Life After Nursing School

Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest changes in your nursing career don't come from working harder... but from making a few really intentional decisions? After 14 years in nursing, I've worked at the bedside, in leadership, recruiting, education, career coaching, and entrepreneurship. Looking back, there are certain lessons that completely changed the trajectory of my career. I'm ca...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually take to protect your nursing license and could the way you document put you at risk? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with Legal Nurse Allen (Bianca Allen), RN, a legal nurse consultant, expert witness, nursing educator, and registered nurse with 16 years of experience. Bianca takes us behind the scenes of the legal side of nu...

Send us Fan Mail What if your nursing career could fit your life instead of your entire life revolving around work? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with Reva Lewis, a NICU nurse with over 15 years of experience, longtime travel nurse, content creator, and self-proclaimed PRN Princess. Reva shares how an unexpected path into nursing eventually led her to the NICU,...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a simple idea becomes a nationally recognized nursing brand—and then somehow finds its way back to you after you sell it? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with Cat Golden, nurse turned entrepreneur and founder of Nurses Inspire Nurses and 6th Ave Group. Cat shares how Nurses Inspire Nurses started with a few T-shirts and a desire...

Send us Fan Mail Are nursing unions really just about higher pay… or is there much more to the story? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with Nurse Erica - registered nurse, advocate, activist, independent reporter, and host of the Nurses Uncorked Podcast - to separate fact from fiction when it comes to nursing unions, safe staffing, and nurse advocacy. With more tha...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a patient who just didn't seem right, even though their vital signs looked normal? That feeling is often called nursing intuition, and in this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with emergency nurse, educator, speaker, and author Jennifer Johnson to explore what it really is. Drawing from more than 18 years of emergency nursing experie...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it's really like to work as a NICU nurse or whether new graduate nurses can start their careers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with Lisa Houston, MSN, RNC-NIC, C-ELBW, a neonatal nurse, nurse educator, and Business Development Manager at the Vermont Oxford Network (VON). With m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with ER nurse, content creator, speaker, and entrepreneur Joscel James to discuss how embracing authenticity—and not taking yourself too seriously—can open doors you never imagined. Known for his hilarious healthcare videos and relatable nursing content, Joscel shares the story behind his unconventional career journ...

Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't your résumé or your experience - but the way you see yourself? In this episode of Life After Nursing School, Caroline sits down with ICU travel nurse and Professional Nurse Life Coach, Julia Joseph to explore how coaching can help nurses build confidence, navigate career transitions, prevent burnout, and create a life they trul...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt like you needed to keep doing more, achieving more, and checking off one more task just to feel worthy? In this solo episode, Caroline shares the unexpected story behind her three-month podcast pause - and why it became one of the most transformative seasons of her life. As nurses, we're often conditioned to tie our worth to productivity. But what happens w...

Send us Fan Mail My business is evolving again… and this next step feels exciting, aligned, and honestly a little scary. In this episode of Life After Nursing School , I talk about why I’m starting to pitch my workshops to nursing schools and how my nursing career keeps changing in ways I never expected. We talk about:  • Career growth as a nurse  • Imposter syndrome when you put yourself out ther...

Send us Fan Mail What does success really look like as a nurse? Is it working in the ICU, ER, or going back to school to become a nurse practitioner… or is that just what we’ve been told success should look like? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , we talk about the pressure nurses feel to chase high-stress specialties, advanced degrees, and job titles that sound impressive… even when t...

Send us Fan Mail Thinking about starting a side hustle as a nurse? In this episode, I talk about what it really looks like to build something outside of bedside while still working in nursing. We cover:  • Why nurses are uniquely positioned to start side hustles  • How to figure out what you actually want to build  • What the beginning of a side hustle really looks like (hint: not overnight succes...

Send us Fan Mail Every nurse knows the smells that come with patient care. One ER nurse decided to do something about it... and ended up building a business. In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline sits down with Jennifer, an ER nurse and the founder of StinkBalm, an odor-blocking stick designed for healthcare professionals. Jennifer shares how her experience with strong clinical o...

Send us Fan Mail Thinking about quitting your nursing job? Before you hand in your notice, this episode walks you through how to leave strategically and professionally. In Part 2 of this series, we break down how to plan a nursing career pivot with clarity instead of emotion. You will learn: • How to define what you are running toward, not just what you are escaping • How to identify your natural...

Send us Fan Mail Are you experiencing nurse burnout or have you simply outgrown your nursing job? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline breaks down the difference between burnout and career growth. Learn the true signs of nurse burnout, including micro moral injuries, chronic exhaustion, lack of control, and emotional detachment. You’ll also discover what it feels like to outgrow...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life After Nursing School , I’m sharing a real and honest look at Year 2 of building my nurse coaching business and my vision for Year 3 as a nurse entrepreneur. I talk about what it actually looks like to run an online business as a nurse , including: • Doubling revenue but reinvesting everything back into the business • Hiring and working with a virtual assist...

Send us Fan Mail Caroline talks with April Waddell, former ICU nurse and founder of NurseMoneyDate, about financial literacy for nurses and how to build wealth without burnout. If budgeting, debt, investing, or retirement planning feels overwhelming, this episode gives you a simple starting point. April shares a practical system that helps nurses: Understand where their money is going Build a 3 to...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Caroline chats with Matt Berndt, Head of the Job Search Academy at Indeed, about what nurses need to know to navigate today’s job market with confidence. Matt shares practical insights on how resumes are changing in a digital world, what hiring teams really look for in the first few seconds, and why job hopping isn’t always a bad thin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Life After Nursing School Podcast, Nurse Coach Caroline shares 10 bedside nursing hacks that make shifts easier, reduce burnout, and help nurses protect their time and energy. These practical nursing career tips cover everything from picking up shifts strategically and charting smarter, to finding burnout-proof PRN jobs, networking on the unit, and using wor...

Send us Fan Mail Not getting interviews despite applying to nursing jobs? Your resume and cover letter may be the problem. In this episode of the Life After Nursing School podcast, we break down the most common resume and cover letter mistakes nurses make — mistakes that affect both new graduate nurses and experienced nurses. Drawing from real experience in hospital recruiting and nurse leadership...

Send us Fan Mail First impressions in nursing interviews matter more than most candidates realize and they form fast. In this episode of Life After Nursing School , we break down what hiring teams are actually noticing in the first few seconds of an interview, often before you even answer the first question. Drawing from over a decade of experience on new grad nurse hiring teams, we explore why fi...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 48 of Life After Nursing School , I’m sharing a new nurse survival guide to help you navigate your first 90 days on the job—especially if you’re in orientation, starting your first nursing role, or wondering, “Why does this feel so hard… and is it supposed to?” We break down why the first 90 days as a new nurse feel so intense, what’s happening behind the scenes during...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life After Nursing School , we’re kicking off 2026 by talking about Main Character Energy for nurses—what it really means and how to bring it into every shift. If you’ve ever felt like a background character in your own nursing career, this episode is your invitation to shift from survival mode to intention. Main Character Energy isn’t about ego or perfection—it...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Life After Nursing School Podcast , we’re talking about one of my favorite end-of-year rituals: choosing a Word of the Year to guide your mindset, career decisions, and personal growth. Instead of relying on rigid New Year’s resolutions, I’m sharing how a single, intentional word has shaped my confidence, my nursing career, my business, and the way I move th...