What's Beeping? A Nursing Podcast

In this episode, Bre and Maija discuss being proactive about reproductive health. Knowing baseline fertility status is a key part of planning for the future so you aren’t reacting to unknown hurdles (PCOS, endometriosis) later in life when people with ovaries might want to start having children. They are joined by Alyssa Atkins, CEO and founder of Lilia, an egg freezing concierge. Alyssa shares her experience of securing her eggs and how it led her to founding a women’s health company to help others better navigate the often long and challenging process. Not knowing if you want to have kids, but knowing you want to have the option later can take the weight off your shoulders and open the door for accomplishing your life and career goals now. For Alyssa, it was the best way to ensure reproductive equity. Egg securement is becoming more common with some employers even offering packages in their benefit plans. It’s time to take control of our present AND future lives by getting a better understanding of what is happening with our ovaries and seeking out the information important for us to know our options. Egg securing isn’t going to be for everyone, but the information we need to make decisions about our own reproductive health should be available for all.   Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you!   Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials! twitter | instagram

How many nurses also assume the role of caregiver to a close friend or family member?Does anyone else also feel this unexplainable guilt?What does it mean to be an essential caregiver in longterm care during a pandemic? In this episode, Maija shares her story of being a caregiver and a nurse at the same time. She recalls the challenges and lasting memories of an unchartered diagnosis and prognosis with her mother while navigating the healthcare system. Bre and Maija also discuss the issues surrounding long term care homes within Ontario that have been amplified during the current pandemic — staffing, application process and stigma. Caregivers are essential members of the healthcare team but what happens when nurses also care for family members? Let’s open the conversation about this under represented role. Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general?Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram Caregiver Resources Mentioned The 2nd annual Spotlight on Caregivers Report Care Counts Stats Canada 2018 document Working Daughter Podcast Young Caregiver’s Association  

What's the top Toronto neighbourhood for Degrassi cast sightings?Is night shift making your period out of whack?How many times should a politician make a cheesecake and share it on social media? It's finally 2021 and Bre and Maija are ready for some non-nursing chats. Just a bit of a ramble to help escape nurselife for an hour and maybe get to know us a little better.  Happy New Year! Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general?Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram

What makes a great mentor? Who is influencing the next generation of nurses? Can you teach critical thinking? Today we chat with Kevin Romanchik - an ER and Critical Care nurse from University of Michigan Hospital who has dedicated time during his career as a nursing mentor, guest lecturer and program advisor for the University of Michigan Nursing School. If you’ve been thinking of mentorship or are currently working with a student or a new grad nurse, we've got you covered. We talk about all things preceptorship and reasons why it’s so important to take on leadership roles within our profession.  Nurses shouldn't eat their young - they should feed them.   Check out Kevin on twitter and instagram Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general?Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram

When will nurses be recognized for their contributions to their community? December 3rd! Join Bre and Maija as they talk with Christine Rieck Buckley, RN and CEO of the Canadian Nurses Foundation. In this episode, they discuss the different resources and supports that are in place and being developed by the CNF as a means to encourage nurses to take a seat at the table and be involved in major healthcare decisions in Canada.   This year’s annual gala has gone virtual as the CNF 2020 Nightingale MaskerAide. The event will be hosted by Traci Melchor and will feature performances by chart-topping Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder and more. Proceeds will go to supporting nurses and the foundation including the Canadian Nurses Foundation COVID-19 Fund. The World Health Organization has designated 2020 The Year of the Nurse and Midwife in honour of the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Find more information on the event here. Follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #CNFMaskerAide.  The Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF) supports world-class Canadian health care by raising funds to advance nursing knowledge and research, and by recognizing professional merit in Canada’s nurses. By investing in nursing education, research and training today, we can be prepared to face the health care challenges of tomorrow. For more information on CNF’s initiatives including the organization’s current Foresight is 2020 campaign which explores 20 of the most significant issues impacting the future of Canadian health care, please visit https://cnf-fiic.ca/.  Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you!  Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general?   Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with What's Beeping on our socials!  twitter | instagram

Are you looking for a change in your life and career?  Have you been wondering what all this travel nursing buzz is about?  Do you feel overwhelmed by all the red tape and checkboxes required before making a move to another country? We did too! We had no idea what the first steps were when it came to travel nursing outside of Canada. We’ve always wanted to explore other opportunities for our nursing careers but didn’t know where to start. Enter Brennan.  Brennan Belliveau is an experienced pediatric Registered Nurse originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, now living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Brennan founded The Adventurous Nurse Blog to support nurses across the world in both the workplace and in their personal lives, and is dedicated to helping other international nurses achieve their dreams of working in the USA.Join Brennan, Bre and Maija as they discuss the logistics of how to move to America from Canada in search of a nursing job and small talk about other Canadian favourites such as hockey, Nickelback, and Tim Hortons.   Whether you're looking for a short term adventure or a lifelong career change, this episode will start the fire under your pants that you might just need to take the first step into travel nursing. For nurses everywhere in the world, check out Brennan's instagram for more resources on how to start your travel career! Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you!  Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect with us on our socials! twitter | instagram

