Misconceptions of nursing – what are they? How can we help highlight these issues? Nursing is a profession that isn’t for everyone. But some excel greatly in this career.
And while nursing is a remarkable career that provides essential services, there are still misconceptions about it. What are the misconceptions about nursing? How can we uplift nurses?
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Theresa Brown. Theresa Brown is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Shift.
She earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Chicago and taught English before flipping her career into nursing. She now holds lectures on issues related to nursing, healthcare, and the end of life.
Her new book titled Healing is out now, where she tells a powerful story about navigating healthcare after a breast cancer diagnosis.
QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS:
The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We go off-topic all the time so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!
What made you shift focus from academia to pursue a career in nursing? What made you choose oncology, palliative, and hospice?
During your first year as an oncology nurse, you experienced a sudden death of a patient. How did that make you feel, and how did you process those emotions?
Your book Critical Care is an account of your first year as a nurse. What was your biggest take away, and how were you able to deal with the emotions and workload of a new nurse?
How different was the reality of nursing compared to your expectations going in?
What do you think are the most common misconceptions about nursing?
What are the struggles you’ve noticed nurses face?
Going from nurse to patient, how was it navigating through a healthcare system that you’ve worked in?
What were your first thoughts when you were diagnosed with cancer?
How were you treated? Were physicians and other medical staff transparent and timely? Did you feel that you were getting the appropriate “help’?
Do you feel that you were left in the dark or weren’t given the full picture of your situation?
Being both a patient and a nurse, what would you like to change in healthcare or in nursing? Did healthcare fail you?
ENDING QUESTIONS:
Before we end the show we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody, dead or alive, who would it be & why?
You can check out Theresa’s book Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient at https://www.theresabrownrn.com/. Or stay in touch with her through Twitter @TheresaBrown for more information.
To understand more about the misconceptions about nursing, check out the full episode here 👇
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Intro 01:42 What made you shift focus from academia to pursue a career in nursing? 04:55 What made you choose oncology, palliative care, and hospice? 07:34 The biggest takeaway as an oncology nurse 11:26 The struggles of nursing school 14:25 Tips for dealing with emotions after a patient’s death 23:05 Being a cancer patient 28:12 What patients really need from nurses 32:31 Realizations to improve healthcare 36:59 What would you like to change in healthcare or in nursing? 46:34 How does it feel to be out of leadership status? 50:25 Who do you want to have one last cup of coffee with?
Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, and we take pride in that. However, there are times when nurses don’t feel like they are as important in our community.
A bad work environment can also add up to the stress that many nurses feel. In some cases, many nurses do not feel like their efforts are given enough recognition, so they don’t perform well, or worse, they don’t provide quality patient care any longer.
While many nurses take their profession seriously, some are not sure anymore. What can we do to help our fellow nurses? Is there a way to inspire and encourage them to do better?
What needs to improve in a nurse’s work environment to help them feel empowered?
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Alice Benjamin, better known as Nurse Alice, America’s favorite nurse. She is a cardiac clinical nurse specialist and family nurse practitioner with over 23 years of healthcare experience.
Alice is Nurse.org’s Chief Nursing Officer and Correspondent and hosts the popular ‘Ask Nurse Alice’ podcast.
QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS:
The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We go off-topic all the time, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!
Being in over 20 years in healthcare, what are some changes you would like to see in healthcare?
How do you think the pandemic has affected nurses?
How should new nurses empower themselves going into this profession in 2022?
What do you think about the RaDonda Vaught case?
She was sentenced on Friday to three years of probation in a Nashville criminal court. After the probationary period, she could ultimately have her conviction dismissed.
Found guilty in March of two charges, criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult, after a medication error contributed to the death of 75-year-old Charlene Murphey in December 2017.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have taken on recently?
What is something nursing has thought you that you can apply in life?
ENDING QUESTIONS
Before we end the show we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why?
Learn how to become an empowered nurse by watching our full episode. Click here for more 👇
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Intro 01:35 About Alice 02:30 What are some changes you would like to see in healthcare? 06:26 How can we improve the healthcare system? 09:46 Reasons for some patients’ noncompliance 15:24 One-size-fits-all patient treatment does not always work. 17:57 How should new nurses empower themselves? 20:26 How to be a better nurse 24:13 What are the challenges of being a nurse 29:52 Thoughts about the RaDonda Vaught case? 43:31 The last one cup of coffee with?
