The Conversing Nurse podcast

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It was great reconnecting this week with my old friend and colleague, Rochelle Caldwell. Now let me rephrase that: we are not old, our friendship has just happened to span 43 years.  Rochelle is a labor and delivery nurse and an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and since that’s a mouthful, let’s just say an IBCLC. She was inspired to pursue this career path by another nurse, also an IBCLC who witnessed her interactions with postpartum mothers and recognized her potential. As a labor and delivery nurse, she is uniquely poised to observe newborn baby behavior, provide lactation education, and advocate for the breastfeeding needs of the mother/baby dyad.  According to Rochelle, empathy is the most critical characteristic a nurse can have when working with breastfeeding families. It requires the ability to understand their perspective and meet them where they are.  In the five-minute snippet: I’m cold just thinking about it! For Rochelle's bio, visit my website (link below).
International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners: https://iblce.org/
International Lactation Consultant Association: https://ilca.org/
The United States Lactation Consultant Association: https://uslca.org/
National Lactation Consultant Alliance: https://nlca.us/
Monetary Investment for Lactation Consultant Certification:https://milcc.org/

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Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
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I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

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This week, I had an informative conversation with the Founder and CEO of the CRNA School Prep Academy, Jenny Finnell. Like a great nurse entrepreneur, Jenny identified a need: CRNA candidates were struggling to get into these highly competitive schools. So she created the Academy, a place where potential students can find resources on how to land the all-important interview, how to make themselves stand out in a crowd of candidates, how to improve their emotional intelligence, and important financial coaching because CRNA school is expensive! If being a CRNA is even remotely on your radar, you need to find Jenny now. And she's easy to find. When I said she’s everywhere, she is, she’s everywhere. Her website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, podcast, and blog are packed full of highly sought-after information for the CRNA candidate to find and secure placement in a school, making them one step closer to achieving their dream. And Jenny’s generosity of mentorship makes this possible. In the five-minute snippet: who needs the lottery? For Jenny's bio, visit my website (link below).
FREE 29-pg Guide on How to Become a CRNA: https://www.cspaedu.com/3m9jgffp
Website: https://crnaschoolprepacademy.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/crnaschoolprepacademy
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crnaschoolprepacademy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crnaschoolprepacademy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teachrn/
American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology: https://www.aana.com/
Coursera Free Writing Courses: https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=free
Jenny's bookshop on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/lists/crna-jenny-finnell-founder-ceo-of-crna-school-prep-academy

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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Kristin Hansen is an enthusiastic, energetic, and highly skilled PICC nurse. However, she admits that it wasn't always easy for her to transition from starting IVs on premature babies in the NICU to placing PICC lines on adults. But with practice and persistence, she learned everything about this interesting nursing specialty and we are so lucky she is sharing her knowledge with us. Kristin explained the criteria for becoming a PICC candidate, the technologies used, the teamwork required, professional organizations, and much more. If you have decent IV skills, can work independently, and have an affinity for bright, shiny objects, PICC nursing could be for you. And if your hospital doesn’t have a PICC team, step up and start one! In the five-minute snippet: well, you’ll just have to hear this one for yourself. For Kristin's bio, visit my website (link below)
Instagram
Professional Organizations:
Certified PICC Ultrasound Inserter
Vascular Access Certification (VA-BC)
Vascular Access Society
Society for Vascular Nursing (SVN)
Association for Vascular Access (AVA)
Infusion Nurse Society
Kristin's go-to for teaching:
The IV Guy Instagram

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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This week I had an informative and fun conversation about money with my guest, nurse, and finance coach, April Waddell. Yes, you heard me right, I said fun. Talking about money can create anxiety in some and I’m no different but April’s positive and hopeful spirit helped me keep calm and carry on.

After retiring from her work as a Pediatric ICU nurse, April founded Nurse Money Date, a financial coaching business and you’ll love hearing the reason behind the name. I never considered seeking out a fellow nurse for financial advice but this may have been a mistake because April helps nurses feel comfortable with money through leveraging their experience in nursing and by using language they understand: the nursing process. And this is genius.

April’s goal is to uplift nurses financially so they can stay in the profession they love and feel in control of the work they do. In the five-minute snippet: it’s a 1970s disco flashback.
LinkedIn
April's website
April's Instagram
April's Facebook
Money Personality Quiz

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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Myra Gamble is so chill and laid-back, it’s hard to believe she’s a Trauma ICU nurse. She’s also done emergency room nursing, hospice, home health, cath lab, interventional radiology, and telemetry. And I imagine that such a wide range of experience has only made her a better ICU nurse.
As I listened to her recount stories from the COVID ICU, I remembered the toll it took on so many healthcare professionals. I loved hearing how she organizes her day (she may have a touch of OCD), and how it's vital in a busy ICU to have appropriate ratios and break nurses.
We talked about what it means to be part of a tribe and for Myra, the deep connections she has with her coworkers have certainly enriched her life.
She’s now enriching others’  lives through her business, Travel with a Tribe, LLC. Myra helps travelers find joy in experiencing new places, cultures, people, and food, don’t forget the food. She makes it so easy, all you have to do is show up and what could be more alluring to busy medical professionals than to have everything done for you? Maybe more PTO? Yeah, more PTO. Myra’s philosophy is life is too short to not use your PTO so get off the couch, get on a plane, and see the world! 
In the five-minute snippet: Food, don’t forget the food! For Myra's bio, visit my website (link below).
Traveling with Myra IG
TravelJoy website
Travel with a Tribe Facebook
Myra Gamble LinkedIn
Email

