Radical Nurse Talk

This episode of Radical Nurse Talk features Dr. Aric Rankin sharing his nearly 20 years of experience working in Indigenous health care across remote and urban settings. The conversation explores building trust and therapeutic relationships with Indigenous patients through humility, cultural respect, and ongoing learning. Dr. Rankin highlights the influence of place and history on care delivery and stresses the importance of supporting Indigenous self-determination and health equity. This episode offers valuable insights for health professionals seeking to enhance their practice and meaningful connections in Indigenous contexts. Visit radicalnursetalk.com for more information and to access resources.

In this episode, we explore the sensitive and complex topic of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada, a legal medical procedure that can raise profound questions for nurses, health professionals, and the public alike. Our guests, Paul Magennis, RN and Kim Carlson, RN, are experienced registered nurses and educators from British Columbia who bring years of expertise in palliative care and MAiD education. Together, they share their insights on navigating conversations about MAiD within a nurse’s scope of practice, understanding the legal and ethical dimensions, and providing compassionate, evidence-informed support to patients and families. As co-authors of the MAiD in Canada Substack newsletter, Paul and Kim combine factual knowledge with mentorship and empathy, helping to foster open dialogue and professional understanding around one of modern healthcare’s most challenging topics. For more information and to access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com  

In this episode of Radical Nurse Talk, Patricia Strachan is joined by Jennifer Campagnolo and Mallory Peters to discuss the “Be Prepared Guides”, a practical resource designed to help family caregivers recognize and respond to palliative care emergencies. They share how these tools can reduce unwanted hospital visits, ease suffering, and empower caregivers to provide compassionate support at home. Listeners will hear insights on integrating emergency planning with palliative care and the impact this approach has on patients, families, and the nurses who care for them. For more information visit: radicalnursetalk.com  

In this episode, Dr. Connie Schumacher, RN, PhD and Associate Professor at Brock University, explores how nurse-led conversations can support people with chronic illness to manage their health, avoid emergency department visits, and live well at home. Drawing on over 25 years of clinical experience and current research into caregiver burden and chronic disease, Dr. Schumacher offers practical insights into relational nursing, mutual care planning, and why communication is a radical act of care. For more information visit: radicalnursetalk.com

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Elise Tarbi invites us to move beyond traditional models of clinical communication and explore the deeper, more human side of nursing. Rather than focusing solely on information delivery, Dr. Tarbi emphasizes the relational and existential aspects of serious illness conversations — the kind of dialogue that helps patients and families feel truly seen and heard. A board-certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with advanced expertise in hospice and palliative care, Dr. Tarbi is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Vermont and Associate Director of the Vermont Conversation Lab. Her research centers on improving the quality of communication in serious illness care, with the aim of reshaping healthcare to prioritize connection and meaning. This episode is a powerful call to embrace high-quality, human-centred conversations in our practice — and to rethink what it really means to care. Prepare to be inspired. For more information visit radicalnursetalk.com

How do you effectively communicate with people who require prolonged mechanical ventilation and thus cannot vocalize? How can we better connect with people who cannot speak for themselves? What assumptions do we have that need to be challenged? What practical tips and tools could improve and humanize communication and therefore patient safety - for you, the nurse and for patients and their families? In this episode we hear how curiosity about these questions and others compelled Dr. Laura Istanboulian to explore interventions to support adult patient communication in the intensive care unit during and beyond. She eloquently describes patient, family and nursing perspectives that can deepen our understanding and praxis in important ways. For more information visit radicalnursetalk.com  

For generations, people have been judged, shamed, and blamed for their weight-by families, friends, healthcare practitioners, and society at large. These messages become so deeply internalized that many of us don’t even recognize when we’re turning that judgment inward. Why do so many patients describe themselves as “bad” for what they eat? How did food choices become a moral issue? In this episode of Radical Nurse Talk, Nurse Practitioner Heather Watson, an expert in obesity medicine, invites us to rethink the language we use about body size, health, and care. Heather explores how terms like “obesity” are often misunderstood and misused, and how negative stereotypes and moral judgments can do real harm, especially for those living with serious illnesses like cancer or organ failure alongside obesity. Drawing from her clinical experience and her passion for advocacy, Heather challenges listeners to consider: How does our language, intended to care, sometimes cause harm? What would it mean to communicate with patients about weight in ways that are truly supportive, evidence-based, and free from stigma? Join us as we unpack the complexities of weight, health, and communication, and discover how nurses and healthcare professionals can lead the way in creating more compassionate, equitable care for all. For more information and to access resources, visit radicalnursetalk.com.  