It’s incredible how time flies; just like that, we are on our 100th episode before we even know it! We wouldn’t be able to do all of these without your support for Cup of Nurses. We owe it to our followers and supporters to let you guys know that our channel will make some changes. As we move along, we will tackle topics we are more passionate about.
The Changes
We are excited to announce that we will be transitioning to Frontline Warriors as we want to focus more on health, consciousness, and wellness. Today’s episode will also be the last one for Cup of News. We’ve enjoyed our time doing this show, but like the changing season, we also embrace the changes. And we are pumped to have you guys join us in this new chapter for Cup of Nurses! So, stay tuned and be on the lookout for our new episodes. We can’t wait to share them and help inspire you to become the best version of yourselves!
Why We Started Cup of News
We started the Cup of News for one specific reason: to keep up with the C-19 surge and keep everyone informed about what is going on during the pandemic. We believe we kept our part. Covid-19 is still a thing. However, it has become more of the norm, and breaking news is not as “breaking” as it used to be.
Our Favorite Episode Topics
Over the last few years, we’ve covered several good topics in Cup of News. Today, we will talk about some of our favorites and why we enjoyed talking about them here in Cup of Nurses. Here are a few:
EP 54: Out in Nature episode
No show notes but what a great trip it was. A great episode about reconnecting with yourself and nature. We truly enjoyed being able to relax and be with nature in this episode.
EP 72: Horoscope
We really liked doing this one. Even though we don’t fully believe in horoscopes we still find them entertaining. They do hold some benefit because it allows you to think about yourself and your actions in a way you may not have before. It also offers a focus for you for the month or year to help you grow.
Aries
Family matters will be of importance this month. You will face a lot of challenges with your career, but towards the end of the month, you will make things better. Your health might take a toll on you if you are not careful.
Trust that you are ready to meet your soulmate this month. You have been waiting for a while now, and the time has come for you to get out there. Your social life will be perfect.
Taurus
You will be okay financially. Your career will improve, and you will get that promotion that you have been waiting for. Taurus love life will have some challenges because you do not see eye to eye with your partner.
Your health will be perfect while your travel prospects are also bright. You will have to work harder when it comes to your studies to achieve all your goals and aspirations.
Gemini
To have a happy and fulfilled life, married couples should ensure that they stay away from conflict. Do not always pick a fight with your spouse. Fighting in the family can cause the children to feel unloved. Always strive to be a positive example to your children.
You will finally get that leadership position that you have been working for at your workplace. Your superiors will appreciate your leadership skills and your ability to mobilize your fellow coworkers.
Cancer
Cancer natives will have a positive month. All aspects of your life will be on the right track. As long as you keep doing the great things you are doing, all will be well with you. Do not listen to people who tell you that you are worth nothing.
Keep being you and live your best life. Focus on the things that bring light and positive vibes into your life.
Leo
Family life will cause you lots of problems that might affect your mental health. It will be a prosperous period for Leo natives who are in business. Finances will not be a problem for you this month.
Children will do well in their studies, and you will be extremely proud of them. You will also travel a lot with your loved ones.
Virgo
Health will pose no problems for you this month. Your career prospects are, however, not encouraging. You need to change the approach by which you handle your professional life.
Single Virgo natives should be careful to protect their hearts from hurt. Exercise due diligence before choosing to fall in love with anyone.
Libra
Be true to yourself and live an honest life. Also, be careful with your finances. Misuse of funds will cause you to regret it in the near future. Ensure that you develop a good habit of saving for rainy days.
All your travel commitments will bring in great profits. You will also be able to meet new people who will help you grow your business.
Scorpio
You should be serious about your marriage. Show commitment to your spouse, and you will enjoy lasting happiness and joy. Also, show commitment to your children and your availability in their lives.
Your love life will be exceptional this month. You will be able to find someone that fills your heart. As a Scorpio woman, you need to be careful with your reproductive health.
