The Q Word Podcast

The Q Word Podcast episodes:

• 05.07.2024

  Hypovolemic Shock

  Nyssa and Lisa talk to Up My Nursing Game's host Annie Fulton as part of a special National Nurse's Week Podcrawl - a veritable cornucopia of all things shock related, shared across seven top medical podcasts!  Learn about hypovolemic shock,...

  
• 02.28.2024

  Decoding Urgency

  In this episode, we reveal the three (plus bonus) critical phrases that can make all the difference in patient care.  Lisa and Nyssa break down the significance of these ominous declarations, and discuss the swift decisive actions that ER nurses...

  
• 08.22.2023

  Checklists!

  Sometimes, the most complicated problems can be solved with the simplest solutions.  Nyssa and Lisa discuss “the checklist” - an elegant tool which revolutionized safety protocols in the field of aviation, and how they can - and should - be...

  
• 05.09.2023

  Button Batteries: Shiny Disks of Danger

  Coin-shaped button batteries are used in many common household items; they are often and easily picked up by toddlers and plopped directly into their mouths., where their alkaline properties can lead to fatal consequences.  Nyssa and Lisa talk to pediatric...

  
• 01.24.2023

  Paralysis Awareness in the ER

  RSI is a common high stakes procedure done in emergent airways in the ER, but imagine how your patients must feel if they regain awareness during paralysis. One patient said “it was the worst pain he’d ever had and it...

  
• 11.14.2022

  The Curse of the Q Word

  Superstitious behavior is one thing, but Nyssa and Lisa have found proof that saying the dreaded Q word in the ER may indeed have a quantifiable impact on whether or not you have an out-of-control shift.  Dive deep into the...

  
• 07.20.2022

  TikTok Challenges Gone Wrong

  Dumb people doing dumb things is nothing new, but Lisa and Nyssa - with special guest Dr. Cory Nonnemacher  - examine how the viral challenge trend has led to a whole new generation of dangerous stunts being performed for likes...

  
• 06.04.2022

  Human Trafficking and the ER Nurse, Part 2

  In the second half of this special two-part episode, Lisa and Nyssa continue their discussion of human trafficking, this time investigating how and why an ER visit offers a potential escape route to victims of this global criminal enterprise.  Learn...

  
• 05.27.2022

  Human Trafficking and the ER Nurse, Part 1

  Whether you know it or not, as a healthcare professional, you have probably encountered a victim of human trafficking at least once in your practice.  People of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and origins are trafficked every day, in every town...

  
• 04.13.2022

  The Emotional PPE Project

  Patients rely on nurses to alleviate their suffering, but what can nurses do to protect themselves from the weight and stress of providing care for the sick and dying?  Nyssa and Lisa talk to Ariel Brown and AnnMarie Papa about...

  
• 02.17.2022

  The Nurse Honor Guard

  The contribution a nurse makes to their community is heroic, and the Nurse Honor Guard was created to celebrate that contribution each time one of these heroes passes away.  Nyssa and Lisa speak with Julie Murray about this important and...

  
• 12.20.2021

  Three Case Studies

  Nurses can learn a lot from case studies but they run the risk of being pretty snoozey. Not these three stories! Check out these bizarre case studies and the ER lessons that we learn from them. Nyssa originally presented this...

  
• 12.04.2021

  RSI = Resuscitative Sequence Intubation

  In the critically ill trauma patient, optimizing airway, breathing, and circulation is not always as easy as the ABCs.  In this episode, Nyssa and Lisa discuss resuscitative sequence intubation and how it differs from a crash intubation or a delayed...

  
• 10.19.2021

  Truth, Justice, and a Better Supraglottic Airway

  Supraglottic airways are getting more and more spotlight time.  Nyssa and Lisa discuss how, when you have a patient that comes in from the prehospital world with a SGA airway in place, the best practice is to leave it alone...

  
• 07.13.2021

  All Ox is Not Equal

  In this special episode, recorded live at the FlightBridge ED FAST21 conference in Nashville in May, 2021 , Nyssa and Lisa reveal how and why one of the most ubiquitous tools used in every hospital and doctor's office may be inaccurate...

  
• 06.02.2021

  You're Under Arrest!

  Let's face it: treating arrest after a blunt trauma may very well be a daily experience in your practice, but the standard protocols for resuscitation can actually do as much harm as good.  Nyssa and Lisa talk to Dr. Amanda...

