The FreshRN Podcast with Kati Kleber

In this episode, we dive into the art of giving and receiving nursing reports during your shift—especially when the pressure is on. Whether you’re dealing with nit-picky nurses, feeling intimidated by experienced colleagues, or handling less-than-friendly handoffs, this episode is for you.

We’ll share realistic examples of challenging moments, offer strategies for managing your emotions and reactions, and teach you how to respond with confidence and professionalism. Plus, I introduce my new Nursing Report Masterclass, part of the New Grad RN Toolkit, designed to help you feel prepared and empowered in your nursing career.

👉 Ready to level up your report skills? Check out the Nursing Report Masterclass at https://www.courses.freshrn.com/p/toolkit

Get notified about my Black Friday sale + a special discount ➡️ https://www.freshrn.com/black-friday-ready/

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FKr5QETZFbU 

Here’s what we cover:

 [0:27] Overview of the Report Masterclass

 [3:03] Examples of tricky interactions with off-going/oncoming nurses

 [5:38] Strategies to handle these moments gracefully

 [8:16] How to offer gentle pushback

 [16:33] Managing consistent negativity

{22:50] A sneak peek into my New Grad RN Toolkit

If you’re a new nurse, this episode will give you the tools to navigate one of the most challenging parts of your shift with poise. Tune in and take the first step toward mastering your nursing reports!

Free Nursing Resources 👇

Cardiac content: https://www.freshrn.com/cardiac-nursing/

Neuro content: https://www.freshrn.com/neuro-nursing/

Jobs and interviews: https://www.freshrn.com/nursing-jobs-interviews/

Nursing school: https://www.freshrn.com/nursing-student/

Ortho content: https://www.freshrn.com/ortho-nursing/

New grad support: https://www.freshrn.com/new-grad-nursing/

Professional development: https://www.freshrn.com/professional-development/

Critical care: https://www.freshrn.com/critical-care-icu-nursing/

Med-surg: https://www.freshrn.com/med-surg-nursing/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/

Click here for my podcast for students and new nurses: https://www.freshrn.com/podcast

Connect With Me Online!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn  

Are you preparing for a nursing job interview? Before you accept that offer, make sure you’re aware of the red flags that could signal a toxic work environment, burnout, or lack of support. In this video, we’ll uncover the most important warning signs every nurse should look out for during an interview—from vague answers about staffing ratios to comments about workload and training.

Whether you’re a new grad or an experienced nurse switching specialties, spotting these red flags early can save you from a stressful experience later on. We’ll cover what questions to ask, the subtle cues to observe, and how to trust your gut instincts to make the best decision for your career and well-being. 

Get notified about our Black Friday sale early with an exclusive discount: https://www.freshrn.com/black-friday-ready/

Learn more about Hired: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/hired

Get on my email list here: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/

Click here for my podcast for students and new nurses: https://www.freshrn.com/podcast

Connect With Me Online!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

X: https://X.com/Kati_Kleber

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn 

In today’s episode, expect to learn 10 different smart questions to ask in an interview. We first will discuss questions to ask during a screening interview with a general hiring manager, and then more specific questions for an interview with a nurse manager who could potentially be your next boss! Make a great impression with these thoughtful questions. 

If you want to have a written version of this, check out this blog post: https://www.freshrn.com/questions-to-ask-during-a-nursing-interview/

Check out the Hired course here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/hired

Sign up for the FreshRN email list here: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/

The FreshRN New Nurse Toolkit: https://www.courses.freshrn.com/p/toolkit  

We dig into a reader question for a newer charger nurse + some encouragement for those of you thinking of quitting.

