EP 218: Is Healthcare Moving in the Right Direction with Raj Sundar

EP 218: Is Healthcare Moving in the Right Direction with Raj Sundar

Is Healthcare Moving in the Right Direction?

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Raj Sundar. Raj Sundar is a full-spectrum family physician and community organizer. He hosts Healthcare for Humans, a podcast dedicated to educating others on how to care for culturally diverse communities so they can be better healers.

Questions and Topics

  • Can you give us a little background about yourself?
  • Why did you decide to start Healthcare for Humans?
  • Why doesn’t healthcare translate over to culture?
    • Often times we trim down treatment and approaches to patients into set protocols, once size fits all approach. When does that approach fail?
    • It almost seems like the bigger the healthcare system, the less culturally sensitive it is.
  • As a medical director, how can you help push healthcare in the right direction?
    • What does a medical director do?

Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/7U5vRIopXMY

GUEST SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/

  1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupofnursespod/
  2. Cup of Nurses: https://fanlink.to/CONsite
  3. Cup of Nurses Store: https://fanlink.to/CONshop
  4. Free Travel Nursing Guide: https://fanlink.to/Travelnursingchecklist
  5. Nclex Guide: https://fanlink.to/NCLEXguide
  6. Interested in Travel Nursing? https://fanlink.to/TravelNurseNow
  7. Cup of Nurses FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cupofnurses
  8. YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CUPOFNURSES
EP 217: Blood Transfusions and Cell Technology with Carly Newton & Lori Harada

EP 217: Blood Transfusions and Cell Technology with Carly Newton & Lori Harada

Blood Transfusion and Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Carly Newton & Lori Harada, who are both registered nurses working as managers at Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies. Carly uses that experience to educate Health Care Professionals on the most effective ways to prescribe Red Blood Cell Exchange. Lori leads a team of 12 Specialists who train and support their customers on the company’s medical devices. Lori is also a leader in the industry with more than 35 years of apheresis experience. We discuss blood transfusions, donations, the blood shortage, and current technology.

Questions and Topics

  • Can you give us a background about yourselves and how you got involved with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
  • What is Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
    • What do they do?
    • What is the company goal?
    • Does Terumo do any R&D? What are they currently working on?
  • What is RBC and Plasma exchange?
    • What is apheresis?
  • Where does the blood go?
    • What is the full scope of components you can donate?
    • What patients or illnesses do the blood and its components help with?
  • What are some common misconceptions about donating blood, or where is the lack of education regarding donations or treatment?
  • Why do you think medical sales and pharmaceutical sales get a bad rep?
  • During the pandemic, how did things change for you?
    • Was there a greater influx of donations?
  • What do you enjoy doing on your off time?

Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/uWS0r2d1Qsk

GUEST SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.terumobct.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-newton-a98286144/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-harada-6221a815/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terumobct/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/terumobct

  1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupofnursespod/
  2. Cup of Nurses: https://fanlink.to/CONsite
  3. Cup of Nurses Store: https://fanlink.to/CONshop
  4. Free Travel Nursing Guide: https://fanlink.to/Travelnursingchecklist
  5. Nclex Guide: https://fanlink.to/NCLEXguide
  6. Interested in Travel Nursing? https://fanlink.to/TravelNurseNow
  7. Cup of Nurses FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cupofnurses
  8. YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CUPOFNURSES
EP 216: A Critical Look at Childbirth Standards With Nathan Riley

EP 216: A Critical Look at Childbirth Standards With Nathan Riley

The Failure of Modern Medicine: A Critical Look at Childbirth Standards

We would like to introduce you to Nathan Riley. Nathan is a board-certified OB-GYN and fellow of ACOG who left the medical industrial complex due to his disillusionment with the “standard of care” within the conventional maternity care model. He advocates for home birth and still attends births for those in need. He boasts a c-section rate of <5%, which is one of the best in the U.S. His mission is to uphold midwifery as the art that it is and to honor birth as a sacred process and the transition to parenthood as a spiritual transformation.

Questions and Topics

  • Can you give us a little background about yourself? Why did you choose the OB-GYN route? Is it something you were always interested in?
    • What do you do as an OB-GYN? What does your day-to-day look like? Do you do home visits?
    • What are some of your responsibilities?
  • What pushed you away from the typical OB-GYN career path?
    • What was it missing? When did you realize the flaw in patient birthing or the typical hospital birthing process?
  • How is it being a male working as an OB-GYN?
    • Did people or your colleagues look at you differently because you were a male going into this field?
  • How does your practice differ, and how have you achieved such a low C-section rate? (Average rate was about 30% in 2021)
    • Can you walk us through the whole birthing process, the actions you and the future mother take, and some of the emotions that come with it?
  • What do you think physicians in your field need to understand? Where is the lack of education, or even where does medical school fail its students?
  • What is man’s role in childbirth, and how do you balance the masculine and feminine roles?
    Infertility is starting to become a problem; where do you think it stems from? Is it because people choose to get pregnant later in life, or is diet and lifestyle an issue? Is it multifactorial?

