It's An ED RN

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about being a good person; what does this mean? How do we know when someone is or is not a good person and why is the binary between good and evil bullshit anyway?Check out my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgFeed the World, End Genocide 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Protect Immigrant FamiliesRegister to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about the Department of Education degree designations, particularly its assertion that graduate Nursing degrees are not considered Professional. What does this mean for us as nurses, what do our nursing associations have to say about it, and why can’t I get one goddamn moment of peace in this world fml.Action Items:Call congress. (202) 224-3121 for the U.S. House switchboard operator or go to congress.govSend email, letters, or comment directly:https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Final-Letter-to-Under-Secretary-Kent-on-Nursing-Loans.pdf Or Comment directly: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/ED-2025-OPE-0944-0001 Remember not to sweat what this admin thinks because they literally stole food from children (and honestly, it's the least terrible thing they've done to children): https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/politics/justice-jackson-snap-fightSources:Old-timey law they're basing this on: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-668/subpart-A/section-668.2New-timey law they're trying to push: https://www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-professional-degree-trump-admin-11079650What the ANA thinks about it: https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2025/statement-from-the-american-nurses-association-on-proposed-federal-loan-policy-changes/What the AACN thinks about it: https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/aacn-alarmed-over-department-of-educations-proposed-limitation-of-student-loan-access-for-nursingWhat the AANP thinks about it: https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/national-nurse-practitioner-organizations-express-concern-over-department-of-education-negotiated-rulemakingEven some MDs get it, like these: https://www.careproviders.org/CPM/CPM/ACTION/Vol40/Ed46/ZP05.aspx and https://nyam.org/article/response-to-stripping-professional-status-as-proposed-by-the-department-of-education/Even though most MD orgs are busy trying to limit ARNP scope: https://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=65853And here's some MDs in the comment section getting absolutely schooled by NPs: https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB3794/2025Latest demographics on the nursing workforce that I could find: https://bhw.hrsa.gov/data-research/access-data-tools/national-sample-survey-registered-nursesAlso, never forget, male nurses make more than female nurses simply because they are male: https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/nchwa/nursing-workforce-dashboard Check out my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Protect Immigrant FamiliesRegister to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, specifically within the context of you as a healthcare worker and especially considering what we owe to the public as licensed Registered Nurses.Sources:National Nurses United is against ICE presence in hospitals and clinicsWashington State Nurses Association is against ICE presence most placesNew York State Nurses Association and Healthcare Workers East put out a joint statement against ICE presence in hospitals and clinicsThis article looks at the ANA code of ethics in the context of immigration enforcementOp Ed by Kimberly Galindo, an experienced RN in California who was confronted by ICENational Nurses United Guidance if ICE shows up at your hospital (from their IG)Immigrant Legal Resource Center Know Your RightsTrump’s administrative order to open “sensitive areas” to CBP and ICECheck out my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Protect Immigrant FamiliesRegister to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about your career, because once you’re a nurse you can do so much. And you should do so much. You contain multitudes and you have choices, so let’s talk about it.Check out my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Register to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift!

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about abortion access (good), genocide (bad), protecting trans youth (good) and my own white evangelical upbringing (very bad). All this in response to a one star review about my podcast.Evidence:AbortionAMAACOGHere’s a lit article ANALimiting access kills women (especially black and brown women);Lit article;Lit article;To say nothing of the criminalizationTexas woman jailed after miscarriage Georgia woman jailed after miscarriageOhio woman jailed after miscarriageAnd keeping dead bodies alive as incubators;Trans folks exist, are lovedAMA AAP  NAPNAP  ANA  ANA directive UpToDateG'cideAmnesty InternationalHuman Rights WatchICJworld Central kitchen workers unalived my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Register to Vote  Etsy shop.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s (very long, so we'll call it Deluxe!) episode we’re going to talk about two research articles, one of which is very good, and one of which is very...not. More generally, we discuss how to tell the difference. The articles from today's episode (which you should verify for yourselves):NEJM Kadcyla studyRetracted ASRM study looking at hotness and endometriosis (no joke) Enjoy. 

