Banter At The Bedside

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you spend so much time in healthcare that the abnormal starts feeling completely normal?In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, Abby and Kaleigh unpack the strange, hilarious, uncomfortable, and sometimes heartbreaking things healthcare workers have accepted as just another day on the job.From receiving unsolicited pictures of wounds and missing fingernails to developing dark humor, surviving on excessive caffeine, and casually discussing bodily fluids over lunch, nurses and healthcare professionals have a very different definition of "normal."But underneath the laughs is a more serious question: Have we normalized things in healthcare that we should never have accepted in the first place?We dive into:The bizarre habits and dark humor of healthcare workersHow repeated exposure to death changes our perspectiveWorkplace violence and unsafe working conditionsStaffing shortages, missed breaks, and difficulty taking PTOCompassion fatigue, burnout, and emotional desensitizationWhy documentation sometimes takes priority over human connectionThis episode is equal parts nurse humor, honest reflection, and a reminder that just because something is common in healthcare doesn't mean it should be normal.Shift Talkers, we want to hear from you: What's something you've experienced in healthcare that would absolutely shock someone outside the profession?Find us at banteratthebedside.com and join the conversation.Disclaimer: This podcast reflects personal experiences and opinions and is not intended as medical advice. The hosts do not represent their employers or affiliated organizations.

Send us Fan MailIt’s our one-year anniversary! 🎉 In this special episode, it’s just the two of us. Abby, a nurse practitioner, and Kaleigh, an 18-year ICU nurse turned “soft nurse era,” sit down to reflect on 365 days of Banter at the Bedside.We talk about the surprises, good and bad: the incredible community that’s formed, the new friends we’ve made along the way, and the surprising amount of dedication some people put into hating. We revisit our favorite episodes, share how the podcast has changed us as healthcare workers and leaders, and dig into why conversations that would turn into arguments at the nurses’ station end up in agreement when everyone has time to actually listen.We also get real about the APP hate from the Noctor episode, why 50-second clips spark hundreds of assumptions (looking at you, NPO debate), and why we’ve turned down sponsorships that didn’t fit our mission. Plus: our goals for year two, a shout-out to our two loyal European listeners, and a call for YOUR topic ideas.Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this community. Here’s to year two!📩 Send us your topics: banteratthebedside.com 📱 Find us on TikTok, YouTube & InstagramDisclaimer: This podcast is not medical advice. All opinions are our own and do not represent any employer or entity.

Send us Fan MailIn Part 2 of our IV fluids conversation, Dr. Michael is back to talk about which fluid to give and why it matters. We cover crystalloids, colloids, and hypertonic fluids. We get into albumin and the SAFE trial, why normal saline can cause a non-anion gap metabolic acidosis, and the “lactic from LR” myth. Michael also explains why he reaches for Plasma-Lyte or Normosol and how he uses hypertonic bicarb in septic shock.We also dig into the hidden fluid most people don’t count: fluid creep from drips, antibiotics, and electrolyte diluents. We also cover the ROSE model of resuscitation and why fluids should be treated like a prescription. This one’s for ICU nurses, APPs, residents, and anyone who’s ever been told to “give another liter and call back.”

Send us Fan Mail⚠️ Content note: This episode briefly discusses historical animal research (dog deaths) around 18:00.IV fluids might be the most debated topic in the hospital, and intensivist Dr. Michael is back to break it down from the ground up. Before you can decide what fluid to give, you need to understand where fluid lives in the body and how it moves.In Part 1, we cover total body water and fluid compartments, the Starling equation (hydrostatic vs. oncotic pressure), the Gibbs-Donnan effect and why albumin matters, how osmolarity lets us pull fluid back into the vasculature, and Guyton’s venous return curve....including why chasing a CVP of 8–12 can actually make things worse. Yeah we are covering it all.Then we get practical: the difference between resuscitative, replacement, and maintenance fluids, why “NPO = maintenance fluids at 125 an hour” deserves a second look, how much salt is hiding in those bags, and what a true fluid bolus actually is (hint: it’s not a liter over an hour).Hosted by Kaleigh (RN, 18 years) and Abby (APP, ICU), with guest Dr. Michael, a physician of 17 years.This podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Opinions are our own and do not represent any employer or organization.

Send us Fan MailThinking about leaving the ICU, going back to school, or starting your first job as an attending? This week on Banter at the Bedside, we talk about new beginnings in healthcare.NP Abby is joined by three co-hosts in very different transitions. Kaleigh spent 18 years as an ICU nurse and has moved to the clinic. Allison left bedside ICU nursing to train as a perfusionist. Dr. Armando finished 14 years of training and became a new attending.We cover going from expert back to novice, trading 12-hour shifts for a Monday–Friday schedule, missing ICU camaraderie, burnout and changing priorities, the first “I’m really the attending” moment, and building relationships with patients outside the ICU. Each guest ends with practical advice for anyone about to make the leap or thinking about making the leap.🎧 Like, follow, and tell us about your own new beginning in the comments.Disclaimer: This podcast is not medical advice. All opinions are our own and do not represent any employer or entity.

