Coffee Break: Breaking the Cycle of Bullying in Healthcare, One Cup at a Time

What happens when a healthcare leader finally steps away from the chaos? In this episode, Dr. Megan Carter, President and Founder of MC Health Care Consulting, discusses how stepping away from nonstop crisis mode led her to heal from burnout, redefine her identity beyond titles, and ultimately launch the Chaos Whisperer movement. She shares how years of fight-or-flight leadership left her nervous...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson chats with Kristen Gilmore, the Program Manager for Nurse Well-Being at Jefferson Health, about what nurse well-being looks like when it’s thoughtfully designed and fully integrated into the workplace. Kristen shares how her inaugural, grant-funded role supports nurses across all career stages – from new graduate nurses to nurse leade...

In this special year-end episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson closes out 2025 with reflection, clarity, and intention. Instead of a traditional recap, Renee shares what truly stood out to her this year – the ideas that shaped her thinking, the language she kept returning to, and the lessons that influenced how she leads, coaches, and lives. Through personal stories and professio...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Heidi Kosanke to explore one of the most critical, and often overlooked, issues in nursing today: how we prepare and support preceptors and students during the transition to practice. Together, Renee and Heidi unpack what shifted in clinical education after the pandemic, why so many preceptors feel unprepared, and h...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Tera Gross, Chief Nursing Officer at Mayo Clinic in Florida, for a thoughtful and practical conversation about what it truly takes to lead well in today’s healthcare environment. A seasoned nurse executive and national nursing leader, Tera shares how intentional leadership development, strong relationships, and a qu...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Courtney Ruck, Divisional Director for Critical Care at Tower Health and one of the organization’s champions for creating a culture of civility. A nurse leader who blends compassion, accountability, and action, Courtney shares her personal journey – from being a new nurse afraid to speak up to becoming a DNP-prepare...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, President and CEO of Virtua Health and an influential voice in healthcare leadership. Known for his commitment to being a “champion of humanity” and for leading with presence, purpose, and heart, Dennis shares insights on culture, authenticity, and what it truly means to show up as a leader. Fro...

In Part 2 of this two-part series, Dr. Renee Thompson continues exploring the updated edition of Enough! by focusing on Chapters 6–10. She breaks down practical strategies leaders can use to hold employees accountable, hardwire healthy cultural norms, strengthen communication, and weave kindness into daily practice. Renee also highlights new leadership skills needed in today’s workforce – includin...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson takes listeners behind the scenes of her newly updated book Enough! Eradicate Bullying and Incivility in Healthcare: Strategies for Frontline Leaders. This is Part 1 of a two-part series where she unpacks why she rewrote the book, what’s changed since the original 2019 release, and what leaders can immediately take away from the first...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson chats with Dr. Penelope (Penny) Gorsuch, Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Summa Health. With 38 years in healthcare and 28 in leadership – including 28 years in the U.S. Air Force – Penny shares how she’s transforming Summa’s culture through evidence-based leadership and a clear nursing vision: “To deliver care beyon...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson chats with Dr. Christine Young, Chief Nursing Officer at Akron Children’s Hospital and President of the Ohio Organization for Nursing Leadership. Christine shares how she’s helping her team build a culture where nurses feel valued, supported, and inspired to stay. They talk about how mission and purpose fuel retention, the importance...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with communication expert Kelli Newman, APR, President of Newman & Newman, to explore how communication shapes trust, engagement, and culture within healthcare organizations. Together, Renee and Kelli break down the difference between brand messaging (what your organization says it stands for) and values messaging (how those...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, I sit down with the ever-inspiring Dr. Joy Parchment, Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida College of Nursing and one of the most respected nurse leaders I know. Joy and I talk about what it really takes to develop capable executive leaders — the kind who not only drive outcomes but also build strong, trusting relationships with thei...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Greta Rosler, CEO and Principal of Radius Leaders, to talk about one of the most practical and transformative leadership tools in healthcare – strategic leader rounding. Greta shares how being intentional and present as a nurse leader can strengthen connection, improve engagement, and foster a healthier, more respectful...

October is Bullying Prevention Month – a time when awareness of this global issue is amplified. In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson shares practical strategies that leaders can implement right away to stop the cycle of disruptive behaviors, create safer environments for staff and patients, and build healthier teams. Drawing from decades of experience coaching healthcare...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dina MacDonald, Nursing Director of the Maternal Newborn Center at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, to talk about something we can all relate to – turning a toxic work environment into one where people actually want to come to work. Dina shares her personal journey from being the target of a bullying boss to becoming...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Katherine Virkstis, Chief Clinical Officer at Get Well, to talk about the intersection of patient experience, staff well-being, and healthy workplace culture. Katherine shares Get Well’s inspiring origin story, which was founded by a patient who believed every person should be treated like a VIP, and how their digit...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson welcomes Patricia McGaffigan, President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Patricia has dedicated her career to advancing patient and workforce safety, and she brings powerful insights into why safety cannot just be a project or fleeting priority – it must be an...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson talks with Dr. Jeff Doucette, Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer at Press Ganey about two urgent issues in healthcare today: the alarming rise in workplace violence and the critical role of nurse leader engagement. Jeff shares insights from Press Ganey’s data on the alarming rise of workplace violence, revealing that three...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Rachel Culpepper, Nursing Director at Indiana University Health West Hospital, to explore how nurse leaders can better support managers in one of the hardest jobs in healthcare. Rachel shares practical strategies for guiding managers through conflict, coaching them to pause and fact-find before reacting, and navigat...

In this milestone 100th episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson reflects on her journey of hosting conversations with extraordinary healthcare leaders who are shaping stronger, healthier work cultures. From Quint Studer’s insights on “emotional onboarding,” to Dr. Stacey Alves’s reminder that you “can’t lead from your desk,” to stories of kindness, recognition, and resilience from...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Simmy King, Chief Nursing Informatics and Education Officer at Children’s National Hospital, to talk about something we all need more of – recovery. They go beyond the usual “self-care” chatter and dig into what it really means to recover from stress –  not just respond to it. Dr. King shares practical strategies fo...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee sits down with Dr. Vicki Good, Chief Clinical Officer of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), to talk about the six Healthy Work Environment (HWE) standards and how, even 20 years later, they’re still the gold standard for creating safe, respectful, and high-performing work cultures in healthcare. Dr. Good shares insights o...

In this special episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation with one of the most important people in her life – her daughter, Kaitlin Hicks. Kaitlin, who currently serves as the Senior Program Coordinator of Clinical Education in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University and also as HWI’s Certification Program Manag...

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Ecoee Rooney, Chief Nursing Officer at Indicator Sciences and nationally recognized expert in workplace civility. Ecoee shares how her team is transforming how we address burnout, turnover, and workload imbalance in nursing – through data. Together, they explore the potential of analytics to support nurse leaders, i...