    • What is some advice you can give to future mothers and fathers
  • Can you share with us some history of medicine and what is Rockefeller’s medicine?

Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/CRFlWxZt5BE

GUEST SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: www.nextlevelnurses.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanrileyobgyn/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nathanrileyobgyn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/holisticobgpod
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@theholisticobgynpodcast/featured

  1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cupofnursespod/
  2. Cup of Nurses: https://fanlink.to/CONsite
  3. Cup of Nurses Store: https://fanlink.to/CONshop
  4. Free Travel Nursing Guide: https://fanlink.to/Travelnursingchecklist
  5. Nclex Guide: https://fanlink.to/NCLEXguide
  6. Interested in Travel Nursing? https://fanlink.to/TravelNurseNow
  7. Cup of Nurses FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cupofnurses
  8. YT: https://www.youtube.com/@CUPOFNURSES
8 Mistakes That Rookie Travel Nurses Make While on the Job

8 Mistakes That Rookie Travel Nurses Make While on the Job

8 Mistakes That Rookie Travel Nurses Make While on the Job

Working as a travel nurse is one of the best decisions you will ever make in your nursing career. Of course, just like any other newbies, you can’t wait till you are assigned to a different location.

While waiting for an assignment, it is best to read about the eight mistakes that rookie travel nurses make so you can avoid doing them in the future. Here’s what you need to know. 

Avoid These While Going Through Your Contract

#1. Skimming through your contract.

It is a big booboo on your part if you do not read your contract thoroughly. Your travel nurse contract is an essential part of your assignment, so any responsible nurse will carefully read through it before signing [1]. Skimming through your contract will place you in a situation that you might not like. 

Before signing, make sure to check for accuracy and completeness. Check also for the assignment, pay rate, dates, travel reimbursements, bonuses, time offs, and other special agreements that you may have.

Your agency should be able to answer all your concerns if needed. So, don’t just skim through it; read your contract well!

#2. Being unprepared for your assignment.

As nurses, we are trained to be ready at all times. We can even give boy scouts a run for their money if we talk about preparedness! It is a part of our nurse’s skills to be alert and ready for anything.

However, rookie travel nurses are too complacent about their assignments that they don’t bother preparing – a big mistake! They let their excitement get the best of them. Remember, you are traveling for work, not for fun.

Be in a work-mode mindset as you take on an assignment. While you can still see sights along the way or during your offs, you still have to be prepared to do your nursing duties. Avoid these mistakes that rookie travel nurses make, and you will save yourself from trouble.

Agencies will help you process everything you need – even your license entering a compact state. In short, you have all the help you need. All you have to do is show up on time and make sure that you make a good impression on your first day.

Always bring your supporting documents if your supervisor needs them – it will show how responsible you are for a rookie travel nurse!

#3. Bringing too much stuff with you.

The shortest duration of your assignment is around four to eight weeks, with the longest of thirteen weeks. There’s no need to bring too much stuff with you.

Bring only the essentials, and make sure you have enough to reuse. If you are assigned to a different state during winter, bring clothes suitable for the weather. Other than that, leave the ones you don’t need during this assignment. Besides, the weeks will fly by, and the next thing you know, you are off to another location again. 

Take note also of the place you are staying. Is it furnished or not? See what is included in your accommodation. This way, you can decide whether to bring other items along or not. 

#4. Not asking questions.

As a travel nurse, you will always be the “new kid” in town. And as much as you want to do your job and go, it is not always the case. Whenever you are assigned to a new facility, be sure to ask the right questions.

You need to learn where things are, who you need to call for emergencies, what practices are done, or protocols to follow. Asking these questions will help your survival on each shift. 

Be sure to make new friends too. Sure, you are the extra hand, but it won’t hurt if you greet people and be friendly. After all, you work in the same facility. Besides, having new friends broadens your network.

So, do not hesitate to be nice to everyone you meet along the way. You will need guidance and help as you go. 

#5. Acting like you are not part of the team.

Sure, you may be a temporary nurse extending help, but that does not mean you should also exclude yourself from others. Staff nurses will expect you to do your best. Showing up on time and doing your duties are essential, but you are not hired to work there to separate yourself. 

Try to be a part of the team, be nice to people, be prepared, and do your part. If you work like you are part of the team, your coworkers will treat you the same. Don’t be a total stranger. 

