Rebel Nurse

This week on the podcast we have Chad Rains, RN, BSN, MBA. He is the Vice President of Customer Experience at a medical device/medtech company based out of California.

I am really excited about this episode because it shows you how far you can take your nursing degree. Not every job that is well suited for nurses, requires a nursing degree. However, your nursing degree is what will set you apart from your competition. And today's episode with Chad demonstrates that.

But before we dive in, Chad tells us about his journey into nursing. He started out as a medical assistant in an orthopedic clinic and worked his way up. And when I say WORKED, I mean it. He worked nights and weekends cleaning carpets so that he could go to his clinicals and finish his nursing degree.

Chad talks about the importance of building your network as a nurse. He talks specifically about the medical device industry and how uniquely nurses are positioned to compete and work in this field.

His path into nursing was not an easy one. It took determination and perserverance. And his story is such an inspiration!

Please feel free to reach out to Chad on LinkedIn: click here

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing.

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This week on the podcast we have Jonathan V. Llamas, DNP. He is a psychiatric nurse practitioner!

I am so excited for you to hear Jonathan's story. Jonathan, by his own admission, had a rocky start into nursing. But he worked hard and via sheer will and determination, he conquered his fears and graduated.

He first started out in the Emergency Room. Not necessarily due to any great passion for ER nursing - it's just what he thought he should do. However, over time, he found his way into psychiatric nursing and then eventually became a nurse practitioner in this specialty.

His path into nursing was not an easy one. It took determination and perserverance. And his story is such an inspiration.

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

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This week on the podcast we have Amy Honeycutt, RN, BSN. She is an Organ Allocation Coordinator that works for the University of California San Diego (UCSD).

Amy is an RN and obtained her BSN - however, her path to organ donation was not straight-forward. Amy herself is an organ recipient! She had an allergic reaction to a medication that caused her to go into acute liver failure. She found herself in need of a liver transplant immediately.

Amy had already intended on going to nursing school (she was in the process of completing her pre-requisistes) when this happened to her. And this medical emergency is what steered her toward the organ donation specialty.

Amy tells us her personal transplant story, how she got into her current position as an Organ Allocation Coordinator, and gives us advice on how nurses/nursing students can get into this amazing specialty and field!

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

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This week on the podcast we have Rachel Potter. She is the Assistant Director in Continuing Professional Development for the Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing at Texas A&M

She has obtained her BSN from Radford University. Laura first started her nursing career critical care. She was there for several years and then moved to the Emergency Room. While in the ER, she discovered the specialty of forensic nursing.

In her current position, Rachel and her organization's mission is to provide education at minimal cost to nurses in Texas & throughout US who want to become forensic nurses or SANEs

Rachel tells us how she got into her position, how to become a forensic nursing, how to increase your knowledge, how to work for a university as a forensic nurse - all the things!

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

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Texas A&M Center Of Excellence Forensic Nursing website

This week on the podcast we have Jolie Crowder, RN, MSN, PhD. She is a National Elder Health Consultant for IHS (Indian Health Services)!

Part of the mission of the organization Jolie works for is "to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level".

Jolie's work specifically focuses on Alzheimer's and dementia education in the elder population of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Jolie takes us through her nursing journey and her discovery of this patient population. She also gives advice for nurses who want to work for the federal government: where to go, how long positions stay open, possible requirements, etc. She says IHS is always hiring nurses!

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in learning more!

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This week we have a little different approach to the podcast and I'm really excited about it! Instead of it being an interview with a nurse, we are having a conversation that is FOR nurses that many will find helpful. Today, I sit down with Jordan Syatt. I have been following him on Instagram for some time and I absolutely love his approach to fitness and nutrition. It is common sense and easy to achieve. Here is Jordan's bio:

"Jordan Syatt is a short, bald, Harry Potter nerd with an affinity for Deadlifting and also happens to be Gary Vaynerchuk's personal trainer. Jordan began Syatt Fitness, his online fitness coaching business, from his dorm at the University of Delaware in 2011 and has become one of the industry's leading experts in strength training, nutrition, and behavioral psychology. One of the only people in the world to deadlift 4x his own body weight, Jordan's work has been featured all over the world including a variety of media publications such as CNN, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Men's Health Magazine, Men's Fitness Magazine, and Schwarzenegger.com"

Let me know what you think and if this episode helped you!!

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Find Jordan here

This week on the podcast we have Ayla Roberts, BSN, MSN. She is a freelance healthcare writer who is a nurse!

Ayla started her nursing career by obtaining her BSN. Though, it wasn't her first choice, she started on a med/surg floor and then went into pediatrics. Ayla had always loved writing but didn't start by knowing that you could combine nursing and writing into one career! She was on maternity leave and starting thinking of jobs/ways she could be more present with her family and still use her nursing degree: enter freelance writing.

Ayla takes us through her nursing journey, her discovery of freelance writing and how she got started. She also gives you tips and ideas on how to start that journey yourself if that is something that interests you!

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

Ayla's website: Ayla's website

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This week on the podcast we have Courtney Pladsen, BSN, DNP. She is the Director of Clinical & Quality Improvement at the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council. She has obtained her BSN from Boston College. Courtney first started her nursing career in the Emergency Room and then went on to obtain her DNP and work with the homeless population.

Courtney always had a passion for politics and advocacy at the federal level. She takes us through her journey as a nurse and how she went from an ER nurse to getting her DNP, to working with the homeless, to her current position. She highlights the importance of nursing advocating for patients at the national level and how important the nursing experience is. People listen to NURSES!

Courtney also tells us about her own personal history and how it shaped her nursing career and compassion for this patient population.

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

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This week on the podcast we have Laura Klenke-Borgmann. She is a clinical associate professor at the University of Kansas, School of Nursing. She has obtained her BSN, MSN, and PhD. Laura first started her nursing career in the Emergency Room and then went on to do travel nursing in New York City! She later realized her passion for teaching when she was a preceptor on the floor. She went on to get her MSN and then later her PhD.

As a clinical associate professor, she teaches the very dreaded pathophysiology class! However, she wanted to find a way to better bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and the actual work nurses do on the floors. Enter, simulation labs.

Laura has conducted multiple studies in relation to simulation labs and nursing learning/knowledge. Today, she tells us about those studies and how nurses can get involved and work in simulation labs.

Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

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This week on the podcast we have Rosina Garcia, BSN. She is a pediatric ECMO nurse at one of the largest children's hospitals in Los Angeles, CA. When Rosina first started out in nursing, she had multiple epiphanies in what exactly she wanted to do in nursing and found herself loving pediatrics.

As she was working in a pediatric ICU, she discovered ECMO nursing and started asking questions. (ECMO = Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation). And she eventually made the transition into that specialty.

In today's episode, she tells us how their ECMO department is organized, what ECMO is and why nurses are a good fit, how many shifts you work, what you do during your shift, plus so much more.

Her passion for ECMO nursing is contagious! Be sure and listen to this episode and share with others who might be interested in this amazing opportunity in nursing!

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