Although much of the conversation around health focuses on illness, this episode takes a different path—delving into the complex realities faced by pregnant individuals navigating socioeconomic vulnerabilities. We explore how precarious housing, mental health crises, substance use, past trauma, and intimate partner violence can intersect to put both mother and baby at risk before and after birth. Our guest, Lindsay Croswell, Nursing Practice Lead for the Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) Program in Ontario, Canada, shares her extensive experience working with first-time parents in challenging circumstances. Lindsay was among the first public health nurses to implement NFP in Canada 17 years ago and has since played a pivotal role in shaping the program nationally and internationally. Listeners will hear how nurses, through skilled therapeutic communication, provide vital antenatal and postnatal care in the community—building trusting relationships that transform lives and outcomes for vulnerable families. Lindsay discusses the evidence-based NFP model, where the nurse is the intervention, and how this approach supports young, first-time parents to achieve healthier pregnancies, stronger parenting skills, and brighter futures for their children. Tune in to discover how compassionate, evidence-informed nursing can make a profound difference when pregnancy and parenting are complicated by social and economic adversity. For more information and to access resources, visit radicalnursetalk.com.  

Throughout any given shift, regardless of the practice setting, nurses regularly provide care to individuals who are grieving or have experienced various forms of loss. But what about the nurses themselves? How are they coping? Nurses grieve too. In this episode, Cory Burdock shines a light on the often-overlooked reality of nurses’ grief, acknowledging it as a normal and genuine part of the healthcare profession. For too long, this aspect of practice has been dismissed, suppressed, or even pathologized. Through an open and thoughtful discussion, Cory urges both individuals and organizations to recognize and reframe the grief paradigm, ultimately bringing the experience of nurses’ grief and its impact out of the shadows. Cory Burdock is a registered nurse with a certification in Hospice Palliative Care Nursing from the Canadian Nurses Association. She is the president-elect of the Canadian Palliative Care Nurses Association and is deeply committed to the need for a wider recognition of nurses’ grief. Following graduate studies in Palliative Care Education and nurses' grief, Cory works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist specializing in Pain and Symptom management in Alberta, Canada. She also focuses on quality improvement, policy development, and program planning for palliative care, while serving as an educator and mentor for advanced practice nurses. For more information and to access resources, visit radicalnursetalk.com.

Birgit Umaigba is a registered nurse and PhD student at Queen's University's School of Nursing. She is also a thought leader, speaker, health equity advocate, nurse educator, and consultant. At the heart of her work is a commitment to integrating an equity-focused perspective into nursing, particularly in addressing the needs of Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities. Patricia Strachan, host of Radical Nurse Talk, first learned of Birgit’s advocacy through an article in The Canadian Nurse in 2024. The article highlighted Birgit's efforts to push for the collection and publication of race-based data in Canadian healthcare—a critical step toward identifying and addressing systemic racism. Racism and inequality remain pervasive challenges in Canadian healthcare, affecting patients, families, and nurses alike. In this conversation, Birgit shares her insights on how we can all be part of the solution, advocating for a shift toward a more inclusive society and nursing practice. She explores how our everyday interactions—our language, attitudes, and actions—can foster inclusivity, allowing both healthcare providers and patients to show up authentically. These principles are vital not just in nursing, but in all healthcare conversations, particularly when caring for people facing serious illness. For more information and to access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