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about your career, putting yourself first in an economic sense, making yourself marketable and employable; a high level commodity. Or, as your current place of employment might see it, we’re gonna make you a disloyal ingrate who’s a traitor to the family, and who cares only about themselves. Honestly, #goals.No Receipts, just vibes.Check out my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Register to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about money; specifically, how to get the most of it in this late-stage capitalist society where the system is set up to screw you over at every town. But we’re not gonna let it.Topics: moving jobs, negotiating pay, investing in retirements accounts.Check out my website Medication abortion is still legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Register to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about finding a new job, updating your resume and cover letter, and how to quit your current job without burning any bridges. Should be fun.Sources:Resume formatting for AI and human reviewersCover Letter formatting for AI and human reviewersBehavioral Interviewing question examplesThe Gender Gap in leadership positionsCheck out my website Medication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Protect Trans Kids 🏳️‍⚧️Register to Vote  I have an Etsy shop. It’s spreadsheets.Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

Sources:The Guardian breaks down some election demosProject 2025 Mandate for LeadershipSarah McBride just became the first transgender SenatorThe Satanic Temple is a recognized religion by the IRSGen Z voted for Trump (and not just the dudes)The FBI reported a 20% increase in hate crimes under the first Trump adminHow the FBI compiles hate crime data and how they define itMisogyny is proliferating online after Trump winIt is also proliferating irlRFK Jr may be the head of the health departmentStage of Change theory coming in clutchCognitive rehearsal coming in clutchAbortion bans are bad for women’s mental healthAbortion policy from the ACOG American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsCheck out my website for exclusive blogs, videos and moreMedication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Buy spreadsheets from my Etsy shop!!!! I can’t keep doing this nursing thing forever!!!!!Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

Welcome to It’s An ED RN, on today’s episode we’re going to talk about the career pivot, that point in your nursing life in which the professional track that you have been on is suddenly not the track that you want to be on and you have to make a change. Which is scary. And confusing. And maybe a mistake but hey, we’re here now so we’re just gonna deal with it. All this to say I got a new job and need to talk about it so join me.IMPORTANT You can still get a medication abortion in all 50 states;PlanCPills.orgMayday.HealthFree PalestineFollow Wizard Bisan Operation Olive BranchRegister to VoteVote.gov to registerVote Save America for voting resourcesFollow me on TikTok and IGCheck out the website to listen to other shows or buy from the Etsy shop

on today’s episode we’re going to talk about patient privacy, particularly as it pertains to the involvement of law-enforcement and the lies that they will lie to get you to divulge protected health information that they in no way should have access to. This might get heated.Sources from this episode:https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.htmlhttps://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/hipaa/hipaa-privacy-security-resourceshttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/164.512https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/505/what-does-the-privacy-rule-allow-covered-entities-to-disclose-to-law-enforcement-officials/index.htmlhttps://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/01/561337106/utah-nurse-arrested-for-doing-her-job-reaches-500-000-settlementhttps://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/what-the-utah-good-nurse-bad-cop-video-says-about-medical-privacyhttps://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/08/28/police-officer-who/Check out my website for exclusive blogs, videos and moreMedication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Buy spreadsheets from my Etsy shop!!!! I can’t keep doing this nursing thing forever!!!!!Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about talking to our fellow nurses. Whether you have found yourself on the receiving end of a more experienced nurse looking to make a meal out of you, or you’ve maybe even been that hungry hungry RN yourself, it’s time to squash this beef once and for all.Sources from this episode:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8431196/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4985874/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7764714/Check out my website for exclusive blogs, videos and moreMedication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Buy spreadsheets from my Etsy shop!!!! I can’t keep doing this nursing thing forever!!!!!Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about talking to patients. A good interaction with a patient can make your day, as surely as a poor interaction with a patient can ruin it. And although we as individuals are not responsible for the behavior of other individuals, there are some evidence-based ways we can shape our communication to improve the chances that our words and actions will be perceived in the way in which they were intended.Check out my website for exclusive blogs, videos and moreMedication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Buy spreadsheets from my Etsy shop!!!! I can’t keep doing this nursing thing forever!!!!!Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about talking to doctors. For the new nurse, this can be intimidating, for the experienced nurse this can be exhausting, but for most every nurse who’s been around for longer than a minute, this is the source of many a tale told at many an after-work happy hour that is only funny in hindsight. Because being yelled at by physicians is something we all share. It’s common. It’s allowed. But it doesn’t have to be allowed by you.  Check out the website to see an outline and links to sources used in this episodeMedication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Buy spreadsheets from my Etsy shop!!!! I can’t keep doing this nursing thing forever!!!!!Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about Nurses’ Week; also known, by me, as the week in which anyone with decision-making authority in healthcare spaces chooses to hand out candy and pizza instead of enacting policies to decrease workplace violence, increase pay, or in any way contribute in a meaningful way to the prevention of long-term mental and physical side effects sustained by healthcare workers who are just trying to do their damn jobs. I hope you'll stick around to listen.Medication abortion is legal in all 50 states:Mayday.healthplancpills.orgSupport families in need 🍉Buy spreadsheets from my Etsy shop!!!!!Thank you for listening and have a safe shift