  
• 01.30.2021

  Managers vs. Makers

  Nyssa and Lisa review Paul Graham's classic productivity argument, and reframe it in the context of hospital employees, where the administration (a.k.a. managers) and the boots-on-the-ground medical personnel, specifically nurses (a.k.a. makers), are often at odds because of their...

  
• 11.15.2020

  Neurodivergent Trauma, Part 2

  In the second half of this special episode, Britanny Smith shares her carefully cultivated "Toolkit" with The Q Word Podcast audience, explaining to Lisa and Nyssa how to assemble one to use in your practice when facing the complex interactions...

  
• 10.11.2020

  Neurodivergent Trauma

  Following our Special Populations in Trauma series, and still sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC), Nyssa and Lisa talk with educator Brittany Smith about how to care for what can be considered the most special,...

  
• 08.24.2020

  Special Populations: The Geriatric Trauma Patient

  The four part Special Populations in Trauma series is sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC).  Each EMS region establishes an RTAC to monitor the trauma system in their area from the prevalence, prevention, improvement, education,...

  
• 08.17.2020

  Special Populations: The Bariatric Trauma Patient

  The four part Special Populations in Trauma series is sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC).  Each EMS region establishes an RTAC to monitor the trauma system in their area from the prevalence, prevention, improvement, education,...

  
• 08.10.2020

  Special Populations: Pediatric Patients

  The four part Special Populations in Trauma series is sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC).  Each EMS region establishes an RTAC to monitor the trauma system in their area from the prevalence, prevention, improvement, education,...

  
• 08.03.2020

  Special Populations: Pregnant Trauma Patients

  This four part Special Populations in Trauma series is sponsored by the Georgia Region V Regional Trauma Advisory Committee (RTAC).  Each EMS region establishes an RTAC to monitor the trauma system in their area from the prevalence, prevention, improvement, education,...

  
• 06.05.2020

  Climbing the Airway to HEAVEN

  The LEMON mnemonic device works well for scheduled surgeries or other stable pre-op patients, but not so great in the ER.  Nyssa and Lisa are joined by airway innovator Dave Olvera, who has developed a new way to think...

  
• 06.05.2020

  A Perfect Storm for a Lightning Strike

  It is undeniable that the COVID19 pandemic has forced everyone to operate differently, so Nyssa and Lisa investigate how to take advantage of this moment to effect positive, lasting changes in how healthcare professionals welcome this next, new generation of...

  
• 04.07.2020

  Love, from Nyssa and Lisa

  We see you.  We're with you.  We love you.

  
• 02.21.2020

  Churning and Burning ER Nurses

  It's no secret that working in the ER is a stressful job, but what is the real cost of carrying all the emotional burden inherent in life-and-death situations? Nyssa and Lisa have an in-depth discussion with Workr Beeing's Patricia and...

  
• 01.19.2020

  Nurse Led ACLS

  When team resuscitation is the goal, let the nurses run the algorithm, and let the doctors customize the code to the patient with differentials and Hs and Ts. So says Ashley Liebig in a discussion with Nyssa and...

  
• 11.05.2019

  The Pause

  ​Nyssa and Lisa have a heart to heart (to heart) with nurse Jonathan Bartels, pioneer and author of the Medical Pause - the practice of taking a moment to stop after the death of a patient.  Learn how this simple,...

  
• 09.24.2019

  Shining a Light and Moving the Needle

  Nyssa and Lisa sit down with photo-journalist and documentary filmmaker Carolyn Jones, whose fascination and respect for the nursing profession launched the 2014 film The American Nurse, 2017's Defining Hope, and her upcoming project, In Case of Emergency, which focuses exclusively on the...

  
• 09.02.2019

  Pediatric Red Flags

  Taking care of a child in the ER is a special kind of challenge, and a nurse's normal assessment tools often don't apply.  Listen in as Nyssa chats with Pediatric Emergency Room Director Rebecca Cogburn, and learn about early pediatric warning signs and...

  
• 09.02.2019

  Season 1 Trailer

  Have you heard The Q Word Podcast yet? Find out about the tips, trends, and taboos of emergency nursing by tuning in.  

  
• 06.17.2019

  How to Bring Home the Bandages

  Whether you're a baby nurse applying for your first job or a seasoned nurse looking for a new position, Nyssa and Lisa have the tips and tricks you need to impress potential employers. Don't be an unemployed clueless dinosaur in a low-cut...