Send us Fan MailAre nursing awards like the DAISY Award a meaningful way to recognize great nurses, or are they too subjective to be fair? On this episode of Banter at the Bedside, nurse practitioner Abby, ICU nurse Kaleigh, and ICU nurse Cody dive into healthcare awards and recognition after Cody's recent DAISY Award win.Cody shares the story behind his nomination. From there, the crew gets real about why awards depend so much on who tells the best story, why ICU nurses may get fewer nominations, what happens when an award goes to the wrong nurse, and why some nurses seem to campaign for recognition. They also talk about whether male and female nurses are recognized differently, and why physicians and other disciplines rarely get awards at all.Whether you're a bedside nurse, nurse practitioner, nursing student, or healthcare leader, this episode is an honest look at how we recognize the people doing the hard work every shift.Like, follow, and leave us a review! Tell us in the comments: have you won a DAISY Award, and what was it for?Disclaimer: All opinions are our own and do not represent any employer or entity. This is not medical advice

Send us Fan MailHealthcare runs on caffeine....or at least, sometimes it feels that way.In this episode of Banter at the Bedside, we're back with another Reel vs. Real, reacting to social media's take on healthcare workers and our complicated relationship with coffee, energy drinks, Diet Coke, and anything else promising to get us through a 12-hour shift.But beneath the jokes is a bigger question: Why is caffeine so deeply ingrained in healthcare culture?We talk about caffeine use disorder, night-shift survival, coworkers who seem to run exclusively on coffee, the questionable amount of water some of us drink, and the point where caffeine stops helping and starts making your hands shake.But caffeine at work isn't always just about energy. Sometimes the coffee run, afternoon tea time, or simple "Can I grab you something?" becomes a tiny moment of connection in the middle of an exhausting shift.So grab your coffee, energy drink (or a glass of water) and join us as we ask: Is healthcare's relationship with caffeine a problem, a coping mechanism, a love language...or a little bit of all three?This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Send us Fan MailCoffee. Cold brew. Diet Coke. Energy drinks. And, occasionally…water.How much caffeine does it actually take to get a healthcare worker through a 12-hour shift?For the first time ever, Banter at the Bedside is recording fully in person! Abby, Kaleigh, and Amanda are putting their caffeine habits on the table (literally) and taste-testing the drinks that get each of them through a typical shift.We’re talking coffee routines, night-shift survival, caffeine withdrawal, sleep, the dreaded 3 PM/3 AM slump, energy drinks, hospital coffee shops, and why grabbing a coffee has become about more than staying awake. In healthcare, caffeine can be an energy source, an emotional support beverage, a social activity, and sometimes part of our entire personality.We also dive into some of the research surrounding caffeine use, shift workers, sleep quality, and caffeine use disorder—and take a hard look at just how much caffeine is sitting in front of us by the end of the episode.So grab your coffee, cold brew, Diet Coke, energy drink (or your responsible bottle of water) and join us.What gets YOU through a shift?This podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Always discuss questions about caffeine consumption and your health with your own healthcare professional.

Send us Fan MailWhy are healthcare workers so tired — even when we “only work three days a week”?This week on Banter at the Bedside, Abby and Kaleigh are talking about the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t disappear after one good night of sleep.It’s the 12-hour shifts that are really 13+ hours. The constant alarms, questions, interruptions, and decisions. The charting. The physical wear and tear. The family member who needs a glass of water while you’re literally running a code. The missing gloves, empty supply cabinets, call bells, broken workflows, and 500 tiny frustrations that somehow become one very big weight by the end of the day.And then you go home…and someone asks what you want for dinner.We unpack the invisible workload of healthcare, why three 12-hour shifts don’t always feel like “only three days,” the mental and physical exhaustion of hospital work, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for a healthcare worker after a shift is simply let them stop making decisions.This isn’t a competition over whose job is hardest. It’s a conversation about why healthcare workers can love what they do, find incredible meaning in caring for patients, and still come home completely exhausted.

Send us Fan MailAre expensive scrubs really worth it? Are joggers actually professional? Why did nurses used to wear white dresses, and why has healthcare fashion changed so much?In this hilarious episode of Banter at the Bedside, Abby, Kaleigh, Amanda, Ava, and Ashley react to viral healthcare Reels about scrubs, uniforms, hospital fashion, and healthcare stereotypes.From the evolution of nursing uniforms to FIGS, Grey's Anatomy scrubs, jumpsuits, joggers, white pants, and the eternal debate over exposed ankles, the conversation quickly turns into a nostalgic, and surprisingly thoughtful, discussion about professionalism, patient perceptions, and what our appearance communicates in healthcare.They also discuss: • Why patients judge providers before they speak • Do physicians and nurses have different appearance expectations? • Scrubs that should be retired immediately • Tight scrub days (we've all had them) • Rolling suitcases at work • Hospital fashion trends through the decades • Nurse John TikToks and viral healthcare memesWhether you're an ICU nurse, NP, PA, physician, nursing student, or anyone who lives in scrubs, this episode is full of laughs, relatable stories, and honest healthcare conversations.