Sagittarius
Business people will have great financial flow. Invest in businesses that will assure you of great profits. Pursue your passions and work towards achieving happiness in all you do.
Your education will head to the next level as you will get a scholarship to study abroad and broaden your area of study.
Capricorn
Trust those great things will manifest in your life. Do not take anything for granted. You should also be patient with yourself. In your career, take one step at a time, and you will eventually get there. Also, make good use of your talents and gifts.
Be well-equipped to handle your children when they start misbehaving. Ensure that you bring them back on the right track.
Aquarius
Your health will be okay this month, but you need to make some lifestyle changes. You will face some challenges with your studies because of school fees arrears.
Business people will profit greatly from their businesses.
Pisces
Your marriage life will be exciting and filled with passion and romance. Always appreciate your partner and remind them how much you love them.
This month you will safely invest knowing that you are doing the right thing. Nothing should scare you from living your best life.
EP 86: Cannabis and C-19
As nurses, we enjoy learning and here at Cup of Nurses, we are happy to share what we have researched. Our goal is to spread information about health and how people can utilize this information so they can live a long and healthy life.
A study conducted by JCI Insight in 2017 found that CBD lowered the blood pressure of human participants. It reduced their resting blood pressure as well as their blood pressure after stress tests including mental arithmetic, isometric exercise, and the cold pressor test.
Reducing inflammation
CBD has been proven to help reduce inflammation and the neuropathic pain it can cause, according to a study by the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research.
Preventing relapse in drug and alcohol addiction
A 2018 study discovered that CBD can be useful in helping people who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. A preclinical trial with lab rats determined that CBD reduced the stress-induced cravings, anxiety, and lack of impulse control that often cause people to relapse.
Treating anxiety disorders
Anxiety is perhaps the most common affliction that people have used CBD for, and a preclinical study found that CBD could be effective in treating generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Treating gastrointestinal (GI) disorders
A recent study found that CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids can effectively be used to prevent and treat GI disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and more. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties are key to reducing and preventing symptoms.
Preventing seizures
Decades of research have gone into using CBD to treat epilepsy and other seizure syndromes, and a recent study showed it can have positive effects in reducing symptoms and seizure frequency.
Fighting cancer
Not only has CBD been used to help alleviate the effects of chemotherapy, but studies have also found it can prevent cell growth and induce cell death in cervical cancer cell lines and it has numerous anti-cancer effects that can help prevent a variety of cancers, treat tumors, and benefit the immune system.
EP 85: Heart Health #1 Killer in America
In this episode, we’ve compiled facts about heart diseases in America and how it has affected many Americans over the years.
Fact sheet – Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
There are about 3 million deaths in the US
Cardiovascular disease alone accounts for almost 1/4th of the total deaths in the US.
One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.
Heart disease costs the United States about $363 billion each year from 2016 to 2017. This includes the cost of health care services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing 360,900 people in 2019.
About 18.2 million adults age 20 and older have CAD (about 6.7%).
About 2 in 10 deaths from CAD happen in adults less than 65 years old.
Heart Attacks
In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.
Every year, about 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack. Of these,
605,000 are a first heart attack
200,000 happen to people who have already had a heart attack
About 1 in 5 heart attacks are silent—the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it.
According to heart.org, almost half of the US population has some type of cardiovascular disease.
According to 2017 figures, 116.4 million people had hypertension, almost half of the US population at that time, and that is just hypertension alone.
Cardiovascular disease is such an issue that the AHA had to lower its guidelines for what hypertension is from 140/90 to 130/80 so that people can get treated sooner.
1 in 5 Americans reported having adequate aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activity to meet the physical activity guidelines.
Estimates for 2035 are showing that more than 130 million people will have some form of cardiovascular disease and the total cost to the healthcare system would be $1.1 trillion.
EP 52: World Economic Forum Plus Political News
At Cup of Nurses, we don’t only tackle issues related to health but everything that is happening around us. In this episode, we gathered all information we could about what is going on around the world in terms of economy and politics. These are our 2030 Predictions for the world and general economy.
Products will become a service
There are people that do not own a car, don’t own a house, don’t own appliances or clothes, they don’t own anything.