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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My guest this week, Lynn John, is a smart, tenacious woman. Deciding in high school to become a nurse, Lynn was told that would never happen. Armed with a prove-them-wrong attitude, she forged on and obtained her Master's in nursing. But after several years of working under institutional abuse in the form of unsafe staffing and mandatory overtime, she realized she did not want to be boxed into a W-2 job until retirement. So she switched gears and started a real estate investment consulting business. And what she's accomplished in a few short years is no less than phenomenal. She now teaches fellow nurses how to create financial freedom through real estate investing. And no, she is not encouraging nurses to leave the profession. Nurses are coming to her because, like her, they love being nurses, but want more freedom over when, where, and how much they want to work. So, in a way, she's saving the nursing profession. In the five-minute snippet, does anyone have an EpiPen? For Lynn's bio, visit my website (link bio).
Lynn's Instagram
Boss Nurse Lynn website

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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Cassidie Thomas is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. This week, I had a conversation with her about fertility nursing, which is a fascinating field that I knew little about until now.
I learned that fertility nurses take care of a diverse group of patients, including couples who struggle with infertility, egg donors, individuals, surrogates, and cancer patients who want to preserve their eggs for future use. These patients often undergo hormone treatments and surgical procedures, and they are going through emotionally challenging times. Therefore, if you want to pursue a career in fertility nursing, you need to have a high level of emotional intelligence.
I could hear Cassidie's enthusiasm as she spoke about the importance of building rapport and maintaining relationships with people who are facing major life changes.
And speaking of major life changes, Cassidie herself is a few months away from becoming a  DNP-FNP! She pursued this goal so that as a school nurse consultant, she’ll be instrumental in educating school nurses on the mental health needs of students. In the five-minute snippet: Hot feet? She's got a remedy for that! For Cassidie's bio, visit my website (link below).
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Nurse Certificate Course in Reproductive Medicine
NASM Conference
WIN Conference
Cassidie's LinkedIn

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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**This episode discusses suicide, depression, and addiction, which may be triggering topics for some. Reach out to a mental health professional if you are experiencing depression, addiction, or suicidal ideation**
Mental Health Resouces for Healthcare Workers and First Responders:
National Alliance on Mental Health
(Nurse-Led):
Debriefing the Front Lines
Don't Clock Out

If you like wild rides, you will love listening to my guest this week, a Registered Nurse, First Assist, and my little brother, Bill Patty.
With 38 years of operating room experience, from a surgical tech to a circulating nurse and culminating as an RNFA, he paints a very clear picture of what the job entails. And as Bill says, 'church mice need not apply.'
We talked about the schooling and experience you need for this advanced practice degree, the certifications, professional organizations, and the roles of all the OR players. I learned that the job is highly technical and physically demanding, but also extremely rewarding, and for Bill, the joy of his life.
We had a candid discussion about his medical retirement from the OR and how the loss of his nurse identity catapulted him into the darkness of suicidal ideation and fueled his alcoholism.
His answer to my question, 'What do people misunderstand about you?' made me rethink my judgment towards addicts.
In the five-minute snippet: Customer service, what's that?
For Bill's bio, visit my website (link below).
Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses
National Assistant at Surgery Certification
Certified Nurse-Operating Room

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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Hey guys! Today I’m talking about retirement because it's been two years since I retired from nursing! And for anybody who's been with me for a while, you've heard me talk about the challenges of retirement, and there certainly have been some. There have also been many blessings and we'll talk about those too, so let’s get to it!
The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory
Becker's Clinical Leadership article: Crisis Looms as 800,000 Nurses Plan to Exit the Workforce by 2027
Top 10 Financial Mistakes After Retirement PDF

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

This week I had a great conversation about all things remote nursing. My guests are Maggie Lajaunie, Head of Clinical Services, and Blaire McElroy,  Clinical Services manager for the remote care company, Veta Health.
I came into the conversation with ZERO knowledge about what remote nursing entailed and I left with a new appreciation of it.
Like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes that day because once again, I was blown away by these two dynamic nurse leaders. They elevate the patient experience by first enhancing the nurse experience and provide nurses with the necessary tools and training to be successful and happy in their remote work.
I have always admired nurses who help other nurses, and Maggie and Blaire have my utmost respect.
In the five-minute snippet: we switched it up to a version of the Newlywed Game and it’s evident Maggie and Blaire’s partnership is truly inspiring. For Maggie's and Blaire's bio, visit my website (link below).
Veta Health
Veta Health LinkedIn
Maggie's LinkedIn
Blaire's LinkedIn

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast 

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!