In this heartfelt episode, Mahoganie Hines delves into the critical role of nurses in advocating for patient-centred care at the end of life. With passion and expertise, Mahoganie highlights how nurses serve as the steady presence—the calm in the storm—when patients are facing decline and when families are overwhelmed by difficult decisions. She passionately argues that advocacy is not just a role, but a cornerstone of nursing care during this sensitive time. As a clinical nurse specialist on the palliative care unit at St. Peter’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Mahoganie shares invaluable, evidence-based insights and practical strategies for nurses—both generalists and specialists—on how to effectively communicate with patients and their families. She offers guidance on how to navigate common questions and challenges that often arise at the end of life. Mahoganie’s wealth of experience includes not only her clinical work but also her leadership in bioethics, education, and palliative care advocacy. She has held numerous roles, including educator, palliative pain and symptom management consultant, and hospice nurse. Her expertise has been recognized with multiple awards, and she has become a well-respected voice in promoting a palliative approach to care across healthcare organizations. Beyond her clinical and academic work, Mahoganie is the president of the Canadian Palliative Care Nursing Association, and she is a certified specialist in palliative care nursing. With a Master’s in Health Science and Bioethics, Mahoganie’s impact extends across various levels—from the bedside to boardrooms, from clinical settings to guideline groups. She remains a passionate advocate for both patients and nurses, ensuring that compassionate care is always at the forefront of palliative practice. Tune in for this enlightening conversation about the essential role of nurses in end-of-life care, and the powerful difference advocacy can make in providing comfort and clarity during one of life’s most challenging times. For more information visit: radicalnursetalk.com

All over the world nurses work with seriously ill patients and their families, often in significantly under resourced conditions, difficult geographies, and within diverse cultural contexts. How can these nurses be supported to optimize their relational work in serious illness? In this episode, Erin Das, a Canadian-trained advanced practice nurse based in Nairobi, Kenya, explores the challenges and strategies for supporting nurses and healthcare workers who care for seriously ill patients in under-resourced, geographically challenging, and culturally diverse settings. Erin’s work is deeply rooted in palliative care, drawing from her experience in pediatric palliative care, pain and symptom management, cancer care, kidney support, health education, and community development. As the practice head at the Global Treehouse Foundation, Erin focuses on improving access to care for seriously ill children and their families. She is also the supportive care lead at Africa Healthcare Network, the leading dialysis organization in sub-Saharan Africa, and an Executive Member of PallCHASE (Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies). Currently, she coordinates a Project ECHO Community of Practice program that provides palliative care training for humanitarian healthcare workers in East Africa. With experience in Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and Kenya, Erin provides valuable insights into the importance of communication training and support for healthcare workers, emphasizing how these efforts must respect the cultural beliefs, languages, and practices of both health workers and the communities they serve. For more information visit: radicalnursetalk.com

Have you ever asked a patient about their resuscitation preferences? Or what we refer to as code status—whether they would want their heart restarted if it stopped? Most nurses have asked this question in some form during various practice encounters. While it might seem like a straightforward inquiry, there is much more beneath the surface. In this episode, Dr. Sharyn Milnes, an Australian critical care nurse, scholar, and educator, offers valuable insights and practical guidance that will resonate with nurses everywhere. Sharyn is currently the Manager of Communication and Education for the iValidate program's clinical education and training at Barwon Health in Geelong, Australia. iValidate ("Identifying Values, Listening, and Advising High-risk Patients in Acute Care") is a unique and evidence-based Australian communication program designed to enhance conversations between healthcare teams, seriously ill patients, and their families. In our discussion, Sharyn explores how questions about code status intersect with or can complicate efforts around advanced care planning, which is being increasingly promoted in healthcare settings. With a strong foundation in ethics and shared decision-making, Sharyn examines the language commonly used in healthcare settings—language that we often assume patients understand. She explains how important conversations can be inadvertently shut down and how treatment momentum can unintentionally send messages, shape patients' and families' understanding, and influence the decisions they make. Throughout it all, Sharyn emphasizes the profound impact that nursing communication can have, particularly through a technique she calls "a circuit breaker." For more information and to access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

