This episode is a little heavier because I’m talking about something both personal and systemic: how we talk (and think) about big, broken problems like gun violence.

I’m walking you through three common myths that hold change makers back—not just around policy, but in our teams, organizations, and careers. These myths come from the broader Nine Change Myths framework I teach in Change Maker Essentials, and today we’re applying them to a real-world challenge so you can see how these patterns show up and how to think differently.

• Three common myths that get in the way of real change—and how to spot them
• How well-meaning people can unintentionally stall progress by falling into faulty logic
• Why motivation isn’t enough to make systems change
• What it actually takes to lead change (hint: it’s not just passion)
• How to start shifting thinking in your workplace or community

• Believing there’s a single “right answer” often keeps us stuck
• Perfect rollouts don’t exist—iteration is where change really happens
• Motivation without know-how leads to burnout and stagnation
• Systems problems require systems thinking, not silver bullets

This episode blends real-world systems analysis with mindset reframing. Listen with your critical thinking cap on and consider where these myths might be showing up in your own work. If you feel stuck in your organization, this might give you language for why.

• Reflect on which of the three myths you hear most often in your team or org
• Use the scripts I share in the episode to interrupt faulty thinking with curiosity
• Identify one problem you’ve been over-complicating (or oversimplifying) and map out how you might prototype instead
• If you’re ready for deeper tools and strategy, join the CME waitlist and book a clarity call with me

✨ The September cohort of Change Maker Essentials opens next week! Join the waitlist, to save $300 and access a free 15-minute 1:1 call with me.

📄 We also created a funding/business case PDF to help you request tuition or work-time approval from your employer. Use it—it’s effective, research-backed, and designed to advocate for you.

🚨 Not sure if CME is right for you? Take the quiz to find out!

This week’s episode is a peek behind the scenes. I’m walking you through how I’m rethinking the way we run and grow Nursing the System, especially how we launch Change Maker Essentials. It’s part systems lesson, part business reflection, and fully rooted in the idea that iteration is key to sustainability.

If you’ve ever wanted to launch something of your own, or if you’re just curious how I think about testing, prototyping, and scaling this work, come on in.

• How the concept of prototyping is shaping my business (and how it might help you too)
• What’s changing about how we enroll students in Change Maker Essentials this fall
• Ways nurses can access professional development funding (and how to ask for it)
• Why I built a quiz to help you find the right Nursing the System resource
• What I’m doing to make this a high-trust, high-integrity space in a low-trust online landscape

• You don’t need to do it perfectly—you just need to get it into the world and iterate.
• If your work isn’t evolving, it’s not growing.
• It’s your right to access professional development funding—don’t leave money on the table.
• Systems thinking isn’t just for healthcare. It’s a lens that helps you approach business, career, and life with intention.

• Take the new Nursing the System Quiz to find your best-fit resource
• Join the Change Maker Essentials Waitlist to book a free 15-minute clarity call with me

📄 Need help getting CME funded? Use the business case PDF to advocate for tuition or work-time coverage.

• Subscribe to the pod if you haven’t already
• DM me @nursing.the.system if you want help requesting CME funding—I’m happy to support!

This episode was inspired by a DM I got from a nurse named Jessica, who asked about a topic I don’t hear discussed nearly enough: followership. We talk a lot about leadership in nursing—and for good reason—but we rarely explore what it means to be a great follower.

In this episode, I’m diving into how following is actually a critical leadership skill, what it looks like to move between leading and following in real-world changemaking, and how honoring the work that came before us makes us more effective (and less overwhelmed) systems thinkers.

• Why we need to reframe followership as an active and essential component of leadership
• How I think about leadership and followership as a dance, not a hierarchy
• What Picasso, cave paintings, and John Green taught me about systems change
• How to assess whether it’s your moment to lead—or your moment to follow
• The six key habits that make someone an effective follower in a change ecosystem

• Systems change is the work of generations. You don’t have to invent it—you just have to move it forward.
• Leadership and followership are not opposites. They’re both skills every changemaker needs.
• You don’t have to be in charge to lead change—you just have to know when and how to step up.
• Being an effective follower is about curiosity, discernment, humility, and action.

Listen with an open mind about your own role in change. Whether you identify more as a “leader” or “supporter,” this episode will challenge you to think differently about what it means to contribute meaningfully to a team—and a system.