0:14 Why I do this

1:46 My college journey and the price tag

3:44 Encouragement from Leah, RN

5:09 A helpful nursing resource

5:33 Career experience from Joy, RN

6:11 Encouragement from Jennifer, RN

6:46 Charge RN question from "Sarah"

8:54 Stepping into your earned authority

10:04 Dealing with challenging personalities

12:17 It's giving professional

13:50 Being a charge RN is like being the coach for a shift

15:54 What to do with gossip in the moment

17:19 Run a tight ship

19:14 A team mentality works tbh

23:05 Pls share kthanksbye 

My course for new charge nurses: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/charge-nurse-jump-start

Crafting Your Dream Career (affiliate link): https://freshrn--wholelifenurse.thrivecart.com/cydc/

All-Access Pass: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

YouTube video on Commanding Respect vs. Earned Authority: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEzmFieWtUY&t=16s

Sign up for my email list: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/

My blog: https://www.freshrn.com/blog/

Follow me on social!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

X: https://x.com/Kati_Kleber

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn 

This episode is part of a PodSwap, where we swap episodes so each of our audiences can learn from one another! We are swapping episodes with Nurse Mo, MSN RN from Straight A Nursing. She currently works in the PACU, teaches in a BSN program, and manages her educational platform for nursing students.

In this episode, Nurse Mo is sharing all the reasons why older nursing students can (and do!) thrive in their programs. Hit play on this episode so you can focus on the positives, recognize your strengths, and realize it’s not too late to follow your dream!

(affiliate)  Crucial Concepts Bootcamp - Start nursing school ahead of the game, or reset after a difficult first semester with this nursing school prep course, Crucial Concepts Bootcamp. Learn key foundation concepts, organization and time management, dosage calculations, and so much more.

FREE CLASS – If all you’ve heard are nursing school horror stories, then you need this class! Join me in this on-demand session where I dispel all those nursing school myths and show you that YES… you can thrive in nursing school without it taking over your life!

Straight A Nursing Website - Learn nursing concepts and get tips to help you thrive in school and at the bedside.

Learn more about the FreshRN All-Access Pass here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

To see our latest course catalog (med-surg, ICU, precepting, charge nurse, ortho, cardiac, neuro courses, and more), click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside, and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/

Connect With Me Online!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn

Music credit: Keep My Cool by Benj Heard

We sit down with Will Kelly, MSN FNP-BC, who has experience as a telemetry nurse, ER nurse, ER nurse practitioner, and inpatient hospitalist. We discuss:

• Our first codes and lessons we learned

• Advice for students in clinical

• Tips for rapid response situations and calls

• How to be calm and collected in the face of controlled chaos

For ALL of our ICU nursing content: ​​https://www.freshrn.com/critical-care-icu-nursing/ 

For our free mini-course ICU Drips For Beginners, click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/icu-drips-for-beginners 

For a 14-page ECG cheatsheet: https://bit.ly/3Ws75NT

Will’s FreshRN course, ECG Rhythm Master: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/ecgmastery 

To learn more about our comprehensive ICU prep course, Breakthrough ICU: A Crash Course For New ICU Nurses, click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/breakthrough-icu 

Learn more about the FreshRN All-Access Pass here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

To see our latest course catalog (med-surg, ICU, precepting, charge nurse, ortho, cardiac, neuro courses, and more), click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside, and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/ 

Check out Will’s resources and website here: http://healthandwillness.org/ 

Connect With Me Online!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn

Music credit: Keep My Cool by Benj Heard

In this interview, Kati chats with Jeannie Cisney, MSN RN. She is a 20+ year veteran of the CVICU (cardiovascular intensive care unit). We discuss:

• The types of patients you’ll see in a CVICU

• Her favorite and least favorite types of patients

• A walkthrough of the patient pathway of a typical CABG patient

• New grad vs. experienced nurse orientation experience into CVICU

• Unexpected challenges of CVICU RNs

• The advice she’d give her younger self

Jeannie is my co-author of Cardiac Confidence, a Crash Course for New Cardiac Nurses. To learn more and enroll, click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/cardiac-confidence 

For a 14-page ECG cheatsheet: https://bit.ly/3Ws75NT

For a free mini-course on how to handle afib with RVR: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/afib-with-rvr 

