In this episode, Sara and Amie interview guest Bruce Sackman, a former Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations about the Florida Nursing License Scandal.

We also discuss Netfilx’s The Good Nurse, a true story based Charles Edmund Cullen an American serial killer. Cullen, a nurse, murdered dozens – possibly hundreds – of patients during a 16-year career spanning several New Jersey medical centers, until being arrested in 2003. 

Bruce Sackman served as the Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Northeast Field Office until May 2005 when he retired after 32 years’ service. In this capacity, he was responsible for all major criminal investigations involving VA from West Virginia to Maine. During his tenure he was involved in hundreds of investigations involving allegations of fraud, corruption, false claims, thefts, patient assaults, pharmaceutical drug diversions and suspicious hospital deaths. 

Bruce is a former self-employed licensed private investigator in New York City specializing in healthcare related matters. Under contract he had directed major investigations for a large New York metropolitan regional healthcare system.

He is the co-author of the book “Behind the Murder Curtain, Special Agent Bruce Sackman Hunts Doctors and Nurses Who Kill Our Veterans”.

Find Bruce at:

https://behindthemurdercurtain.com/

https://www.amazon.ca/Behind-Murder-Curtain-Special-Veterans/dp/1682617149 

Thanks to WeRPN for sponsoring this episode!

We want to share an amazing opportunity for RPNs & PSWs in Ontario! Designed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, WeRPNs Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing program (aka BEGIN) is a tuition reimbursement program for eligible students enrolled in bridging programs. To learn more, go to https://begin.werpn.com/ or email [email protected]

The Gritty Nurses decided to team up with another Canadian medical podcast duo, Doctor vs. Comedian, for this episode! Get ready for some lighthearted comedy!

Dr Asif Doja is a pediatric neurologist and Ali Hassan is a stand up comedian and actor (CBC‘s Laugh Out Loud, Designated Survivor, Goon) who are each fascinated by what the other one does. In each episode, Asif picks a topic for Ali from comedy and entertainment and questions Ali about it. Then Ali picks a topic from medicine and health and grills Asif on that subject. 

We discuss the hilarious story of how Asif and Ali met in smalltown East Coast Canada and created the podcast. How do they come up with their topics compared to Amie and Sara? They discuss stories of being people of colour in mainstream media, celebrities who are vocal about their health issues, their favourite episodes and the hottest topics in healthcare right now!

Follow Doctor vs. Comedian:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorVComedian 

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

Contact Doctor vs. Comedian:

[email protected]

https://www.doctorvscomedian.com/ 

Follow the Gritty Nurse Podcast:

Website: https://www.grittynurse.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grittynursepodcast 

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gritty.nurse.podcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrittyNurse 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grittynurse 

Thanks to WeRPN for sponsoring this episode!

We want to share an amazing opportunity for RPNs & PSWs in Ontario! Designed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, WeRPNs Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing program (aka BEGIN) is a tuition reimbursement program for eligible students enrolled in bridging programs. To learn more, go to https://begin.werpn.com/ or email [email protected] 

Trigger warning (intimate partner violence and sexual assault): the stories discussed in this episode may be triggering for some. 

In this episode, Amie and Sara talk about two very shocking stories about nurses who were brutally murdered by their partners, and the common themes between both of them. 

Story 1: Susan Chen, a nurse at Sick Kids Hospital and mother of 5, subjected to years of physical, verbal and sexual abuse, was found dead in 2019 on her bathroom floor from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Surprisingly, her killer was also a nurse.

Story 2: Rebecca Bliefnick, a registered nurse who was going to become a nurse practitioner and mother of 3,  whose husband is accused of her murder. She had a restraining order against her husband when was shot to death in her home. He was known for being a contestant on Family Feud, where he made misogynistic comments on the show. 

They discuss the need for stronger policies, support and protection for women who are abused by their partners. They talk about the cycle of abuse and toxic masculinity. 

If you or something you know is a victim of intimate partner violence, please reach out by talking to someone you trust. 