#6. Acting like you know it all.

Another mistake that rookie travel nurses make is acting like they don’t need help from anyone. Being a know-it-all is something you should avoid. Sure, you have the skills and knowledge, but ignoring protocols and not following the standard procedures in the facility you are working in is a huge mistake. 

Take time to listen and learn from your coworkers. It does not matter how long you have been a travel nurse or new to the job. Being open to suggestions and learning the trade is vital if you want to keep your job.

Learning new skills will only strengthen your ability as a nurse. Once you have shown that you are valuable to the team, you might find your coworkers asking for your input. 

#7. Joining the hospital drama.

One mistake that rookie travel nurses make is by joining hospital politics during their brief stay [2]. As a result, they found themselves tangled in the drama that they could’ve avoided in the first place. 

As tempting as juicy gossip can be, avoid engaging in it. Remember, you are only working in this facility for a few weeks. It is always better to build strong relationships than to be part of the gossip crew.

Besides, you don’t know the people involved or the whole story, so why bother becoming a part of it? So, do what you came to do, avoid gossiping, and focus on your patient care. You will be appreciated more!

#8. Working hard or hardly working.

Last but not least, one of the mistakes that rookie travel nurses make is working too much or too little. As a nurse, your work is a priority, but you can become a workaholic when you work too much and don’t pause to breathe.

So find time to balance work and recreation. One of the reasons you became a travel nurse is to see other places, so do it! Take a look at your schedule and plan an activity for the day.

While you are assigned a job, why not take the opportunity to see places? Knowing when to work and have fun has its perks. Besides, after a long day of serving patients, a breather sounds about right. Enjoy the moments while you can! 

Find Balance on Your First Job

Becoming a travel nurse is exciting, primarily if you are assigned to a place that you haven’t been to before. But as you do, find balance in your work and play. Be mindful of your ways, be presentable, arrive on time, and leave work at work.

Over time, you will enjoy each assignment, and you don’t have to make the same mistakes rookie travel nurses make! Being a nurse is a rewarding job, and for you to deliver quality care, you must also take care of yourself.

Hopefully, this list cleared it out for you. Best of luck! 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!

 

EP 210: ER Nurse to Viral Content Creator With Stephanee Beggs

EP 210: ER Nurse to Viral Content Creator With Stephanee Beggs

EP 210: ER Nurse to Viral Content Creator With Stephanee Beggs

Can one become a viral content creator? The short answer is yes. Our profession gives us the freedom to become an inspiration to others. Whether it be through bedside nursing or content creators, we have the means to help others.

It is unsurprising to see many healthcare professionals rise to the ranks of online personalities as they help educate others about health and well-being. If you’re a nurse interested in making digital content, this episode is for you. 

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Stephanee Beggs. Stephanee is a content creator, Forbes 30 under 30, and Emergency Room nurse.

She unintentionally became viral on social media for her quick, concise educational tools that led to the creation of RNExplained, Inc.

Our main focus today is ER nursing and crazy patient experiences

Questions for Our Guest

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

These are the questions you had in Calendly. We’ll go off your questions, and wherever else our conversation goes.

  1. Please give us a brief background about yourself and your nursing experience. 
        • What made you decide to get into emergency nursing?
  2. Let’s address the elephant in the room, do you have any beef with ICU nurses?
  3. What is the day in the life like of an emergency nurse? 
  4. Has your life changed significantly being a social media influencer? 
        • Did you get any backlash from your employer?
  5. How did you create RNExplained? What inspired you?
        • You became the 30 under 30 on Forbes for the education category. 
        • How do you juggle multiple roles as a nurse?
  6. How do you prioritize self-care as a nurse? 

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? 

Connect and catch up with Stephanee through her socials at: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/stephaneebeggs/?hl=en
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RNExplained
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephbegg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rnexplained/featured 

Want to become a viral content creator too? Watch the full episode here 👇👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:39 About Stephanee Beggs
05:08 What causes the conflict between ER and ICU nursing?
07:24 What does an ER nurse’s shift look like
11:19 Traumatic experiences as a nurse
16:03 The love of helping and nursing patient
18:05 How RNExplained started
18:47 What is it like to be an entrepreneur and a social media influencer?
19:46 Secrets on how Stephanee balances her life
21:29 Nurse Influencers are being misunderstood by hospital administration.
27:51 Tips on how to avoid trouble with what you post on social media
29:13 Setting Boundaries with Employers and Social Media Influence
30:47 How Stephanee grew RNExplained
33:11 Stephanee’s future business plans
34:30 The importance of self-care?
35:52 Wrapping up the show