  
• 04.28.2019

  The Worst Thing I've Ever Seen

  Lisa and Nyssa explore the question ER nurses are always asked: "what's the worst thing you've ever seen?" Learn why nurses respond the way they do, why it is not a good question for small talk, and why a better conversation starter might...

  
• 04.11.2019

  Air Supply: Outta Nothin' At All

  In the final installment of this trilogy of interviews, Nyssa and Lisa talk to the three Musketeers of airways - the Boone brothers Michael and Bryan, and Tyler Christifulli - about inflatable dinosaur suits, most excellent mustachios, and how and...

  
• 03.18.2019

  Dogmas, Sacred Cows and the Twitter Bird

  Nyssa and Lisa talk to Dr. Matt Astin, a long-term fixture in the ER and dedicated educator, about the dogmas and sacred cows in emergency care, the importance of social media in nursing practice, and what Goldilocks' three bears are doing...

  
• 01.05.2019

  Calm the Chaos

  Nyssa and Lisa interview Matt Perry, Director of the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency, and learn how nurses and medics - two different teams - work together towards the same goal, just like Krispy Kreme...

  
• 12.22.2018

  The Gift of Being There

  It is a widely accepted practice to have family present during the birth of a new baby, so why is it so uncommon for family to be near the bedside in the ER during the last moments of life?  In...

  
• 10.30.2018

  A Walk Among the Tombstones

  Nyssa and Lisa take a field trip to the Forest Hills Cemetery in the outskirts of Boston to visit the final resting places of several notable doctors and nurses who formalized the ​profession of nursing back in the good ol' days.  Join us on this...

  
• 10.24.2018

  Kickin' it at the Poison [Control] Center

  Nyssa tells Lisa about her field trip to the Georgia Poison Center to chat with long-time director Dr. Gaylord Lopez.  Learn from the man himself about what the Center does, how they do it, and why it is better to...

  
• 09.20.2018

  Imposter Syndrome

  Do you feel like you are making things up as you go along just to look like you know what you are doing?  Do you feel like you don't belong -- that someone made a mistake trusting you with the...

  
• 09.05.2018

  Dear ER Nurse, Love The Flight Crew

  Nyssa and Lisa talk about the intersection of experiences between the pre-hospital and ER. In this conversation - part one of the Q Word Podcast's first trilogy - Nyssa puts on her Air Flight helmet to discuss the choices she,...

  
• 08.19.2018

  To Epi or Not to Epi?

  For many years, epinephrine has been used as treatment for cardiac arrest, but a new study - PARAMEDIC2 - released by the New England Journal of Medicine, challenges that notion.  Nyssa and Lisa discuss the protocols, findings, ethics, and implications...

  
• 07.31.2018

  Gallows Humor

  Lisa and Nyssa tackle one of the biggest taboos in emergency medicine: laughter in the ER.  Why it happens, is it appropriate, and if it is, when is it appropriate?    

  
• 07.21.2018

  So You Wanna Be A Flight Nurse

  Nyssa and Lisa give you the real deal on how to build a robust resume, score an interview, and insider tips on breaking into the industry. 

  
• 07.12.2018

  Cootie Cleaning

  Did you know that there is a right way and a wrong way to sanitize your work wear after your shift?  Nyssa and Lisa talk cootie cleaning in their first fast track (mini) episode -- a quick and dirty conversation about...

  
• 07.04.2018

  The 3.5 Biggest Lies in Nursing

  Nyssa and Lisa talk about customs and concepts that pervade the ER which should be re-examined.  Learn why "He/she is a good nurse, but...", "Everybody [or nobody] does it that way," and "No one will ever know" are little lies every...

  
• 07.04.2018

  Poop

  More than you ever wanted to know about poop.  How Nyssa almost quit nursing when she first encountered it in the ER, and how she - and all nurses - get used to it after a while.

  
• 07.04.2018

  Nurse Donna

  Nyssa and Lisa interview ER nurse Donna Brannen, one of Nyssa's mentors, who drops some seriously golden advice and the mic (literally).   She speaks frankly about third year residents, administration, ICU versus ER, night shift versus day shift, and why she...

  
• 07.04.2018

  Welcome to The Q Word Podcast

  Welcome to the Q Word Podcast, where Nyssa - an ER and flight nurse - and her friend Lisa - an occasional and perpetually potential ER patient - have conversations about the tips, tricks, and taboos of emergency nursing. Take...