Tenderness for Nurses

Today we speak with Chris who has worked for the last 12 years within the Qld Police Child Trauma Unit. Recently Chris, had to change units due to the fatigue to her body and mind. The deployment and what she dealt with daily, finally impacted her in a way that she knew she had to leave the unit. This is such a raw and honest talk about losing your identity, finding new pathways and goals, and wha...

Today we chat with Dr Stephen Lowe from The Muse Clinic in Sydney. Dr Stephen spoke at a recent conference that I attended about being respectful of peoples’ genders, transgender patients and how to navigate incorporating appropriate documentation in to your clinics. We chat about how best to start conversations, not to be afraid to ask valid, necessary medical questions and just do your best to b...

Today I get to chat with Chiza Wescarr who is a Menopause Coach, nutritional medicine practitioner, dermal therapist and gut health specialist. We chat all things menopause! This is an episode full of information for those of you who are struggling with menopause, are peri-menopausal and want to live life and reduce symptoms brought about through menopause. This is also a funny, irreverent chat ab...

Toni worked as the NUM at Bundaberg hospital back in 2003 when Jayant Patel was given the position of surgeon at the same hospital. Right from his first operating list, red flags started to show up. Patients were returning from theatre with major complications. One patient returned brain dead. She started correlating all the information and started approaching the director of nursing, medicine and...

Jason King is a Private Investigator who works in the fields of workplace harassment, bullying, sexual harassment, elder abuse, and cyber crime. He has worked with the Victorian Police Force, The Australian Federal Police and recently has set up his own business as a PI. We chat with Jason about how he has cared for himself after visiting horrific crime scenes, suicide and cyber pornography. The i...

Today we chat with Associate Professor Marion Tower, lecturer at Griffith University Nursing and Midwifery field. Marion gives us valuable advice on how to start the process of research in nursing. She discusses the process of her own PhD. The outcome of the research and how she has now moved on to research within education. She is an advocate for all nurses undertaking research and believes in fi...

Today we chat with Maxine Horne. Maxine was CEO of the listed company Vita Group. She was a leader in the telco space and also moved Vita Group in to the aesthetic space opening the Artisan Chain of aesthetic clinics. Maxine talks with us about leadership, running a business, people management and backing yourself. She is a wealth of knowledge around risk taking and failure and believes both happe...

Michael and Maddison are industry disruptors. They are known for the part they played in the Daniel Lanzer case, and have moved into the non-surgical cosmetic space. They are pushing for tighter regulations around advertising within the cosmetic arena as they view what is advertised as unethical and this in turn will cause patient harm. On this I agree that some have been doing the wrong thing, ho...

If you would like to support the show and help me keep creating this content please click this link - https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses   Today on the podcast we chat with Salliann Powell. Salliann is an ultra marathon runner and one amazing human! I first met Salliann through waterpolo when our daughters played for Queensland together. She was the manager of the team, and my God, did those...

If you would like to support the show and help me keep creating this content please click this link - https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses   We chat with elite sportswoman Julia Robinson today on the podcast.  She is a Jillaroo, State of Origin player and Broncos team member who advocates for strong, beautiful, athletic bodies. We equate how habits she has developed can be used by nurses to he...

Okay, maybe not 6 months! If you would like to support the show and help me keep creating this content please click this link - https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses   Amin left Iran 11 years ago. He paid a smuggler to get out Iran, then to Malaysia,Indonesia and finally on a boat to Australia. The wooden boat had holes in it, the engines stopped working, the smuggler fled the boat and they wer...

If you would like to support the show and help me keep creating this content please click this link - https://www.patreon.com/tendernessnurses   Today we chat with Kathryn McLochlin who is a senior lawyer for a law practice that deals mainly with family matters. Kathryn has many years experience in this area of law and offers valuable advice around what can be done when the family unit breaks down...

Today I speak with the fabulous Cheryl Leavy. Cheryl is a proud First Nations woman, who generously gave of her time to discuss her culture with me. She relates how we can approach First Nations people with tenderness in the health care setting and in general life. We discuss the diversity of our indigenous peoples differing countries and how important it is to just ask them about their cultures....

