Ep. 044: When Nurses Shape Technology

After the rest of the care team leaves, patients often share their true concerns with nurses: “I’m scared.” “I’m tired.” “I just want to go home.” Dr. Sheila Pierre-Louis explains why these moments are important clinical information, not side conversations. Through a powerful patient story, she shows how curiosity can create space for the patient’s voice in complex treatment decisions. Listen to the podcast and rethink palliative care, its differences from hospice and the influence you have at the bedside.This episode is sponsored by AACN’s Beacon Award for Excellence, offering unit-level recognition for exceptional units, with information available at www.aacn.org/unitrecognition

Nurse educator Sarah Warner takes listeners inside a Halloween-themed learning experience where zombies, skeletons and hands-on stations bring pressure injury prevention to life. She shares how her community hospital doubled voluntary participation, built immersive activities on a modest budget and used learner feedback and quality data to strengthen the program. Listen for practical ways to bring creativity, joy and clinical rigor to your own nurse education.This episode is sponsored by AACN’s award-winning, online leadership course, Fundamental Skills for Nurse Managers, with information available at www.aacn.org/managerskills

When disaster strikes, nurses may have to build a field hospital and make high-stakes decisions far from familiar systems. Critical care nurse Mary Jo Kelly takes listeners inside a Disaster Medical Assistance Team, revealing what deployment really demands when resources are limited. She explains how ICU skills translate in the field, what nurses should prepare before answering the call and how they recover after serving communities on their worst days. It is nursing beyond routine.This episode is sponsored by AACN’s Career Center, offering career resources, free resume reviews, and personalized job alerts, with information available at www.aacn.org/careercenter

Mary Joy Garcia Dia traces the unexpected path that took her from the bedside to the forefront of nursing informatics. She reflects on what technology can make possible when nurses help shape it, why virtual nursing can create meaningful patient interactions and how bedside clinicians can influence the systems they use every day. Her message is clear: Technology should extend nursing care, not compete with it.This episode is sponsored by the award-winning quarterly journal: AACN’s Advanced Critical Care, with information available at www.aacn.org/advancedcc

Sepsis survivor Rebecca Ferguson shares the hidden reality of post-sepsis syndrome and the years-long toll it took on her life. She reflects on the support that helped her survive, the gaps she encountered after discharge and the difficult path toward recovery. Her story urges nurses to look beyond the immediate crisis and recognize that healing may continue long after a patient leaves the hospital.This episode is sponsored by AACN’s award-winning, online leadership course, Fundamental Skills for Nurse Managers, with information available at www.aacn.org/managerskills

Sepsis remains one of healthcare's greatest challenges, because early recognition can change a patient's outcome. Sara McMannus of Sepsis Alliance discusses why awareness matters for every nurse, shares the personal experiences that fuel her advocacy, and explains how nurses can strengthen early identification through clinical judgment, education and teamwork. Learn practical takeaways that support safer care across every practice setting.This episode is sponsored by the award-winning quarterly journal: AACN’s Advanced Critical Care, with information available at www.aacn.org/advancedcc

What happens when nursing reaches communities with little access to surgical care? Laura Tice shares how volunteering with Mercy Ships challenged her clinical skills and expanded her perspective. With her deepened commitment to compassionate care, her story offers a powerful reminder that nursing expertise can transform lives no matter where patients live or what resources are available. This episode is sponsored by AACN’s Membership, offering members special discounts, clinical resources, and unlimited free CEs, with information on how to join available at www.aacn.org/discoveraacn

Meet AACN President Tonka Williams as she shares the story behind the AACN theme: Every Voice. Every Story. Every Table. Drawing on lessons from her mother’s kitchen table and her years at the bedside, Tonka reflects on what it means to create spaces where nurses feel they belong, where every perspective matters and where listening can be one of a leader’s greatest strengths.This episode is sponsored by AACN’s award-winning, online leadership course, Fundamental Skills for Nurse Managers, with information available at http://www.aacn.org/managerskills

Recorded live at NTI, this special “Voices in Nursing” episode explores how care in an awake and walking ICU shaped one young patient’s recovery after a devastating stroke at age 23. Kali Dayton is joined by ICU nurse Kaira Miller and former patient Molly Kratzer, whose connection grew into a lasting friendship. Together, they discuss how communication, compassionate care and the ABCDEF Bundle helped Molly feel safe, seen and motivated to heal — and why deep sedation may not always be the best choice for critically ill patients.This episode is sponsored by The ECMO Course, providing nurses with a comprehensive understanding of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, with information available at www.aacn.org/ecmo-course

AI is influencing patient care, clinical alerts and nursing workflows whether nurses realize it or not. Jerri Westphal, RN, breaks down what nurses need to understand about AI, where safety risks can emerge and why their clinical judgment remains essential. From alert fatigue to “hallucinations,” this conversation explores how nurses can confidently navigate the growing role of AI in healthcare.This episode is brought to you by AACN’s online course Essentials of Critical Care Orientation or ECCO, providing modular, interactive case-based orientation for ICU or PCU patient care, with information available at www.aacn.org/orientationcc