia screening as well as pre-anesthesia testing (PAT), also referred to as pre-admission testing or pre-surgical testing (PST). They discuss the pre-surgical process that ensures all guidelines are met and patients are optimally prepared.

Nick Chmielewski speaks with James Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive (CNE) of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. James shares his perspective on healthy work environments, including fostering transparent communication with leadership, advocating for nursing staff through resource allocation and competency evaluation, and promoting shared and effective decision-making with front-line staff.

In this episode, Nick Chmielewski speaks with Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president of Equity and Engagement at the American Nurses Association. They discuss the need and urgency to redraw and redesign care delivery models. Dr. Boston-Leary proposes a tribrid approach combining technology and artificial intelligence with an integrated strategy for enhanced patient and nurse satisfaction, reduction of practice pain points, and improved outcomes.

In this episode, Nick Chmielewski welcomes back to the podcast Terry M. Foster, MSN, RN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, CEN, FAEN, clinical nurse specialist at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and 2023 president of the Emergency Nurses Association.

Terry reflects on the care he received during a life-threatening ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a heart attack caused by blockage of a coronary artery, in November 2023. He also discusses the concepts and importance of anticipatory planning, patient reassurance, and being fully present to and for the patient.

Nick Chmielewski speaks with Brandon Wubben, MD and Cory Wittrock, MD, physicians from the University of Iowa’s Department of Emergency Medicine. They discuss their recent article in JACEP Open, “The Impact of Emergency Department Overcrowding and Patient Boarding on Resident Point-of-Care Ultrasound Education.”

The article reviews how the effect of emergency department (ED) crowding on resident education has been difficult to quantify. The authors aimed to describe the relationship between ED crowding and residents’ ability to meet point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education goals. After medical records at an academic level 1 trauma center were analyzed, results showed that as ED crowding increased, residents were more likely to fail to meet their POCUS education goals. 

Nick Chmielewski speaks with Danielle McCamey, DNP, ACNP-BC, FCCP, assistant dean for Strategic Partnerships at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

She is also the founder, chief executive officer, and president of DNPs of Color, a nonprofit nursing organization whose mission is to increase diversity in doctoral studies, clinical practice, and leadership for nurses. DNP, short for Doctor of Nursing Practice, is the highest level of education a nurse can attain that focuses on clinical practice.

In this episode, Dr. McCamey discusses the importance of collaborating with diverse organizations to create a sense of inclusivity and community within the workplace through connection, mentorship, and advocacy.

Nick Chmielewski speaks with Lauren Bruwer, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, PCCN, clinical nurse specialist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease Institute, Center for Human Nutrition. With her team having successfully launched a new service line for patients with enteral access devices, Lauren talks about addressing the needs of unique patient populations—specifically tube management and enteral nutrition—to drive positive outcomes and care.

Nick Chmielewski speaks with Terry M. Foster, MSN, RN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, CEN, FAEN, clinical nurse specialist at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and 2023 president of the Emergency Nurses Association. They discuss the importance of using humor appropriately and effectively to help reduce stress, create a positive environment, and establish relationships with both coworkers and patients.

Nick Chmielewski speaks with Noreen Hudson, MSN, RN, BRG’s Nursing team lead for perioperative services. They continue a discussion from season 2 of the podcast by reviewing the various departments comprising perioperative services. They delve into the processes and functions of the Preoperative Unit, also known as “pre-op,” including assessments and measures completed prior to surgery.