Pippy Marshall is alive because a nurse trusted her intuition. Not long after Pippy delivered her second child, Billy, via caesarian, she started to develop neck pain which progressed to stabbing pain and difficulty when breathing. On assessment, all her vitals were normal.  As the pain progressed, an experienced nurse asked Pippy to describe what she had been experiencing and her history.  Armed...

Today we chat with Gemma Carroll about her experiences of going through uni, the process to get a grad position in a hospital and how she has found the journey. She talks about the stress of uni, the application of trying to find a graduate hospital position but also how she is enjoying nursing.  We discuss boundaries she has set herself. The pathway she has chosen to follow since the graduate pro...

TRIGGER WARNING This episode includes talk about sexual assault; listener discretion is advised. Please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 if you need help. Today on the Pod, I chat with one of my dearest friends, Peter Woodward. Pete, or Aunty Pete as he is called by everyone, shares his story of growing up gay in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Pete, very bravely, shares his experiences of growing up in a time...

Today we chat with the two very brave nurses who shared their story of abuse and violence during Covid, at a Melbourne hospital. We discuss when they realised that they couldn’t nurse anymore and their diagnosis of PTSD. We chat about their self care, the management of their conditions and the impact having PTSD has had on their families. I cannot tell you how brave these women are. I am in awe of...

With such a large number of women in nursing, odds are, you have worked with someone who has had, or experiencing post natal depression . In today’s podcast, we chat with Rachel Thiaday.  Rachel is the wife of rugby league legend, Sam Thiaday and has been in the public eye due to Sam’s career. She talks honestly and openly about her experience with post natal depression. What she did to cope, how...

Today on the Pod we chat with Kate. We hear her harrowing story about her daughter Phoebe. Phoebe became seriously ill in a matter of a few hours. The paramedics who were called  treated Kate and Phoebe with disdain and contempt. That behaviour followed them in to the emergency department where Kate was treated like hysterical mother and her concern that Phoebes condition  was, in fact, meningococ...

  Today on the pod, we chat with Mary Leigh Miller. I’m not going to lie, this was a really tough conversation, and the courage Mary Leigh showed chatting with me about the death of her son, blew me away. Mary Leigh’s son, Cole Miller was killed by a Cowards Punch in January 2016 on a night out in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.  We talk about the impact this horrendous act has had on her, her family,...

To say this has been the toughest podcast to do is an understatement! This week I am celebrating 5 years without alcohol.  I am so proud of myself for reaching this milestone.  When I first stopped drinking, it was day by day, then week by week. The first month, alcohol was constantly on my mind. I still struggle with so much around alcohol, the least of all being alcohol. I struggle with shame. T...

Today we chat with two brave nurses whose names we cannot share, nor the Victorian hospital they worked in due to legal reasons. They were frontline workers during Covid performing PCR tests, vaccinations, and testing for the hotel quarantine in Melbourne.  There was also secondment to a nursing home in dire need of nurses. Both of these nurses (and others) have PTSD and have been unable to return...

This episode we chat with Dr Lily Vrtik about boundaries for health workers. We discuss the importance of boundaries. We breakdown what personal and professional boundaries are. This is a complex area of healthcare which impacts us all.  An understanding of boundaries can help all health practitioners practice safely, however, it is important to have boundaries personally as it helps protect you a...

Today on the Pod, I chat with Dr Dinesh Palipana. Dinesh has a remarkable story; one of courage, resilience, humour, determination and courage. We discuss him. His car accident that left him a quadriplegic, depression, his Mum and the determination he has shown on his journey to become an emergency doctor. He is proof that any of us can do anything and that a supportive network both personally and...

This episode I talk with Dr Wendy McIntosh. Wendy is a is a Registered Nurse with many years experience across varied health streams. She did her PhD around shame and bullying in nursing and now supports nurses through education and mentorship. This is a fascinating conversation around these topics and Wendy offers valuable advice on management of boundaries in nursing, both professionally and per...