Found Down

Today I sit down with Melissa Fermin, RN, BSN, CMSRN to talk about life as an acute care nurse, working on a Medical Surgical floor. She opens up about how this pandemic caught up with her unexpectedly and how she handled it. Additionally, she shares why she got into nursing, what she loves about her field and what is challenging. Melissa offers up sage advice to new nurses coming into the field a...

Today we are listening to the second half of the interview with Nichole Leibov, nurse and license massage therapist. I thought this episode was forever lost, but I was able to recover it thanks to my good friend and audio master, Aaron Schlein . So hence, you are listening to this very special lost episode. Part one of this interview is just one episode back. You can listen to it here . We cover a...

Today I talk with Nurse and Licensed Massage Therapist Nichole Leibov about her decision to stepdown from ICU nursing. She describes the fateful day that changed her trajectory and the impact it has had on her nursing career, especially in the middle of this pandemic. We also get into the way that her licensed massage therapist role has complimented her nursing career and has enabled her to stay i...

On this episode of Found Down, I chat with Becky Schmidt, CRNA about her decision to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, her path for becoming this type of provider as well as thoughts on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting her rural Wisconsin hospital. Becky reflects on what life is like as a CRNA and she describes it is as "99% boredom and 1.0% sh&t your pants." She shares a...

On this very special episode of Found Down, Christina Kim, NP is back on the show to help de-bunk myths about this new vaccine. Here are the few that we cover on this episode: COVID-19 VACCINE MYTHS: This vaccine was rushed so therefore it is unsafe. This is new mRNA vaccine will modify my own DNA. This vaccine uses fetal tissue. This vaccine causes infertility. I already had Covid, so I don't nee...

Today the tables are turned upside down and Des Wood, DNP, ARNP interviews the Found Down Podcast host, ME, Nicole Johnson, RN, BSN, CCRN. Des inquires about the origin of the podcast, my nursing career and how it has impacted my life. Hint - I did not take the traditional path. We discuss my thoughts on self-care including my own practices and why the pandemic is hard for us right now. I talk abo...

I'm beyond elated to have Susan Collins, MN, RN, CCRN back on the show to share and swap funny tales from the bedside as well as from her days as a firefighter. Susan is a seasoned trauma nurse and is now the magnet program coordinator. This episode acts as a counterbalance to the heaviness of last weeks. Susan had me in stitches. I hope you laugh along with us. Susan - it is always a pleasure. XO...

This is the most important episode of this podcast I've done to date and I really want you to share it wide and far with any health care provider you think is struggling right now. Today I interview my friend and colleague, Marie Cockerham, MN, RN, CCRN Staff Support Specialist about why the pandemic is hard especially in our 9th month, wellness in nursing and ways to support yourself and mental h...

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving on this very weird, bizarre, crazy Thanksgiving Day. I feel some feelings on this bonus episode but I want you to know, you are not alone. I'm so thankful for you and this Found Down Community. Thinking of you and sending you all kinds of love. What are you doing today? Sending you so much love and gratitude, Nicole

Today I sit back down with Dr. Katie Hisert to swap stories where the both of us have responded to medical emergencies either mid-air or on the ground. I don't want to give them away here, so you will have to listen. Some of the stories are bizarro, funny and terrifying. We both had a ton of fun telling our stories, I hope you enjoy listening to them. Have you responded to emergencies while flying...

On this episode, I interview Nichole Doane, a seasoned trauma nurse about her near death experience, how it changed her and put her on a path of doing the very important work of crafting resiliency in healthcare. Nichole shares her story of how she set out to watch the solar eclipse in the most beautiful of places canyoneering with some of her fellow ICU nurse friends. And while out in the wildern...

Today I sit down virtually with Jerry Luedke, a recently retired and very influential and accomplished respiratory therapist (RT) with almost 50 years of experience. Jerry and I chat about his incredible career, how he changed the field of respiratory therapy in WA state, the beautiful relationships between nursing and RTs and some patient stories that stayed with him. ALSO - This is overdue but s...

Today I talk with Christina Kim, a nurse practitioner who has practiced on the palliative care service, also as an inpatient oncology hospitalist and now is working in the outpatient oncology setting for a large hospital in Boston, MA. Christina shares the very personal reason she decided to go into healthcare, become a nurse practitioner and she reflects on the relationships she has with her pati...