What's Beeping Season 2: The Second Wave is here!How's quarantine life going?In this episode, Bre and Maija revisit their 2020 goals to celebrate the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. The global pandemic cancelled their plans for professional development but also shed light on the nursing industry within the country. They talk about expectation vs reality while nursing during a pandemic - how nurses are perceived in the media, pandemic pay, the state of long term care homes and PPE shortage. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram 

Get to know Bre and Maija: Two Canadian nurses who went through nursing school, the NCLEX, and life in a global pandemic - together. Enjoy the trailer and stay tuned for the second wave of episodes of What's Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Have questions or comments about the show?Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect With Us!instagram | twitter 

Welcome to What's Beeping: A Nursing Podcast!In this quick, introductory trailer, Bre and Maija give a sneak peak of what can be expected in upcoming shows. We also hear about their nursing history and how they came into the profession.A quick teaser to peak your interest! Connect With Us!twitter  |  instagramOr email us for questions, comments, or sponsorship opportunities whatsbeeping@gmail.com

What is your origin story?What is your lollipop moment?If you could clear up one misconception about nursing, what would it be? Happy Nursing Week 2020. It's International Nursing Week, the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, and to top it off, we’re in the midst of a global healthcare crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime. Bre and Maija wanted to create a special episode for the nurses, to shine a spotlight on a few stories they’ve found throughout their careers. Not all superheroes wear capes - some wear scrubs. Trying to emphasize how little we know about someone upon first impression and even after working with them for 2, 5, or 10 years, the ladies dive into the origins of 4 different healthcare heroes.  Now, more than ever, we want to know - who’s behind the mask?  Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram

How many questions did you get?What topics should I study more than others?You studied HOW many hours a week??? Welcome to The NCLEX world. In this episode, Bre and Maija talk about their experiences taking the Canadian NCLEX. How they studied, how long they studied before exam day, what kind of gum they chewed while studying in hopes of jogging their memories through association…More importantly, the ladies want to offer tips and reassurance because while the test is important, it’s not your defining moment as a nurse. You can write again. Not everyone gives their best performance under such stressful circumstances. Resources mentioned in this episode but not at all affiliated with What’s Beeping:UWorld - Online test bank with rationals for feesKaplan Nursing - Multiple resources online for feesYouTube:  RegisteredNurseRN Kaplan Nursing NCLEX® Prep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDuXWFgl3vs ) Sidenote: These resources might not work for everyone and do not by any means replace your course content. They just helped us in our supplementary readings and study time. :)Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram

Would you give up your full-time position for an adventure in the Arctic?How would you cope with 24 hours of sunlight?Are you afraid of heights?Welcome to flight nursing.In this episode, Bre and Maija invite Nicole to be their first guest. Currently working as a director in a community based hospital, Nicole has a vibrant resume of nursing experiences. After giving up her full time position in the ICU, Nicole worked an adventurous contract position as a flight nurse in the Canadian Arctic. The ladies discuss her memories and challenges during this unique experience in the North. Have you thought about taking on a non-traditional nursing role in Northern Canada? Check out their discussion on Nicole’s experience to give more insight to a once in a lifetime opportunity.Thanks for listening to What’s Beeping? A Nursing Podcast. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you!  Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com  Connect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram

Who’s under that hospital gown?Where do you find a squatty potty?How fluent are you in hand gestures? In this episode, Bre and Maija add some thoughts on the discourse of cultural competence in healthcare. Living and working in a cultural melting pot of a city, they’ve learned a lot from their patients and colleagues. They also touch on their experiences with the corresponding curriculum and opportunities for change. Don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram

How do you walk a mile in a patient’s shoes?Can you learn how to empathize?Is TikTok killing clinical empathy?  Let’s talk about our feelings - or actually, our patients’ feelings. After an episode exploring the factors influencing nurse well-being (from Episode 2), Bre and Maija want to better understand how their patients are feeling. They look at the definitions and applications of clinical empathy through their experiences and external resources. What tools can healthcare providers use to assess and increase their ability to feel with patients? As they search for a tool to measure one's emotional intelligence, they find empathy to be a self regulated, personal experience. From an organizational standpoint, what are the benefits of having employees who practice clinical empathy? Finally, the ladies return to their discussion on social media in the nursing world as they weigh in on the current social media trends that portray healthcare professionals as anything but professional and definitely not empathetic.If you feel a certain way about our conversation and topic from this episode, give us a rating or a comment in Apple Podcasts! Your feedback goes a long way and we really appreciate your opinions.    Resources mentioned in this episode:  Alan Alda Good Communication 101- Mirroring and JargonAlso check out the CBC podcast White Coat Black ArtBrené Brown on Empathy - "Rarely can a response make something better. What make's something better is a connection."Advisory Board Empathy-Building Simulation Scenarios Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general?Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials!twitter  |  instagram