Related links:

MANDEL: Mom of five speaks from the grave at husband's murder trial

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/mandel-mom-of-five-speaks-from-the-grave-at-husbands-murder-trial  

A Scarborough man is on trial for the murder of his wife Susan Chen, a nurse

https://globalnews.ca/video/8920808/a-scarborough-man-is-on-trial-for-the-murder-of-his-wife-susan-chen-a-nurse  

SickKids nurse was killed in sex assault by husband, judge rules, dismissing defence’s ‘fantastic claims’

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/02/22/sick-kids-nurse-was-killed-in-sex-assault-by-husband-judge-rules-dismissing-defences-fantastic-claims.html?fbclid=IwAR1mqVD1Mowe1drQhM_NluwZCh2_qVVd2CnxrthzZ3qJmCBr3WXBpVm5FSs  

Illinois Nurse Allegedly Killed by Estranged Husband with Bizarre History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls7cYRh_kNM  

Rebecca Bliefnick obituary

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/whig/name/rebecca-bliefnick-obituary?id=48787337  

Rebecca Bliefnick Gofundme

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sf6w9h-becky-bliefnick-memorial-and-support-fund 

Resources:

Government of Canada family violence resources

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence/services.html 

CASW Domestic Violence Resources

https://www.casw-acts.ca/en/resources/domestic-violence-resources 

CDC Intimate Partner Violence

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html 

Thanks to WeRPN for sponsoring this episode!

We want to share an amazing opportunity for RPNs & PSWs in Ontario! Designed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, WeRPNs Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing program (aka BEGIN) is a tuition reimbursement program for eligible students enrolled in bridging programs. To learn more, go to https://begin.werpn.com/ or email [email protected] 

In this episode, Amie & Sara discuss the case of nurse DonQuenick Joppy with nurse Amanda Golino. Ms. Joppy, a Black nurse claims she faced racial discrimination at an Aurora hospital that led to her being wrongly prosecuted for manslaughter in the death of an elderly patient. We agree. The criminal charges, brought by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, were later dropped at the prosecution’s request “in the interest of justice,” a motion to dismiss shows. Where is the same outrage/energy nursing colleagues had for Radonda Vaught? This could happen to any nurse too. Please elevate and amplify Ms. Joppy's story.

 https://www.denverpost.com/2022/05/04/donquenick-joppy-lawsuit-medical-center-aurora/

Full case transcript here: https://www.scribd.com/document/572914029/DonQuenick-Joppy-sues-hospital#

Sharing DQs fundraiser for legal fees: http://spot.fund/wdwcvsc

Venmo is @GiveUsOurHarvest and her 

CashApp is $DonQuenick 

Denver Post article: https://www.denverpost.com/2022/05/04/donquenick-joppy-lawsuit-medical-center-aurora/ 

DailyKos: https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2022/5/5/2095876/--It-s-wild-Black-nurse-sues-hospital-after-she-was-targeted-with-unjust-criminal-charges

Hashtags on Twitter: #IStandWithDonQuenick #RacismInNursing #JusticeForDQ

Nurses being abused on the job is unfortunately common, but what happens when it's the other way around?

In this episode, Amie and Sara discuss the shocking case of baby Nikko, whose nurse was caught slamming him down face first into a bassinet, with video evidence to prove it. They discuss the event, was happened afterwards, and steps that should be taken to prevent a situation like this from happening again.

They discuss the idea of Family Integrated Care, more transparency and screening in the hiring process, and legal actions. Patients and especially Infants being abused by nurses should NEVER occur!

Video shows New York NICU nursing slamming baby into bassinet: 

https://youtu.be/6enuQUkVQDE 

Could you be a badass nurse entrepreneur?

So many of us want to be our own boss, but don’t actually know how! In this episode, we have not just one but THREE nurse entrepreneurs sharing their hacks: nurse and healthcare writer Janine Kelbach, and of course Sara and Amie!

Janine Kelbach, BSN RNC-OB, is a wife, mom of 2 boys (and a Great Dane), educator and author of the book, Entreprenurse: 30+ Nurses Turn Into Business Owners and Share Their Secrets to Success. She has been a Freelance Health Content Writer since 2013 and is the CEO of Write RN. She hosts The Savvy Scribe Podcast and owns SavvyNurseWriter.com. Her team of RN writers help healthcare companies with their content and social needs.

We discuss the ins and outs of owning your own business as a nurse, and what the 3 Fs stand for. If you’re even a little bit interested in owning your own business this episode is for you. 

