My Nurse Specialty

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Kyle Larson about mobile IV therapy and how strong IV skills can open doors to new nursing opportunities. Kyle shares how he went from EMT and firefighter to travel nurse and eventually into mobile IV nursing, where he found a more personalized, one-on-one way to care for clients. We talk about what the role looks like, how nurses can get started...

In this solo episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk about work-life balance and why it does not look the same for every nurse. For one nurse, balance may mean three 12-hour shifts and four days off. For another, it may mean Monday through Friday, no weekends or holidays, a remote role, school nursing, or a combination of per diem positions. The right schedule depends on what matters most to you an...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Eva ZobianWolf about how she combined her nursing background with yoga therapy to create a very different kind of career. Eva shares how her own experience as an ICU nurse led her to explore yoga more deeply, and how that eventually grew into advanced training in yoga therapy. We talk about how she uses physiology, movement, breathwork, nervous s...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Karen O'Donnell about her journey from emergency nursing into entrepreneurship and what it took to build her own nurse staffing agency. Karen shares how her career moved from oncology and med-surg into the emergency department, where she found a specialty she loved, and how those experiences eventually helped her develop the confidence and p...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Sandy Guadan about building a nursing career around your life instead of forcing your life around one job. Sandy shares how she combines several flexible nursing roles, including concierge nursing, clinical trials, telehealth transitional care, and in-home risk assessments. We talk about how per diem work can create more flexibility, variety, and...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Philip Layog about utilization management and what it really looks like to work from home as a nurse. Philip shares how he transitioned from more than 10 years of bedside nursing into a remote clinical reviewer role, where he reviews inpatient stays for medical necessity. We talk about the day-to-day work, the flexibility remote nursing can offer...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Dr. Danielle Altares Sarik about the role of a clinically based nurse scientist and how nurses can build careers that combine clinical expertise, research, policy, and systems improvement. Danielle shares her own path from global health policy into nursing, pediatric practice, and eventually research. We talk about what her day-to-day work looks...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Jeannie Nguyen about medical sales and how nurses can use their clinical experience in a completely different way. Jeannie shares how she transitioned from bedside nursing into the medical sales industry, what a typical day can look like, and why nurses already have many of the relationship-building, communication, and problem-solving skills need...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Mary Turner about nurse coaching and the many directions this growing specialty can take. Mary is a board-certified nurse coach, business coach, and founder of CoachRN, where she helps nurses become coaches and build businesses that are sustainable. We talk about what nurse coaching actually is, how nurses can use their existing skills in a coach...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I introduce the SMART Move Framework, a practical five-step process to help nurses make more intentional career decisions. Whether you are choosing your first specialty, questioning your current role, or considering a change after many years in nursing, this framework will help you understand what needs to change, explore possible directions, and recognize t...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Carla Martin about the depth and complexity of school nursing. After 23 years in the specialty, Carla shares what school nurses really do—from managing chronic conditions and medical procedures to supporting families, collaborating with educators, and advocating for students. We discuss what a typical day can look like, including caring for stude...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Stephanie Suzadail about her path into flight nursing and what nurses should know if they are curious about emergency and transport medicine. Stephanie shares how she started in EMS, became a nurse with a clear goal in mind, and built her career strategically toward flight nursing. We talk about what flight nursing really looks like, including sc...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Emily Nelson about her role in NSQIP, the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Emily shares how she started her career in the OR, moved into quality and safety work, and now leads a remote team of nurses who review surgical data to help hospitals improve outcomes and patient safety. We talk about what this role actually looks like day t...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Mandy Carlile about her path into operating room nursing and what nurses should know if they are curious about the OR. Mandy shares how she started on med-surg, moved into hospice, and eventually found her place in the operating room, where she has now spent most of her nursing career. We talk about what a circulating nurse does, the pace and str...

In this solo episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk about one of the biggest questions nurses face: how do you know which specialty is right for you? I share why so many nurses end up in roles by circumstance instead of true fit, and why that uncertainty is not a personal failure, but a predictable part of how nursing careers often begin. I also walk through four practical questions to help you be...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Jessica Nelson, an ICU nurse and educator with 24 years of experience in critical care. She shares what ICU nursing is really like, what nurses should know before pursuing this path, and why strong support and education matter so much in this specialty. Jessica also talks about the best ways to prepare for ICU, including building experience in st...

In this solo episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk about one of the most overlooked parts of building a nursing career: networking. Many nurses work hard, gain experience, and still feel stuck when it comes to moving into a new specialty. Often, the difference is not talent or effort. It is relationships. In this episode, I share why networking is not about using people or self-promotion, but abo...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Nurse Daisy about how she moved from bedside nursing into a full-time remote role as a prior authorization nurse. She shares her path from skilled nursing and emergency nursing into the insurance side of healthcare and how this work-from-home specialty became the right fit for her. We also talk about what this role looks like day to day, what ski...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk with Lori Schellenberg about patient advocacy and why this role can be such a natural fit for nurses. Lori shares how her background in bedside nursing, case management, and years of advocating for patients and families led her to build her own advocacy business and mentor nurses who want to move into this work. We also talk about what a nurse advocate...

  In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Heather Bohman about her path from NICU nursing to becoming a nurse educator. She shares how her love of patient education, precepting, and teaching led her back to school for her master’s degree and into faculty teaching in a nursing program. We also talk about what nurse educators actually do, from classroom teaching to clinical instruction,...

In this solo episode of My Nurse Specialty , I speak directly to nurses who have been told to “just get experience” but still feel unsure, overwhelmed, or stuck. Because experience matters, but experience alone is not enough when you do not have direction, support, or a strategy for what comes next. I talk about how to look at your experience more intentionally, recognize the skills you have alrea...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Jaclyn McPheeters about her path into critical care nursing and what it really means to care for patients in the ICU. She shares how a powerful early experience as a CNA led her into this specialty and why critical care requires both technical skill and emotional resilience. We also talk about what ICU nursing looks like day to day, the level of...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Jessica Smith Dos Santos about her path into emergency nursing and what it really takes to succeed in the ER. Jessica shares how she entered the specialty unexpectedly after another unit closed, and how what started as a default move eventually became a role she grew into and learned to love. She also speaks honestly about how overwhelming the ER...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Ondrea about her work as a substance use disorder registered nurse and how she found her way into this specialty through mental health nursing. After years in different nursing roles, she discovered that working with patients receiving treatment for substance use disorders became one of the most rewarding paths in her career. Ondrea shares what a...

In this episode of My Nurse Specialty , I talk with Jill Leftwich about her role as a rapid response nurse and the path that led her there. Jill shares how she moved from telemetry step-down to cardiac ICU and eventually into rapid response after learning about an opening through a former coworker. Her story highlights how networking, timing, and experience can all play a role in helping nurses mo...