How are you and your workplace celebrating 2020: The Year of the Nurse and Midwife?Are you ready to "level up" your practice?Have you felt the stigma associated with the different nursing designations? Happy New Year, everyone!In the first episode of 2020, Bre and Maija kick off The Year of the Nurse and the Midwife by announcing some of the upcoming nursing events locally and internationally. They also brainstorm ways to increase their nursing knowledge and engagement with the community through professional development and continuing education programs. In the second half of this episode, they look back at their own choices to continue their nursing careers and add to the discourse surrounding two of the nurse designations in Ontario - Registered Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse.For more information about the content discussed in this episode, check out the links below. Also, don’t forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to the show. Your input goes a long way and we love hearing from you! Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general?Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.comConnect with us on our socials!twitter | instagram Helpful links for your nursing practice:RPNAO online learning resources RNAO Best Practice Guidelines and Online CoursesCollege of Nurses of Ontario RPNs and RNs: How to determine who provides patient care2020 Nursing Events-RNAO 95th AGM - Registration opens soon!  -International Council of Nurses: 2020 Taiwan International Nursing Conference  September 9-12, 2020 11th ICN Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network Conference  Aug 30-Sept 2Halifax, Nova Scotia Johnson & Johnson Nursing Hackathon - 2020 Date TBD2019 Hackathon 

Have you ever accidentally given the wrong medication?How does your workplace try to decrease errors?Have you ever found medications at the bedside?In our final episode of the year, Bre and Maija talk about medication administration, errors, and ways to improve practice. Many nurses fear the reporting of errors because of a punitive culture that could exist in the workplace but many employers have now adapted a systems approach that leads to quality improvement. We discuss why reporting errors is important, error prevention tools used to clarify orders, and techniques you can incorporate into your practice. Bre tests Maija on the rights of medication administration - how many and what they are after almost a decade from graduation. From the patient’s perspective, we see the importance of promoting autonomy and education about medications with your patients. In Ontario, the scope of practice for RNs will soon expand allowing prescribing abilities for some medications. We talk about what this means for our practice and how incorporating an indication on the prescriptions could increase patient safety. Our experience with new technologies used to administer medications at the bedside including automated dispensing machines and medication scanning. Finally, why you should never go through a garbage in a patient room.Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials!twitter  |  instagram

Do you function better in the day or at night?What size is your eye bra?Have you ever been “slimed” by a colleague? In this episode, Bre and Maija discuss how they balance work with personal life. Nurse life can be a challenge with shift work and long hours but they also find perks to being off the 9-5 grind. Creating a dialogue about the factors influencing the profession’s reportedly high turnover rate, they assess their experiences with the physical and emotional aspects of nursing. In the first half of the episode, we hear about topics such as scheduling, sleep hygiene, diet, and fitness. The second half of the episode digs deeper into the effects nursing and care giving can have on an individual’s mental health. Compassion fatigue and the different types of trauma one can be exposed to are discussed as outlined by Françoise Mathieu author of The Compassion Fatigue Workbook. They finally touch on the power of meditation and mindfulness as a means of building resilience.  Resources mentioned in this episode:Sleep Is Your Superpower Matt Walker TEDTalkThe Compassion Fatigue Workbook by Françoise Mathieu The Edge of Compassion | Françoise Mathieu | TEDxQueensU Other Helpful Resources WeRPN - Self Care For Nurses -To support self-care for nurses, WeRPN has developed a series of self-care resources. These resources are focused on three domains: mental well-being, physical well-being and emotional well-being.The Nurses’ Health Program (NHP) -a voluntary bilingual program for Ontario nurses. It is designed to encourage nurses to seek treatment for substance use and/or mental health disorders that may affect their ability to practice nursing safely. Have questions or comments about this episode or the show in general? Email us at: whatsbeeping@gmail.com Connect with us on our socials!twitter  |  instagram

Do you use social media for personal or professional use?How tight are your privacy settings?Have you ever had a patient send you a friend request?These are some questions we discuss in this episode on social media. The constant evolution of online communities can make some nurses weary of participating on certain platforms. From protecting patient privacy to upholding the profession's image, social media can seem like a slippery slope with so many angles to consider. Where do we draw the line on how we express ourselves? Who makes the rules and where can we find guidance? We look at laws and standards that directly and indirectly regulate the use of social media and hear some examples of how issues might arise. Speaking of social media, connect with us on ours!twitter  |  instagram Or email us for questions, comments or sponsorship opportunities: whatsbeeping@gmail.com