Global price on carbon
China took the lead in 2017 with a market for trading the right to emit a tonne of CO2, setting the world on a path towards a single carbon price and a powerful incentive to ditch fossil fuels, predicts Jane Burston, Head of Climate and Environment at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory. Europe, meanwhile, found itself at the center of the trade-in of cheap, efficient solar panels, as prices for renewables fell sharply.
Drop-in US dominance into a handful of powers
Instead of a single force, a handful of countries – the U.S., Russia, China, Germany, India, and Japan chief among them – show semi-imperial tendencies. However, at the same time, the role of the state is threatened by trends including the rise of cities and the spread of online identities.
Less hospital care
The hospital as we know it will be changed, with fewer accidents due to self-driving cars and an increase in preventive and personalized medicine. Open organ surgeries and organ donors are out, and tiny robotic tubes and bio-printed organs are going to be developed.
Less meat
Rather like our grandparents, the meat will be a treat rather than a staple, writes Tim Benton, Professor of Population Ecology at the University of Leeds, UK. It won’t be big agriculture or little artisan producers that win, but rather a combination of the two, with convenience food redesigned to be healthier and less harmful to the environment.
Refugees will be CEOs and share the future
Highly educated Syrian refugees will be old enough to have an impact on the community by 2030, making the case for the economic integration of those who have been forced to flee the conflict. The world needs to be better prepared for populations on the move, writes Lorna Solis, Founder, and CEO of the NGO Blue Rose Compass, as climate change will have displaced 1 billion people.
Western values will be tested
We forget the checks and balances that bolster our democracies at our peril, writes Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch.
Moving closer to Mars
What’s more, once we get there, we’ll probably discover evidence of alien life, writes Ellen Stofan, Chief Scientist at NASA. Big science will help us to answer big questions about life on earth, as well as open up practical applications for space technology.
To find out more about the changes we’re doing for Cup of Nurses, check out the full video here 👇
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Intro 00:45 Plugs 03:28 Reminiscing how it all started 06:28 How we stood up for what we believe 10:34 A podcast that will help everyone 12:32 We are our only cure 19:09 Favorite Episodes: The Challenge 21:42 Favorite Episodes: Out in Nature 22:25 Favorite Episodes: Horoscope 25:47 Favorite Episodes: Cannabis and C-19 31:10 Favorite Episodes: Heart Heath #1 Killer in America 34:59 Favorite Episodes: What is The World Economic Forum? 37:22 Wrapping up the show
Start in a CVICU as a new grad? Why not! One of the exciting areas to start working as a nurse is in the Cardiac ICU. The cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit or CVICU is a hospital ward that caters to and cares for patients with ischemic heart disease and other severe heart conditions.
Patients who suffered a heart attack and need close monitoring are also placed in this unit. The same goes for patients recovering from heart surgery and with other severe conditions like cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, heart infection, or unstable angina.
Most patients in the CVICU often have various complications such as respiratory failure and renal failure. Therefore, medical staff who work at CVICU are required to have the ability to practice systemic intensive care.
In this episode, we introduce you to one of our followers, James Hatano. James is a New grad nurse in the Cardiac ICU at a Trauma 1 hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.
He is also a certified CrossFit coach and a baseball coach. Today we will talk about his new grad experience as a Cardiac ICU nurse. So if you are interested to start in a CVICU as a new grad, this episode is for you.
QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS:
The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We go off-topic all the time so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!
Your BSN is your second degree, you also have a degree in exercise physiology. What made you decide on exercise physiology and then what made you transition into nursing?
Are there some aspects of exercise physiology that have helped you in nursing school, being a nurse, and/or with life in general?
How did you survive nursing school? What do you think was the key? Time management, good schedule, etc…?
Was the Cardiac ICU something you wanted to get into right off the bat?
Why did you choose the Cardiac ICU? Do you fit the typical cardiac ICU stereotype? (craziest lives but neatest lines, control, OCD)
Biggest difference between nursing school and the ICU?
What’s something you wished you knew going into school?
What did you struggle with most in school? What do you struggle with most now?
Tips for nurses trying to join the ICU.
