GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have become incredibly common—and nurses are increasingly caring for patients who take them.

You’ll learn why common GI symptoms deserve a closer look, how vomiting and decreased intake can lead to volume depletion and acute kidney injury, and which symptoms should make you think about complications like pancreatitis or gallbladder disease.

We also look at one of the biggest emerging concerns with GLP-1 medications: delayed gastric emptying and anesthesia. A patient may follow fasting instructions and still have residual gastric contents, which means nurses need to ask more than simply, “Have you eaten since midnight?”

Finally, we cover hypoglycemia risk when GLP-1 medications are combined with insulin or sulfonylureas, what happens when patients taking these medications become acutely ill, and why bedside nurses play such an important role in identifying problems and communicating changes early.

👉 Watch the video on Super Nurse Comics https://youtu.be/dnjlESuj6NY

00:00 – Why GLP-1 medications are changing bedside nursing
01:25 – What GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 medications actually do
03:20 – Delayed gastric emptying and common GI side effects
05:15 – When nausea and vomiting become more than a side effect
06:40 – Dehydration, volume depletion, and acute kidney injury
08:15 – Pancreatitis and gallbladder red flags
09:35 – The risks of compounded GLP-1 medications
10:45 – Why GLP-1s matter before surgery
12:20 – Delayed gastric emptying and aspiration risk
13:50 – Should patients stop GLP-1s before surgery?
15:15 – Liquid diets, gastric ultrasound, and high-risk patients
16:30 – GLP-1s, insulin, sulfonylureas, and hypoglycemia
18:00 – What happens when a patient taking a GLP-1 is hospitalized
19:10 – What bedside nurses need to remember
20:00 – Closing

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

GLP-1 medications are being used for diabetes, weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction, and other expanding indications. But for nurses, knowing the medication name isn’t enough—you need to understand how these drugs affect your patient and what changes should get your attention.

🎥 Watch the comic-book video version on YouTube at Super Nurse Comics https://www.youtube.com/@SuperNurseComics

In this episode of The Super Nurse Podcast, we cover:

00:00 – The GLP-1 aspiration scenario every nurse should understand
00:58 – Welcome to The Super Nurse Podcast
02:14 – How GLP-1 medications affect glucose, appetite, and gastric emptying
03:54 – Semaglutide vs tirzepatide: Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro & Zepbound
06:51 – Medication reconciliation: what nurses need to ask
07:47 – Compounded GLP-1 medications and dosing concerns
09:59 – GI side effects, dehydration, and acute kidney injury
12:42 – Abdominal pain, pancreatitis, and gallbladder red flags
13:29 – GLP-1s, insulin, sulfonylureas, and hypoglycemia
16:05 – GLP-1 medications in acutely ill hospitalized patients
17:12 – Surgery, anesthesia, gastric emptying, and aspiration risk
19:00 – The key bedside nursing takeaways
19:39 – Final thoughts

Learn how to connect the pharmacology to the patient in front of you—what to assess, what to monitor, what to document, and when to escalate concerns.

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

This episode of The Super Nurse Podcast is created and clinically reviewed by Brooke Wallace, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPTC, drawing on more than 20 years of experience in critical care, organ donation, transplant coordination, and nursing education. Brooke develops the clinical framework, verifies the content for accuracy, and shapes the bedside teaching points, while AI hosts bring the material to life through an engaging, conversational format. The result is a podcast designed to make complex nursing concepts easier to understand, remember, and apply in real patient care.

👉 Watch the video on Super Nurse Comics at https://www.youtube.com/@SuperNurseComics  

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

A lot of patients are on psych meds, not just psych patients. They're used for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders can sometimes cause dangerous reactions that nurses must recognize quickly. Prepare for bedside care and the NCLEX by learning the warning signs of EPS, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, serotonin syndrome, and an MAOI-related hypertensive crisis—and which nursing actions come first.

👉 Visual Learner? Watch comic book based videos on Super Nurse Comics

You'll learn:

Chapters

👉 Explore the complete Super Nurse clinical reference library on Super Nurse AI

6:23 PM

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

You'll learn:

Chapters

👉 Visual Learner? Watch comic book based videos on Super Nurse Comics

👉 Explore the complete Super Nurse clinical reference library on Super Nurse AI

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

Alcohol withdrawal can begin with subtle tremors, sweating, anxiety, and rising vital signs before progressing to seizures or delirium tremens. Learn how the timeline since the patient’s last drink, focused assessment, and early nursing priorities can help you recognize deterioration and respond safely. 