On today's episode we're going to talk about EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Law), the Supreme Court and abortion. For legal abortion care in all 50 States (yes, ALL 50 States):PlanCPills.orgMayday.HealthSources used in this episode: PBS NewsHourAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists American College of Emergency PhysiciansACOG fetal viabilityNIH EMTALA historyAn actual OBGYN explains EMTALA and Idaho law

On this episode we’re going to talk about money, specifically how to use some of the money you have now to make sure you aren’t poor when you’re old and can’t work because you’re back is broken and so is your spirit. 

In honor of me finally getting a five star review on this podcast, I thought we'd read some one star reviews on multiple hospitals nationwide. Whether you're a nurse, a potential patient or family member, you may find this interesting, entertaining and informative. 

This is part two of the burnt to a crisp series and now that we know how burnout contributes to poor patient outcomes (not to mention our own mental and physical wellbeing), let’s find out just how burnt we all are. Should be fun.TW: some mention of people deleting themselves in this episodeReceipts:The MBI tool for burnout (what I can find for free, anyway...)52.9% of ED nurses in the US report experiencing moral distress87.5% of emergency department (ED) nurses report work-related musculoskeletal injury in the past year11.3% reported current thoughts of deleting themselves 

This is the 50th episode of this podcast and we're going to celebrate by talking about one of my favorite subjects: nurse burn out. Statistically speaking, many of us are already burned out and 250% of us will be burnt out by the time we decide to quit nursing; why is burnout a problem, and what should we do about it? let’s find out.Receipt:31.5% of nurses reported leaving their job due to burnoutvarious sources reporting burnout rates between 35% and 54% for nurses and physiciansThe ANA has lots of numbers on nurse burnout70% of studies on burnout indicated a connection to patient safety issues rates of pneumonia and pressure ulcers in patients increase with nurse burnout

On today's episode, we're going to talk about business. Not the first thing you think of when you think healthcare or nursing, but in fact business kind of runs what we do. On a day-to-day basis. And for a lot of us, it can ruin our lives and those of our patients. So let's talk about it.Receipts:Healthcare is big business......and not-for-profit hospitals are cashing inGoodRx is a BAD company

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about The Johari Window. You may not have thought about this concept since nursing school or maybe in ever, but it can help us better understand ourselves and others. Let's get into it.2018 study on journaling and lower cortisol levels

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about Safe Harbor. Not every State has it, and even in those that do, many nurses don’t know how to use it. Until now. Because I’m going to teach you what you need to know to safeguard your license when shit gets out of control.

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about working the holidays. Again. Between the increase in acutely ill patients and the decrease in staff and general resource availability, how could I not be persuaded to show up to work when the rest of the world gets to sleep in. At least the part that’s not heading to my hospital...The WHO shows 25% increase in anxiety, depressionViolent assaults go up during the holidays

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about the super fucked up dynamic you could be placed in by being a part of the healthcare workforce, specifically the concept that you should treat them as family, but they get to treat you any way they want to. Sound fucked up? I sure think so.

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about engaging in a power struggle at work. With so many opportunities to be reminded of the fact that you hold almost no decision making ability over anything, it can be natural to hold on to what small scraps of power you are given; but is this the best use of your time and energy? The answer may surprise you.

On today’s episode we’re going to talk about how everybody’s everything is the most important thing. Or, to be more specific, we breakdown the Fallacy of Isolated Importance, a thought distortion that gives certain people the confidence to try and tell you what your job is based solely on the one thing THEY want to happen despite multiple other competing interests that may or may not be more important than their most important thing. 

I had a bad shift. It really sucked. In this episode I try to get to the bottom of why it was such a shitay day, and how to manage if you have one similar. 

Masks are gone and I have FEELINGS. This is all about that. 

Sometimes an RN is crushing it and sometimes she is failing a cardiac rhythm exam because she didn't study and heart blocks are hard. So let's review cardiac rhythms!  