In this episode, we explore the intersection of nursing and the arts—a rare but powerful combination in healthcare. In January 2024, The Telegraph, a renowned UK news outlet, featured an article titled "The Nurse Who Helps Dying Patients Write Poetry." The nurse at the centre of this story is Rekha Vijayshankar, a trailblazer in the field of palliative care. Rekha joins us to share poignant stories that highlight the transformative and diverse ways nurses can connect with dying patients, offering new perspectives on relational care. Through these reflections, she invites us to challenge our assumptions and rethink our roles in the healthcare process, especially in unconventional practices. Rekha is a Queen's nurse, Winston Churchill fellow, and a leader in frailty and palliative care. She currently serves as Deputy Head of Quality and Clinical Governance at Marie Curie, UK. With a deep background in palliative care, public health nursing, and as a nurse prescriber, Rekha’s work is grounded in social justice and equity. Drawing from her own experiences as a family caregiver and her lived reality of social isolation and health challenges, she uses a public health lens to empower those facing adversity, particularly in navigating end-of-life decisions. A mindfulness practitioner, Rekha’s insights offer a profound and compassionate look at nursing and caregiving. For more information and to access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com    

How can a Chief Nursing Officer influence conversations about serious illness? In this episode, Patricia Strachan explores this question with Dr. Leigh Chapman, a dedicated nurse and leader who is advocating at the highest levels across Canada to improve working conditions for nurses—helping them not only stay in the profession but thrive. And when nurses thrive, patients benefit too. Leigh Chapman was appointed Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer in 2022, a positive outcome from the challenges posed by the pandemic, which caused severe nursing shortages and burnout. Since her appointment, Leigh has travelled across Canada—coast to coast—listening to nurses and using her platform to advocate for meaningful change. Her leadership is inspiring. In this wide-ranging conversation, Leigh shares insights from her diverse clinical experience, including her recent work in supervised injection sites, as well as her ongoing nursing advocacy efforts at the national level. She reflects on her work to create and sustain workplaces where therapeutic nursing relationships can develop and flourish. Leigh’s message is one of hope and inspiration, and we believe it will resonate with nurses both in Canada and beyond. For more information and to access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

How can nurses be involved in decisions that patients make about innovative heart valve interventions for which they may be eligible? In this episode Dr. Sandra Lauck thoughtfully describes her work and that of others in supporting nurses to have opportunities and language that open spaces for patients to question, understand and consider possible therapies. In this way she offers radical possibilities for all nurses to transform patient experience, not only in cardiac care, but in any practice setting. For more information visit: radicalnursetalk.com

How can we show up in our relational work with seriously ill patients, and for ourselves as nurses in the moments that are available to us? Grounded in professional and personal experience and yes, even the theoretical, Marie Cooper calls on each of us to stand up, use language and claim the relational work that makes what we do, nursing. Her passionate and articulate commitment to that effort will inspire nurses everywhere and help patients feel safe in our care. For more information and to access resources visit radicalnursetalk.com

It is well known that despite our best intentions preventable harm continues to happen to patients in healthcare systems. Further harm to patients, their families and to healthcare professionals, including nurses, can be made worse by the ways we then handle and/or talk about this unintentional harm. How can we talk about it in a way that doesn't incur further harm? In this episode, Jo Wailling invites us to advocate for a restorative versus punitive lens, so that learning and healing can occur for everyone involved. Jo is a nurse, clinician researcher, qualified human factors professional, and accredited mediator. Her career spans 30 years in critical care, patient safety, and clinical leadership. She currently advises international government agencies, researchers and advocacy groups on restorative initiatives, system safety and human centered design. For more information and to access resources visit radicalnursetalk.com

What do we mean when we talk about a good death? How can we describe the meaningful communicative work that nurses can do with dying patients and their families? In this episode, Patricia Strachan welcomes Dr. David Wright, a registered nurse, educator, and researcher. Dr. Wright is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, and academic lead for Palliative Care and Nursing Ethics within its Centre for Research on Health and Nursing. Dr. Wright describes in passionate detail the many ways in which nurses help seriously ill patients and families craft stories in the liminal spaces of care that exist outside of treatments procedures. He invites and inspires us to recognize the great depth and complexity of nursing practice done well, and to name and claim the relational work that's so needed in the intimate spaces of advanced illness and end of life care. For more information and to access resources visit radicalnursetalk.com.