On today's episode, I sit down with the legend herself, Nicole Kupchik, MN, RN, CCNS, CCRN-K, PCCN-K, Critical Care Clinical Care Nurse Specialist, educator, author, speaker and founder of Nicole Kupchik Consulting . We chat about how Nicole is holding up during the pandemic, how she expertly pivoted her business the moment she realized everything was going to change and her thoughts on the fallou...

On today's episode, I sit down via zoom with Critical Care Pulmonologist and Scientist Katherine Hisert, MD, PhD  from her home in Denver, Colorado.   She shares her experience working in New York City during the height of the surge of Covid-19 cases in April 2020.  Katie talks openly about being a physician during a pandemic, her decision to&...

On today's episode I sit down again to talk with my friend and colleague, Cam Wright ICU Acute Care NP about a topic, near and dear to my heart - accidental Tylenol overdose or acetaminophen toxicity. But before we delve into that topic, we clear the air about our feelings on Donald Trump contracting Covid-19. As healthcare providers, it is hard not to have some feelings about this development, hi...

On today's episode, I am checking in the middle of the pandemic. How are you doing? This has been a wild ride especially considering recent events. I have some thank yous to share, announcements about future episodes and a call to action for an upcoming episode. Also, merch is coming and please check out the website www.founddownpodcast.com to see the pictures of the guests who have been on the sh...

Today I catch up with a former colleague, Kelsey Ferguson, RN, BSN, CCRN who started her path in nursing in the ICU at a big academic medical center, then moved to rural Washington, to try life full time in the mountains near Leavenworth to suit her lifestyle. Kelsey is a badass and an athlete of super human ability once riding her bike from Canada to Mexico by herself for 60 odd days. Kelsey's mo...

Today I chat with my old friend Amy Kanigher, a Nurse Practitioner who has a history of working in the ED both as an nurse and APRN, she was a hospitalist for 7 years and now she is practicing in Infectious Disease in Reno, Nevada. We discuss the phenomenon of "frequent flyers" those patients that just keep coming back and share a few stories. Inevitably, things get heavy and she shares what burnt...

HOLD ONTO YOUR SHORTS. This episode I interview former Naval Medic and soon to be nurse, Jerard Cook. He shares the most epic tale from his time a search and rescue swimmer in the Sea of Japan in 2005 - you can read about it here . This story is riveting and had me on the edge of my seat. Also, Jerard opens up about the day he almost quit his dream of having a career in the medical field which cau...

Today I catch up with Cardiac Cath Lab nurse Marci Ross about how she has been holding up and what she has been up to. Turns out she has been making masks and also doing street medic work during the protest. So awesome! We go WAY BACK to nursing school and talk nursing care plans, to terrible scrubs and tough lessons. Thank God we all made it out alive. If you are currently in nursing school, THAN...

Today I interview Sam Doyle, a Critical Care Nurse Practitioner about how she got into oncology, what makes her stay when things are hard and her history as a boxer and the life lessons it taught her. Sam says oncology chose her but she is drawn to it by the hope for a cure, the science and the challenge of it - and what a challenge it can be! She also is in a unique position where she is the one...

On today's episode, I catch up with the beloved and infamous Critical Care Nurse Practitioner Cameron "Cam" Wright. He discusses candidly how his working environment changed overnight from a SICU to a Covid ICU and the implications that had on him and his family. We talk shop about how working in critical care leaves its "collateral damage," Plus, we discuss the importance of creating a cohesive t...

On today's episode, I chat with ICU nurse Mandie Allen about her experience working in a COVID ICU, contracting COVID and laugh about one of my favorite funny nurse stories - a "Nurse Down" story. It was a joy and a pleasure to catch up with my former colleague. This is an interesting, frightening and funny episode. I hope you enjoy it! Nicole

On today's episode, I sit down with my "work wife" Martha Oldenburg, an exceptionally talented ICU nurse and assistant nurse manager who is always cool and collected. We chat about our times traveling and working abroad in Phnom Phen, Cambodia for the International Nursing Program set up by the esteemed and accomplished Lia Golden. We swap thoughts and stories about seeing a hospital setting so di...