On this episode we’re going to talk about how in my rush to ensure I don’t permanently fuck up my back performing the many physical requirements of this job, I accidentally joined a crossfit-style gym. RNs have a higher than average rate of workplace injury and illnessHilarious CDC article about preventing back injuries in healthcare workers made super hilarious by the comments section

The expectations placed on nurses in the hospital environment are ludicrous, to say the least. The key to  preserving your energy is maintaining compliance with the things that matter most (to your bosses, anyway) while being non-compliant with things that don't really matter at all. Let's discuss how. 

To err is human and in nursing, sometimes to err is to put another human at serious risk of harm. But why do these errors happen and who, or what, is really to blame? Turns out it's complicated.To Err Is Human (landmark study)Just Culture (a balanced approach to accountability)

The War on Drugs is and always was a tool of oppression targeting communities of color and the opioid crisis is the result of rich people trying to get even richer. Adjust your prejudices accordingly.  Sources:A seminar detailing The War On Drugs from content experts and scholars TJC report on drug diversion in healthcareNPR article detailing ways patients suffer when we divert

The bonus plan. It's the only surefire way to make the money that more closely resembles what your labor is actually worth,  you simply have to work a shit ton more. The obvious upsides are you make more money, the hospital is better staffed, everybody seems to win. But what are the downsides? Let's discuss.The mental health effects of voluntary vs mandatory overtimeIncreased work hours associated with increased stress (groundbreaking)Increased nurse working hours associated with poor patient outcomesTravelers are not necessarily more expensive than staff nurses (pre-pandemic article)There's nowhere near enough nurses to go aroundNursing Economic$ finds a way to blame nurses for the nursing shortage (joy)

As the famous movie quote goes, there's a difference between mostly dead and all dead. As a nurse, knowing what to do when someone who is mostly dead arrives in your ED is called ACLS; let's talk about it. American Heart Associations ACLS algorithmsTraumatic cardiac arrest survival rates studyUpToDate ACLS info

Some new years' resolutions for a better work life, including spending our time where it will do the most good and tips on how to avoid spinning your wheels on things that cannot be changed. 

It's a new year and what are you going to do with it? As nurses, we spend a lot of our thoughts and feelings and energy at work, so how are we going to spend more of those valuable things at not-work. I have some ideas. 

For some bedside nurses, working holidays can be a definite downside. On the other hand, getting paid more to work slightly less with lots of homemade food to boot? Sounds like a good time to me. Let's discuss. 

As nurses, there is a lot we can handle (like, a lot a lot), but there comes a point when you just can't take it any more. This is a tale of me hitting that point. 

It's been one glorious year since I went back to bedside in the Emergency Department and on this episode we're taking a look back at what has changed, what hasn't changed, and whether or not I deeply regret this life-changing decision (I do not). 

Unhappy patients, unhappy family members, unhappy coworkers; dealing with unhappy people is the bane of any nurses’ existence, especially when we’ve been doing our best and now we’re being told that just ain't good enough. So how do we deal? Let’s talk about it.

The thing that I have dreaded for some time has finally happened: they've oriented me to charge. Oftentimes charging a unit can be the start of something, but I am determined to make it the end. Why? I'll tell you. 

My path was simple: start out in med/surg, go to ICU, then become a nurse manager, then director, then ACNO, then CNO, then choke to death on an energy bar alone in my office on a weekend, an unfinished spreadsheet my only witness and friend. And yet, at 40 years old, I'm back to bedside in the Emergency Department. How did this happen? And why am I so damn happy about it?

Being chosen as a preceptor can feel like validation that you have finally reached competency, but it can also be tedious, frustrating and often involves a lot of paperwork. So how can you make it the best possible experience for both yourself and your new recruit? I have some ideas. 

Money isn't every reason we do this job, but it is the main reason and when we stay in the same position at the same hospital year after year we are missing out on some well earned compensation. The solution? Quit. 

There's calling in sick and there's calling in "sick." In 11 years of nursing, I've never called in "sick." Until today. Let's talk about it. 

The thing about being a nurse is sometimes we don't take our lunch break, but the thing is lunch is the basement. We should be taking lunch breaks, breakfast breaks and nearly-end-of-shift breaks. Less work, more breaks!References:This excellent paper by Stefan D. Arias on how breaks prevent burnout: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1162&context=nursing_msn

Being a patient in the ED is hard and it can be frustrating when it seems like you've been waiting a long time. So what's really going on? Why does it take so long? What are these nurses even doing over there? Here are some answers, plus some tips on how you can have a better experience waiting your turn.