As a practicing Registered Nurse with extensive experience working in acute, critical, and community care settings, Janet Lovegrove has heard many caregivers' stories about feeling alone, overwhelmed, or invisible when providing care to people living with dementia or other progressive life-limiting illnesses. Sensing a real need that what most of them wanted was to be heard, to belong, and to be appreciated, Janet found creative ways and practical solutions for helping them to tell their stories while building a base of resilience and support in themselves. In this episode, we explore that work. Janet shares practice tips and language we can use across practice settings to support caregivers of people living with serious life-limiting illnesses. In particular, Janet has facilitated the Life Process Transformation (TM) (LPT) program created by Viola Fodor, M.Ed., that invites caregivers to learn more about how to take care of themselves - in body, mind, and spirit. To that end, she has led a long standing project in Ontario, Canada funded by the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Home and Community Care Support Services and in collaboration with the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk Hamilton Halton chapters. For more information and to access resources visit radicalnursetalk.com.

Context is very important in healthcare. In this episode, we explore the context created at the intersection of geography, history, language, culture, and healthcare resources when Indigenous people in Canada’s far north require care for serious illness. Our guest, Lianne Mantla-Look, is a Registered Nurse currently living and working in northern Canada. She has worked extensively in clinical roles both in hospital and community settings. Lianne works fluently in both her Indigenous language, Tłı̨chǫ, and English. In a wide-ranging conversation, Lianne shares her knowledge, reflections, and healthcare experience from her perspective as a nurse and an Indigenous person living in the Northwest Territories. For more information and to access resources, visit radicalnursetalk.com.

Have you ever thought of communication as a vital sign for patients in the intensive care unit? In this episode, you will hear Kali Dayton, DNP AGACNP and critical care outcomes consultant, share her passion for using evidence that promotes what she terms "Awake and Walking ICUs." Communication is key to the ABCDEF bundle – a group of interventions associated with helping patients do better in the ICU and in their lives afterward. Kali is also host of the Walking Home from the ICU and Walking You Through the ICU podcasts. For more information visit: radicalnursetalk.com

Communicating with people living with advancing dementia and who require care can be challenging and frustrating for everyone. Despite our best intentions, dementia is a serious progressive life limiting illness that has major consequences for the person diagnosed with dementia, their families and family caregivers. In this episode Mary Buck, an expert in fostering more effective communication practice in dementia, shares important information that also may challenge some of our usual practices. To learn more and to access resources, visit: radicalnursetalk.com

Having a baby is supposed to be a very happy event, but when a baby is diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening condition in the perinatal period, families are faced with new realities and require special support and understanding. Jennifer Callen is a Nurse Practitioner with 20 years of experience in neonatal intensive care. She currently works with the Quality of Life and Advanced Care Program at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Ontario, Canada. Her role as part of the perinatal program there is to enhance patient transitions between hospital and home, and aims to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits. She is passionate about improving quality of life and comfort for patients and families facing significant health challenges. For more information and for resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

Everyone needs access to an inclusive, equitable palliative approach to care. Palliative and end of life care is regarded in the western world as a necessary service to which everyone is entitled, and yet if we look closely, significant inequities exist in people living on the margins of societal norms, such as those who are homeless and without support who do not have equal access to such care. In this episode of Radical Nurse Talk we speak with Dr. Kelli Stajduhar, a Professor in the School of Nursing and Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria and Research Chair in Palliative Approaches to Care in Aging and Community Health. Kelli has led the call for change for people who are precariously housed and without resources to access the compassionate end of life care they require. For more information and resources, visit radicalnursetalk.com