For my cardiac assessment checklist: https://bit.ly/4aV6RTO

For ALL of our cardiac content: https://www.freshrn.com/cardiac-nursing/ 

Learn more about the FreshRN All-Access Pass here - https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

To see our latest course catalog (med-surg, ICU, precepting, charge nurse, ortho, cardiac, neuro courses, and more), click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside, and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/ 

Connect With Me Online!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn

Music credit: Keep My Cool by Benj Heard

In this episode, we are re-sharing an episode where we sit down with Sean Dent, DNP ACNP APRN, a highly experienced ICU nurse practitioner. We dig deep into the types of equipment you’ll run into in the ICU. These include:

• Arterial lines

• Different options for monitoring fluid status

• Cooling devices

• CRRT

• Hemodialysis catheters

• Impellas and aortic balloon pumps

• Internal pacing

• Proning devices 

These episodes were originally recorded in 2019, but the information is still incredibly relevant today for ICU nurses. This content is for informational purposes only; best practices may have changed. 

For ALL of our ICU nursing content: ​​https://www.freshrn.com/critical-care-icu-nursing/ 

For our free mini-course ICU Drips For Beginners, click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/icu-drips-for-beginners 

To learn more about our comprehensive ICU prep course, Breakthrough ICU: A Crash Course For New ICU Nurses, click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/breakthrough-icu 

Learn more about the FreshRN All-Access Pass here - https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

To see our latest course catalog (med-surg, ICU, precepting, charge nurse, ortho, cardiac, neuro courses and more), click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside, and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/ 

Connect With Me Online!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn

Music credit: Keep My Cool by Benj Heard

In this episode, Kati interviews Elizabeth Fields, MSN FNP APRN, a nurse practitioner specializing in orthopedics. She sees patients in the hospital after they undergo ortho surgery, so she works closely with acute care ortho nurses! In this episode, we discuss:

• What new ortho nurses struggle with most

• Common surgeries acute care patients undergo

• Why ortho nursing is so great

• How to impress providers

• Examples of cringe-worthy moments

• General tips and encouragement for new ortho nurses

If you want to catch the video of this interview AND get a PDF summary download of notes, click here: https://bit.ly/3wgp66S

If you enjoyed Elizabeth’s perspective, check out our comprehensive online course created just for new ortho nurses - Ortho STRONG: A Crash Course For New Ortho Nurses - https://courses.freshrn.com/p/ortho-nurse-crash-course 

Learn more about the FreshRN All-Access Pass here - https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

To see our latest course catalog (med-surg, ICU, precepting, charge nurse, ortho, cardiac, neuro courses and more), click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/ 

Connect With Me Online!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn

Music credit: Keep My Cool by Benj Heard

In this episode, Kati and two nursing professionals who interview new grad nurses for a well-known accredited nurse residency program walk through four common interview questions. We explore a bad and sub-par response as well as examples of dazzling responses.

The questions we outline are:

• Tell me about a mistake you have made.

• What are you most excited about, and what are you looking forward to most?

• Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.

• Tell me about a time you received feedback that was hard to hear.

For full notes on this episode, click here: https://www.freshrn.com/nursing-interview-questions-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/ 

For ALL of our nurse jobs and interview content: https://www.freshrn.com/nursing-jobs-interviews/ 

For our free 3-pack templates of nurse resumes, click here: https://bit.ly/3UIXpgI

For a PDF of the most common nurse interview questions, click here: https://bit.ly/3UGhsfu

For our ultimate guide to mastering nurse resumes and interviews, Hired, click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/p/hired 

Learn more about the FreshRN All-Access Pass here - https://courses.freshrn.com/p/membership

To see our latest course catalog (med-surg, ICU, precepting, charge nurse, ortho, cardiac, neuro courses, and more), click here: https://courses.freshrn.com/

Get weekly tips, encouragement, stories from the bedside, and more - just for nursing students and new nurses at: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/ 

Connect With Me Online!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshRN

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kati_Kleber

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Fresh_RN/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kati_kleber/

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freshrn

Music credit: Keep My Cool by Benj Heard