EPISODE · Aug 3, 2025 · 52 MIN
EP 11: Broken but Essential: The Healthcare Workforce Crisis
from Unraveled and Rising Podcast · host Michelle Kavanaugh, Terry de Aragon, and Kimberly Diaz
In this first conversation, we dive into one of the most urgent issues facing our country: the nursing shortage—and the emotional and systemic trauma surrounding it.Co-hosts Terry deAragon, RN and Kimberly Diaz, RN speak candidly about the crushing weight of burnout, the aftershocks of COVID, and the massive gap between the demand for care and the shrinking nursing workforce.💥 We explore:– Why hospitals can’t run without nurses—and how close we are to a tipping point– The emotional trauma nurses face daily, from exhaustion to moral injury– Kimberly’s frontline experience during patient discharges, where oversights are becoming dangerously common– Michelle’s concern from the patient perspective, and why this affects all of us, not just those in scrubs– Why younger generations aren't entering nursing and what that means for the future📊 Research highlights from this episode:➡ Colorado hospitals have invested over $1 billion in workforce development—but it's not enough without legislative support.➡ By 2030, many states—including Colorado—face severe nurse shortages.📚 Sources:Colorado Hospital Associationhttps://cha.com/colorado-hospitals-invest-more-than-one-billion-dollars-in-health-care-workforce-and-urge-support-for-legislation/American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Nursing Shortage Fact Sheethttps://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortageColorado Center for Nursing Excellence Workforce Reporthttps://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/documents/publications/nursing_and_healthcare_workforce.pdf🎙 We want this series to lead to real change. If you're in hospital administration, policy, or nursing education—or have a voice in this fight—we invite you to join us as a future guest.🩺 The healthcare system is in crisis. And we can’t fix it unless we start talking about the trauma behind it.
What this episode covers
In this first conversation, we dive into one of the most urgent issues facing our country: the nursing shortage—and the emotional and systemic trauma surrounding it.Co-hosts Terry deAragon, RN and Kimberly Diaz, RN speak candidly about the crushing weight of burnout, the aftershocks of COVID, and the massive gap between the demand for care and the shrinking nursing workforce.💥 We explore:– Why hospitals can’t run without nurses—and how close we are to a tipping point– The emotional trauma nurses face daily, from exhaustion to moral injury– Kimberly’s frontline experience during patient discharges, where oversights are becoming dangerously common– Michelle’s concern from the patient perspective, and why this affects all of us, not just those in scrubs– Why younger generations aren't entering nursing and what that means for the future📊 Research highlights from this episode:➡ Colorado hospitals have invested over $1 billion in workforce development—but it's not enough without legislative support.➡ By 2030, many states—including Colorado—face severe nurse shortages.📚 Sources:Colorado Hospital Associationhttps://cha.com/colorado-hospitals-invest-more-than-one-billion-dollars-in-health-care-workforce-and-urge-support-for-legislation/American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Nursing Shortage Fact Sheethttps://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortageColorado Center for Nursing Excellence Workforce Reporthttps://www.coloradonursingcenter.org/documents/publications/nursing_and_healthcare_workforce.pdf🎙 We want this series to lead to real change. If you're in hospital administration, policy, or nursing education—or have a voice in this fight—we invite you to join us as a future guest.🩺 The healthcare system is in crisis. And we can’t fix it unless we start talking about the trauma behind it.
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EP 11: Broken but Essential: The Healthcare Workforce Crisis
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