In this episode, nurses and healthcare advocates Amie Archibald-Varley & Sara Fung discuss the strike of over 7000+ nurses in New York and their victory. The crisis surrounding safe patient-nurse ratios, a larger nursing workforce and low morale is a universal and International nursing issue—should more nurses across the globe go on strike? If so- tell us where and when- we ride at dawn. “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; But make it hot by striking”~ William Bultler Yeats. “The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress”~ Martin Luther King

Subscribe to our YouTube: @grittynursepodcast

Twitter: @grittynurse @amievarley @saramfung

IG: @Gritty.nurse.podcast @amievarley @saramfung

Links to resources/ Written Credits: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/nyregion/nurses-strike-ends-nyc.html

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/12/business/nyc-nurses-strike-ends/index.html

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/nurses-ratify-contracts-after-strike-at-two-nyc-hospitals-1.6243855

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-the-nyc-nurses-strike-points-to-a-nationwide-problem-with-staffing

https://www.vox.com/health-care/2023/1/11/23548236/nyc-nurses-strike-2023-mount-sinai-montefiore-hospitals

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-64375244

Video Clip: Credit: 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/business/nurses-strike-staff-shortage-problem/index.html

In this episode, nurses and healthcare advocates Amie Archibald-Varley & Sara Fung discuss the new privatization clinics and hospitals proposed by the Ford government in Canada and Ontario. We also discuss strategies for how people can get involved in making changes and protecting our current system. 

“That’s the standard technique of privatization: Defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital”~ Noam Chomsky.

#privatization #healthcare #health #canada #ontario #surgery #privateclinics #forprofit #hospital #care #caplitalism #upselling #OHIP #nursing #Nurse #podcast #upselling #twotieredsystem #dougford #slyviajones #grittynurse #AmieArchibaldVarley #SaraFung #advocates #equity #healthequity #medicare #medicaid 

Links to resources/ Written Credits: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nd_lJCWOUM Noam Chomsky 

https://cupe.ca/fords-plan-expand-private-clinics-ontario-will-cost-patients-dearly-risk-lives-and-significantly

https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/Back_Front-1.png

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-doug-ford-private-clinics-health-care-1.6712444

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-doug-ford-surgery-wait-times-private-sector-clinics-1.6715340

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2023/01/19/the-warnings-about-doug-ford-and-private-health-care-are-coming-true.html

Video Clip: Credit: 

https://www.tvo.org/video/is-expanding-private-health-care-the-right-move-for-ontario

Welcome Back to Season 4 of The Gritty Nurse Podcast! Our first episode back is about nursing icks. What in the hell got into these nurses why they thought this was ok? We discuss our takes as Maternal Child nurses/OB nurses, give other options for "venting" and discuss how social media can be used by nurses in a more productive way. Forgive our crazy video setup! We are just getting started using videos and video editing! Next episode we will have 3 cameras....please pray for us.

Your Gritty Nurses, Amie & Sara

Articles:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stefficao/labor-nurse-icks-tiktok-emory-healthcare-apology

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/emory-hospital-nurses-no-longer-employed-after-viral-tiktok-criticizing-labor-and-delivery-patients/85-2b9c8730-9949-4e1c-b5e3-2be4de04e297

https://nypost.com/2022/12/13/atlanta-nurses-who-mocked-expectant-moms-in-tiktok-video-fired-from-emory-healthcare-hospital/

#ticktock #trending #trendingvideo #nursingicks #nursing #healthcare #podcast #nurse #labouranddelivery #icks #new #news #video #socialmedia #grittynurse #donttrythisathome #work #YouTube #hospital

 In this episode, the Gritty Nurses say goodbye to 2022! We discuss our Spotify Wrapped Stats, our favourite episodes of 2022 and what to expect from us in 2023. The only place to go is up! We will be moving to a bi-weekly schedule (episodes will still be released on Thursdays) but we will also be going visual! You will still be able to find us on all of your favourite listening platforms and now watch us on our youtube channel. We also are planning to do more in-person engagements (A Gritty Nurse Tour- perhaps)! So stay tuned, stay safe and stay blessed! Thank you for listening to us for 3 seasons!!!

Happy Holidays to all~Love Amie & Sara