Nursing is stressful, we can agree that it is never going to change. No matter if there are appropriate ratios and great morale, working with patients that are very sick you’re always going to have that stress on your shoulders.
What do you do to help balance that stress, do you have any issue with not leaving it at work and bringing it home with you?
You’re big into fitness you’re even one of the top 50 fittest nurses in the world, how has that helped you through life?
How has fitness played a role in your life and how has it helped you with nursing?
How has your exercise changed over time?
The drive podcast by Peter Attia, what got you into it and why do you enjoy it, what do they talk about?
Chop wood, carry water book, would you recommend that book, why and/or to whom?
ENDING QUESTIONS:
Before we end the show we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why?
You can find James on Instagram @jameshatano to know more about CVICU nursing.
You can also watch the full episode here 👇
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Intro 00:45 Episode Introduction 01:33 About the guest 03:29 James Hatano and nursing 06:46 How does nursing school impact life 09:57 Transitioning out of nursing school 12:17 Life lessons you learned from being a CVICU nurse 13:51 Struggles as a new grad 20:03 Balancing Work and Life 22:15 Managing time 25:03 Managing relationship 30:32 How is it working with a female dominant profession 33:44 What would you like to improve in the healthcare system 37:00 A thing that you always have 39:47 The person outside nursing 43:52 Personal interests 46:34 Who would you want to have the one last cup of coffee?
Being a Travel Nurse Practitioner With Ebony Thyme
Besides travel nurses, we also have traveling nurse practitioners. What is a traveling nurse practitioner anyway?
By definition, they are healthcare professionals who work at a facility away from their home base. They act as immediate and often temporary staffing for healthcare facilities.
Traveling nurse practitioners often work in senior care centers, hospitals, clinics, stand-alone emergency rooms, urgent care locations, and other healthcare facilities where there is a need for registered nurse practitioners.
These facilities could need assistance from an NP because of patient overflow or a full-time employee on an extended leave or has retired.
A traveling nurse practitioner is also like a travel nurse. The only difference is that a traveling nurse practitioner’s contract can last one day to one year. Meanwhile, travel nurses go on contract for as long as 13 weeks.
Our Guest
In this episode, we welcome our guest Ebony Thyme, a full-time Travel NP and a full-time wanderlust. A free-spirited individual with eight years of nursing experience.
She also worked as a Travel NP in four states and has traveled to more than 30+ countries. Ebony’s background includes Family Medicine and before her NP journey, she was also an ICU Nurse.
QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS
The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We go off-topic all the time so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
How did you get into nursing?
What made you be ICU?
What made you transition into being a travel nurse practitioner?
What made you enter into a traveling career?
What have you learned?
What was the hardest thing for you to get used to?
Advice to anyone that wants to be a travel RN or NP?
What is the market for travel nurse practitioners?
What are some of the expectations and responsibilities?
What was your favorite state to travel to for work?
You’ve been to 30 countries, why do you travel so much?
What have you learned from exploring so many cultures?
How has it expanded your mind and perspective?
How important is it for you to travel and why should people do more traveling?
As an NP, how were you able to make your career give you financial freedom and the ability to control where your time goes?
What are you currently working on?
NPing around the US?
Travel boot camp? What is it?
Locum Tenen Guide?
Thyme Talks podcast?
Before we end the show we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why?
You can catch Ebony on her Instagram accounts at @ebbthenp and @frontpage_eb. For her master class, podcast, and other sites, check out the links below:
If you are interested in becoming a traveling NP, watch the full episode here to learn more 👇
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Intro 02:02 Plugs 02:56 About the Guest 05:27 The difference between Travel Nurse and a Travel NP 09:01 What is transitioning from Nurse to NP look like? 13:15 Advantage of a Nurse Practitioner 15:11 3 tips for nursing students 19:02 The importance of self-care 22:22 Solo traveling experience 24:31 Fears and Expectations 26:11 Difference between living on the east coast and the west coast 29:08 The humbling life in other countries 34:32 Places you should visit 35:35 What kept Ebony busy 39:51 Things I wish I knew earlier in my career 42:10 The worst contract 45:15 Toxic workplace 49:54 Who would you want to have a cup of coffee one last time?
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