You'll learn:

Chapters

00:00 The bedside time bomb

01:27 The neurobiology: brake pedals and gas pedals

03:27 Spotting the 6-to-24-hour withdrawal window

05:34 The severe window: seizures, DTs, and Wernicke encephalopathy

08:00 Bedside safety, interventions, and anticipated pharmacology

10:09 Screening and the transition to long-term recovery

11:20 Summary and the kindling effect

👉 Visual Learner? Watch comic book based videos on Super Nurse Comics

👉 Explore the complete Super Nurse clinical reference library on Super Nurse AI

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

Drug diversion in nursing rarely begins with an obvious incident—the earliest warnings may be medication discrepancies, unusual wasting patterns, and patients whose pain never improves. Learn how to recognize concerning patterns, protect patients and your license, and respond in a way that can also connect a struggling colleague with treatment.

You'll learn: 

Chapters

👉 Visual Learner? Watch comic book based videos on Super Nurse Comics

👉 Explore the complete Super Nurse clinical reference library on Super Nurse AI

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

Nursing school gives you the foundation, but real nursing requires you to connect that knowledge with current evidence, practical experience, and the needs of the patient in front of you. The Super Nurse Podcast turns complex nursing topics, current research, and clinical best practices into clear lessons you can use at the bedside.

You’ll learn:

👉 Visual Learner? Watch comic book based videos on Super Nurse Comics

👉 Explore the complete Super Nurse clinical reference library and other great stuff on Super Nurse AI

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

This episode explains the differences among intoxication, withdrawal, physical dependence, addiction, and substance use disorder. It then applies those concepts to alcohol, opioids, and stimulants so you can connect vital signs, pupil changes, behavior, timing, and patient history with the right nursing priorities.

👉 Watch the video on Super Nurse Comics

👉 Visit https://supernurse.ai for more practical nursing resources.

You'll learn

- Why intoxication and withdrawal often produce opposite clinical patterns

- Early and severe signs of alcohol withdrawal, including seizures and delirium tremens

- How CIWA scoring guides assessment and symptom-triggered treatment

- Why benzodiazepines, thiamine, fluids, seizure precautions, and a low-stimulation environment may be anticipated

- How opioid intoxication differs from opioid withdrawal—and why airway and respiratory status come first during overdose

- Why stimulant withdrawal requires close mental health and suicide-risk monitoring

- Warning signs of medication diversion or impairment in a healthcare professional

- Why asking about the patient's last drink or dose creates a crucial bedside timeline

Chapters

00:00 The bedside clues that can look like deterioration  

01:32 Substance abuse and addiction at the bedside  

02:04 Intoxication, withdrawal, dependence, and addiction  

03:44 How addiction changes the brain's reward system  

04:56 Alcohol withdrawal signs and timeline  

07:12 CIWA scoring and immediate nursing priorities  

09:00 Benzodiazepines, thiamine, and Wernicke's encephalopathy  

10:07 Opioid intoxication, withdrawal, and treatment  

11:55 Stimulant intoxication, the crash, and suicide precautions  

13:56 Substance use disorder and impairment among nurses  

16:44 Bedside pattern recognition and what to ask first  

18:02 Recognizing stigma and protecting clinical judgment

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not replace facility policy, clinical judgment, or medical advice. Follow your organization's protocols and consult the appropriate provider or emergency resources for patient-specific concerns.

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.

You’ll learn:

👉 Watch the video on Super Nurse Comics

The central lesson: Treat the patient in front of you—not a label, assumption, or negative screening result.

Subscribe to The Super Nurse Podcast and visit Super Nurse Comics on YouTube for more comic-based nursing education.

This content is for education and does not replace clinical judgment, facility protocols, toxicology consultation, or guidance from the treating medical team.

The content presented in The Super Nurse Podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The host and creators are not responsible for any clinical decisions made based on this content. Always adhere to your institution’s policies and consult appropriate healthcare professionals when making patient care decisions.