• Ask yourself: “Where in my work am I trying to invent when I could connect to what’s already been done?”
• Identify one place this week where you can follow strategically—whether by stepping back, supporting someone else’s idea, or conserving your energy.
• Reflect on who in your workplace has expertise you can amplify, not overshadow.
• Use the six followership habits I outline (escalation, amplification, collaboration, humility, resilience, and systems thinking) to evaluate where you might grow.
• Get curious about your current change ecosystem and the role you naturally play within it.

✨ Changemaker Essentials opens soon for the September cohort! If you’re interested in systems thinking, strategic leadership, and practical tools for real-world change—join the waitlist.

🎓 Want a great starting point? Take the Map Your Impact mini-course. Use code MYI10OFF for $10 off.

• Map Your Impact mini-course
• Change Maker Essentials
• The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
• The Lascaux Cave Paintings (L-A-S-C-A-U-X—look them up!)

This episode is a little different. I didn’t plan it. I didn’t prep it. I sat down on my lunch break in the middle of a very real, very messy Tuesday and hit record. Because I was overwhelmed and I remembered that I built a tool inside Changemaker Essentials specifically for moments like this.

So I decided to walk myself through the framework I teach for navigating overwhelm and regaining clarity when your brain feels like it’s short-circuiting. I talk through the mental chatter, the reality of my workload, and what it looks like to pause, reassess, and make a plan that actually feels doable.

If you’re juggling a lot and feel like you might snap, this one’s for you.

• What overwhelm really is (and why it’s not just about time)
• The three levers we can pull to manage it: raise resources, reduce demands, or reassess reality
• Why I treat my own brain like a system to be supported
• The real difference between perception and reality when we’re maxed out
• How I used a 4-step tool from Changemaker Essentials to go from spiraling to grounded in 30 minutes

• Overwhelm isn’t always a problem to fix—sometimes it’s a cue to pause and assess
• Resilience means working with your limits, not pretending you don’t have any
• The project plan didn’t fail—you just didn’t know what life was going to throw at you
• There’s no shame in revising timelines when your circumstances change
• Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit: “I need to stop and re-plan”

• Do a commitment audit: What can you pause, delegate, or deprioritize right now?
• Try a brain dump and organize your tasks by priority and dependency
• Time block the rest of your week based on what’s truly essential
• Communicate your capacity clearly to others—whether that’s your team or your friends
• Protect your restorative routines (like workouts or quiet time), especially during crunch seasons

The 4-step overwhelm activity I walked through is straight from the Change Maker Essentials curriculum. It’s a framework I return to over and over again—and if you found it helpful, you’ll love the rest of the program.

✨ Join the waitlist here: Change Maker Essentials Waitlist

Enrollment opens in September—and you’ll be the first to know when it does.

• Feeling overwhelmed right now? DM me and let me know what your first next step is
• Love this kind of behind-the-scenes honesty? Let me know in a podcast review, your words help the show reach more nurse change-makers like you

This week’s episode is inspired by a DM I received from a nursing faculty member who said, “I want to set the nursing world on fire—but I don’t know where to start.” If that resonates with you, you’re not alone.

Whether you’re a student, an educator, or a practicing nurse, if you know you want to make change but don’t yet know what your contribution will look like—this episode is for you. I’m walking you through why you don’t need a perfectly defined mission to get started, and I’m offering real, strategic steps you can take today to begin building your changemaker skillset.

Oh—and if you hear some rustling or meowing in the background, that’s Poppy the cat. She’s joining us for this episode too.

• Why clarity comes after action—not before it
• How to use your current job as your changemaker training ground
• The personal story behind my own uncertain beginnings in nursing and systems work
• Why building skills (not chasing credentials) is the fastest path to clarity
• How to choose a first change project that’s motivating and manageable
• A behind-the-scenes look at how I approach leadership, personal mastery, and team development

• You feel permission to start before you’re ready
• You see your current role—whatever it is—as fertile ground for change
• You understand the power of starting small and learning as you go
• You’re reminded that your energy, interests, and growth matter just as much as the outcomes you’re driving

• Make a list of “things that tug at your heart” at work—then look for patterns
• Set up one conversation this week with a colleague to learn more about their challenges
• Reflect on what kind of changemaker you want to be—not just what you want to fix
• Identify one tiny process, frustration, or pattern you can explore more deeply
• Don’t default into another degree or certification out of uncertainty—build real skills instead

✨ Map Your Impact is my actionable mini-course designed to help you identify where you sit in your organization's change ecosystem—and exactly what behaviors to focus on to build momentum.

🎧 As a podcast listener, use code MYI10OFF to get $10 off:

👉 Enroll in Map Your Impact

If you're ready for 12 weeks of strategic skill building, professional growth, and systems-level thinking, check out Changemaker Essentials. It’s my foundational program for nurses who want to lead change with clarity and confidence. Applications open again soon!

