Life After Nursing School

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...

Send us Fan Mail Learn what I wish I had done before starting my first nursing job. From preparing early for the new grad nurse job search to building a standout resume, setting boundaries, preventing burnout, and staying open to opportunities—this episode is your roadmap to thriving as a new nurse Connect with Nurse Coach Caroline: Instagram → ⁠ @NurseCoachCaroline⁠ TikTok → ⁠ @NurseCoachCaroline...

Send us Fan Mail As we close out 2025 and step into a brand new year, this episode is your invitation to pause, reflect, and reset. Whether you’re a new nurse, a nursing student, or somewhere in the early stages of your nursing career, today’s conversation will help you understand why the things that feel uncomfortable are the very things that help you grow. In this episode, I break down the scien...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Life After Nursing School Podcast, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN, shares her biggest takeaways from attending the Indeed Careers in Care networking event in New York City. What started as a few days in Times Square turned into a powerful reminder about connection, courage, and career growth. Caroline reflects on meeting online connections in real life, findin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Life After Nursing School podcast, host Caroline Danna sits down with Stephanee Beggs, the nurse, educator, and entrepreneur behind RNExplained and author of the bestselling book Debrief . After reading Debrief cover to cover, Caroline knew she had to connect with Stephanee to dive deeper into the real, unfiltered side of nursing — the part that goes beyond...

Send us Fan Mail What if nurse burnout wasn’t the end of your story—but the beginning of your healing? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , host Caroline Danna sits down with Kelly Dubowski, Holistic Nurse Coach and founder of Hope With Kelly and Nurturing the Nurse . After experiencing the exhaustion and emotional toll of burnout herself, Kelly transitioned from bedside nursing to holis...

Send us Fan Mail When life as a nurse feels heavy and burnout starts to blur your sense of purpose, sometimes the only way forward… is through. In this inspiring conversation, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN sits down with Gaige Matthews, former ER nurse and founder of Beyond Bedside Fitness , to unpack what it really takes to rebuild your confidence, discipline, and faith when you’re running on empt...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling like your days off vanish before you can actually rest? In this episode of Life After Nursing School, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN shares how to romanticize self-care and find calm, beauty, and joy in your everyday nurse life — no spa day required. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “Opalite,” Caroline explores how happiness can be man-made and how slowing down can recharge y...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that 33% of new graduate nurses leave their first job within a year, and nearly one in five leave nursing altogether? In this episode of Life After Nursing School , host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN (a clinical instructor and new nurse career coach) dives into why so many new nurses are walking away from the bedside… and what you can do to protect your passion, peace, and...

Send us Fan Mail Level up your nursing career with some necessary tough love. In this episode, I share 10 tough-love lessons every nurse needs—perfect for nursing students, new grad nurses, and working nurses navigating today’s high-stress healthcare environment. From letting go of what you can’t control to building confidence before you feel ready, these are the mindset shifts that reduce burnout...

Send us Fan Mail Critical thinking is one of the most important skills you’ll ever develop as a new nurse  but it doesn’t come overnight. In this episode of Life After Nursing School , Nurse Career Coach Caroline shares how you can use ChatGPT as a practical tool to strengthen your clinical judgment and build confidence at the bedside. You’ll learn how to apply ChatGPT to the nursing process (ADPI...