What do you think of when you hear the word “palliative”? In this final episode of season one of Radical Nurse Talk, Kath Murray discusses the importance of words in serious illness. Words such as "palliative" that we use – or avoid using - can invoke fear, "giving up" and also, hope, support and quality of life. Listen while Kath, an exemplary nurse, author, entrepreneur and international educator shares insights and reflections about how language can open doors to a palliative approach to care that improves patient and family experience. To learn more and access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

In this episode, Matthieu Payette, Clinical Nurse Specialist at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and Adjunct Lecturer/Clinical Instructor McMaster University School of Nursing, describes his experiences in various contexts in which people require help in a mental health crisis. He shares some possibilities for others who must respond to people in crisis and step into the moment to make a connection, build trust, maintain safety and provide dignity. To learn more and access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

In this episode, Dr. Erin Ziegler, champion and advocate for inclusive and dignified care of people who identify as LGBTQ2SA describes how words, and the assumptions that are behind them, can build or destroy the trust that is so integral to building therapeutic relationships especially in serious illness. To learn more and access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

Has a patient or family member ever asked you about medical assistance in dying (MAiD)? If someone did ask you, what would you say in this conversation? In this episode, I explore that situation with Jane Slemon, a director of care at a hospice in British Columbia. We discuss her work with individuals who are navigating the end of life and who sometimes want to talk with nurses about MAiD. We discuss those dynamics and how nurses can be supported in having these conversations. For more visit: radicalnursetalk.com

What does a trauma-and-violence informed approach mean for communicating in serious health situations? Dr. Susan Jack, a champion of and advocate for the training of health care professionals on trauma-and violence-informed approaches to care, shares the ways we can incorporate this into our communication praxis, and thereby promote health equity and avoid the re-traumatization of individuals with histories of trauma as they access the healthcare system. To learn more about Susan’s work and access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

How can we talk with children about grief, about losses of any kind, dying and death? Drawing from years of experience as a registered nurse and psychotherapist, Andrea Warnick inspires us to learn how best to communicate with grieving children and families. She has inspired, taught and counselled interprofessional audiences from around the world including her work with the Canadian Virtual Hospice. To learn more about Andrea's work and access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

What are the lessons learned when nurse becomes patient? In this episode, best-selling author, nurse and advocate, Theresa Brown shares reflections on communication following her diagnosis of and treatment for breast cancer and in the context of her own nursing work. Her book, The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients' Lives, was a New York Times Bestseller. To learn more visit: radicalnursetalk.com

Sarah Crowe, a critical care nurse practitioner and Vice-President of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses discusses nurses' communication in critical care settings, particularly the difficult and challenging conversations with families. More of Sarah’s work can be found at: radicalnursetalk.com

How can we talk with patients and their families about a future that includes living with advancing illness, dying and death? In this episode with Sandra Andreychuk, N.P., Healthcare Ethicist, Advocate/Coach and Navigator we explore how to talk about the future and advance care planning with patients and families. To learn more about Sandy's work visit: radicalnursetalk.com

How do nurses build relationships and talk with families when serious illness hits? In this inaugural episode, communication scholar and champion of nurses Elaine Wittenberg shines a light on the essential communication work nurses do with families in the face of serious illness. We explore what works and doesn’t – for nurses and families. She inspires and offers possibilities for making communication with families better understood, practiced and valued. To learn more about Elaine’s work and access resources visit: radicalnursetalk.com

This is Radical Nurse Talk, a podcast about nurses’ communication in serious situations and illness as a radical act of care. Join Dr. Patricia Strachan as she talks with nurses and others about nurses’ expertise, experience, courage, joys and frustrations in having conversations that involve serious situations and illness, loss, life-altering and unwanted change, living in uncertainty, declining health and end-of-life. Premiering Wednesday, October 4th, the inaugural episode features Dr. Elaine Wittenberg who shines a light on the essential communication work nurses do with families in the face of serious illness. To learn more, and to see what other topics we cover visit: radicalnursetalk.com