• DM me on Instagram @nursingthe.system and tell me:
• 👉 What’s one small step you’re taking this week to get in the sandbox?
• Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. It helps more nurses find this work and start their own changemaker journey.
• Have an idea or question for a future episode? Send me a message—I love hearing from you.

We’re back—and not exactly how I imagined. My summer sabbatical didn’t go the way I planned. I got sick, lost energy, and had to put a lot of things on pause. But the time away gave me unexpected clarity. In this episode, I’m reflecting on a post I shared at the start of the yearand I’m revisiting what’s held true, what’s shifted, and how I’m applying (or re-learning) those lessons now.

This is a vulnerable one. If you’ve been navigating your own version of plans-gone-sideways, I hope it offers something grounding and real.

• How I’m still learning to hold my vision tightly but my plans loosely
• The way illness forced me to rethink productivity and capacity
• Why I believe in piloting—even when things don’t go the way I hoped
• What actually happened with Nurse Leader HQ (and why we pushed the launch)
• How I think about investing in support—and why sometimes not hiring help is the right move

• A clear vision doesn’t need a rigid plan.
• Just because an opportunity is exciting doesn’t mean it’s sustainable.
• Your gut is a valid data source—especially when it comes to collaborators.
• Piloting is not a failure. It’s a wise way forward.
• Growth doesn’t always require new investments—it sometimes looks like honoring past ones.

Treat this episode like a check-in—with me, and maybe with yourself too. What intentions did you set at the beginning of the year? What’s changed? What do you want the rest of 2025 to feel like?

• Revisit your goals: Are you being flexible with the how?
• Scan your calendar: Are your “yeses” energizing you—or draining you?
• If you’re stuck waiting for perfect conditions, could you try piloting instead?
• Ask yourself: Am I listening to my gut—or trying to be liked?
• Have you already invested in support? Are you actually using it?

Nurse Leader HQ is still coming—just not on the original timeline. We’re pushing the launch to December so we can build something even stronger. If you want to be the first to know when applications reopen, the link will be in the show notes soon.

• Loved this reflection? Send it to a friend who needs to hear it.
• Leave a quick review to help other nurse leaders find the show.
• Want to read the original Instagram post I reflect on in this episode? Click here.
• DM me your thoughts—I’m back online and I’ve missed chatting with you!

🎙 We’re Taking a Summer Sabbatical (But Here’s What’s Coming)

This is a quick update to let you know what’s happening behind the scenes at Nursing the System and what’s coming your way this fall. After 6 months of showing up every week with new episodes, Taylor and I are taking a short sabbatical to rest, realign, and focus on some exciting projects we’re building for you. In this episode, I’m sharing why we’re pressing pause, what we’ll be working on this summer, and how you can stay connected while we’re on break.

☀️ We’ll be back July 21st with fresh new episodes

📌 The How to Be a Systems Thinker workshop returns in August

🧠 Changemaker Essentials Fall Cohort kicks off in September

📣 Nurse Leader HQ second cohort begins in December

(If you’re interested in NLHQ and haven’t taken CME, now’s your time!)

• 🎧 Catch up on past episodes from the archive
• 📥 Join the System Sunday email list for weekly summer lessons
• 🔐 Sign up for The Changemaker Case Files private podcast
• 🎓 Take Map Your Impact to discover your next best move
• 💬 Follow me on Instagram @nursing.the.system for summer updates

In this episode, I’m walking you through a pattern I’ve seen over and over again—not just in healthcare, but across all kinds of systems: the cycle of disempowerment. It’s what happens when we bring up ideas or try to push for change, and we keep hearing “no” until we eventually stop speaking up. I’ll break down why this cycle happens, how to recognize it, and what you can do to break out of it—both for yourself and the people around you.

• What the cycle of disempowerment looks like in action (and why it's so common in healthcare)
• The 5-stage framework that explains why we stop bringing ideas forward
• How our own protective responses unintentionally reinforce stagnant systems
• What to say to coworkers and leaders when you notice this pattern
• A practical, compassionate strategy to reclaim your voice—without burning out

• Repeatedly being told “no” changes our behavior—even when we care deeply.
• Emotional withdrawal is protective, but it also keeps our systems stuck.
• Sometimes the cycle isn’t a leadership issue—it’s a culture issue.
• Speaking up again requires both courage and strategy—and it's okay to start small.

If you’ve been feeling disengaged at work—or watching your team shut down—this episode might name something you’ve struggled to articulate. Listen with curiosity and self-compassion. You’re not broken. But there is a way forward.

• Ask yourself: “Where have I stopped trying—and why?”
• Share this episode with a colleague and start a real conversation about what’s keeping you stuck
• Use the scripts I share to name the pattern (with your team or your boss)
• Reframe “no” as data—not a reflection of your value
• Decide: is it time to shift your strategy… or shift your environment?

• Share this episode with a coworker and talk about where you’ve both felt shut down
• DM me on Instagram @nursing.the.system if you want help navigating this
• Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future mindset + leadership tools
• Leave a review if this helped you—it really does help the show reach more nurse leaders

If you've ever felt like you were handed the keys to a leadership role and left to figure it out on your own—this one's for you. In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the making of Nurse Leader HQ, a brand new 6-month mentorship and mastermind for nurse leaders who are done winging it and ready to lead with clarity, strategy, and support. You’ll hear why I built this, what makes it different, and what you can expect inside this high-touch container.

• The real gap in leadership support that Nurse Leader HQ is designed to fill
• Why private coaching alone isn’t enough to meet the growing needs of nurse leaders
• The 3-part structure of the program: private coaching, mastermind community, and leadership lab
• What’s included inside the program—and who it’s built for
• A behind-the-scenes coaching conversation with a graduating client (that might just make you cry)

• Being a great nurse doesn’t automatically prepare you to lead in complex systems.
• You’re not behind—you just haven’t had the right support yet.
• Leadership growth takes time, but you shouldn’t have to figure it out alone.
• The best leaders build their systems before they burn out.

Whether you're already in a formal role or you’re preparing to step into one, listen with an open mind to what kind of support you actually need—not just what you’ve been offered. Ask yourself: what would be different in your workday if you had a space to process, strategize, and grow?

• Join the Waitlist for Nurse Leader HQ: Applications open June 2 at 8am PT—waitlist members get first access
• Assess Your Leadership Support: Are you being mentored, or are you just managing?
• Block Time for Strategic Work: Start practicing what we teach inside NLHQ now—set aside calendar space for long-term thinking
• Reflect: What would your future self thank you for learning now?

🚨 Nurse Leader HQ Applications Open June 2

This is a small, high-touch cohort (only 5–7 spots). If you're even considering applying, get on the waitlist now so you can review all the details and be ready when the link goes live.

• ✅ Join the Nurse Leader HQ Waitlist
• 📩 DM me on Instagram @nursing.the.system with any questions

If you are curious how I juggle a corporate leadership role and run Nursing the System, this episode is for you!

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and walking you through exactly how I structure my week—day by day, hour by hour. This is the behind-the-scenes of how I balance strategic leadership, client coaching, content creation, and actual human needs like sleep, fitness, and friendship.

Whether you’re in a high-capacity season yourself or just craving more intention in how you manage your energy and calendar, this episode is a deep dive into systems-thinking for your life.

• My full weekly routine—from Monday meetings to weekend voice notes and podcasting
• How I break down work by energy level and environment (and why that matters)
• Why I’m intentionally not aiming for balance in 2025—and what I’m optimizing for instead
• The 3 types of work nurse leaders must design for: Recurring, Reactive, and Strategic
• How I protect space for long-term planning while still staying responsive

• Systems thinking isn’t just for patient care—it works for time management, too.
• If your calendar doesn’t reflect your goals, your weeks won’t produce the life you want.
• Nurse leaders often spend too much time in reactive mode. Carve out time for strategic work on purpose.
• Your week doesn’t have to be “balanced”—it has to be aligned with your season, values, and vision.
• Calendaring is leadership. And you can design your calendar to work with your energy instead of against it.

Start with these reflection questions:

• What’s recurring in your work and life? What days/times are best for those tasks?
• What’s strategic and needs deep thinking time? Where can you protect space for that?
• What’s reactive, and how can you buffer time to handle it without derailing everything else?

Then ask:

• When is my energy highest for focused work?
• Where do I need community, rest, or creative time to feel like a human?

Design around your own data—not someone else’s ideal week.

📝 Nurse Leader Headquarters – Join the Waitlist

• A high-touch, small-cohort leadership program for nurse managers who are ready to lead with clarity, strategy, and confidence. Applications open June 2.

📥 System Sunday Email List

• Weekly voice notes turned into grounded, honest emails—designed to help you reset and reorient each week as a nurse changemaker.

• Follow Claire on IG: @nursing.the.system