Episode 15 - Conversational, RN
September 26, 2025
About This Episode
When our hosts sat down to talk to real nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one major theme emerged: It’s all about the people. The people they work with and the people they care for keep them going. Our hosts talk to new nurses and nurses with decades of experience, asking them questions about the nursing profession and sharing some laughs and advice along the way.
When our hosts sat down to talk to real nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one major theme emerged: It’s all about the people. The people they work with and the people they care for keep them going. Our hosts talk to new nurses and nurses with decades of experience, asking them questions about the nursing profession and sharing some laughs and advice along the way.
transcript
I'm Alyssa Saklak,
and I'm Laurin Masnari.
On Better RN, we get real about nursing,
the good and the gritty.
We talk to real healthcare experts
with the goal of becoming better
for our patients, our colleagues,
our family, our friends,
our partners and ourselves.
I’m so excited for this episode. Because first off, it's my favorite week, Nurses Week, and we set up a booth to talk to some of the nurses from all over Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
I think this episode gets us back to the heart and soul of what we wanted this podcast to be, which was finding nurses and meeting them where they are, and just getting to know what's going on with people at the bedside. And I think that's exactly what we got to do.
There are so many laughs, so many stories shared, and just so much advice and love that it was such a wholesome event, and I'm so glad that we were able to show people what we do and how we record episodes, but also how they can use their voice. It's interesting 'cause some of the nurses that came up, I feel like were nervous and they're like, wait, what is this? And it took a little bit of convincing, but once we started sharing stories and you forget that the microphone is in front of you, starts flowing and we start having fun, and we start really talking about the stuff that matters to us.
And I mean we talked to so many different people, right?. We talked to nurses that work in our outpatient clinics here. We talked to nurses on the inpatient setting at our central campus. We talked to some of our patient care technicians and I think the common theme throughout all of it was one, the team is what people love. And two, we all, when I say we, I mean the people that we talk to. Everyone is here to make things better, right? To make things better for the people around us, for the people that we're caring for, for each other. And so it was really heartwarming and just a nice reminder of this is why we do what we do.
It was so much fun recording it, and I'm so glad we got to spend that time with everyone. I hope that the listeners share this with all their loved ones about the work that we do every day here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Good morning. My name is Kevin. I've been a nurse at Northwestern for three years now in the Cardiac ICU.
What does getting better mean to you in or outside of nursing?
To me, getting better means in nursing, at least just getting better with your nursing skills, improving patient outcomes. And then outside of work, getting better just means enjoying yourself. So when you come back to work, you have the energy to provide that patient care for them.
My name is Linda Jones and I am a nurse manager in Same-Day Surgery. I have been at Northwestern for 45 years. I started here ooh, when I was just a baby. And I started as an LPN, and then I kind of worked my way up. I realized that nursing was my passion once I got here and it was like, oh my God, this is it.
Okay. Your tough question is how do you keep going on the hard days?
So on those days that it's hard, I just, to keep going, I do remind myself of why we're here. And the number one thing is to give our patients the best experience. So that kind of keeps me going.
My name is Liz Cumpian. I work for Surgical Services, was one of the perioperative nurse navigators, and I've been here 23 years.
The question we have for you is what's your personal why in nursing right now?
Still the same as it was since day one. I make a difference in somebody's life every single day. But also right now I'm very involved in sustainability. We now have a sustainability advisory council and a local sustainability committee, and I serve on both of those. And I started the green team years ago for my first lead project. So we've been able to do a lot of really amazing things to decrease our carbon footprint. And recycling is my passion. So I'm really excited about being able to do that in my career at this point. It's so rewarding.
My name is Cole Ramirez. I am the trauma coordinator for Northwestern. I worked in the ED for about six years before taking on this job.
You're gonna have some good advice for this one. Your question is, what would you say to a new nurse just starting their journey,
Use your resources. Ask questions. Don't think you're gonna know all the answers. Be patient and just be able to receive a lot of feedback and not be offended. 'Cause it's, medicine's always changing. There's always things you can improve on and, yeah, that'll make you a stronger nurse.
My name is Jessica Sorkin. I work on 16 West Feinberg, and I've been here for almost a year and a half.
And what would you say to a new nurse who's just starting their journey here?
Um, hang in there. You're gonna have tough days, but knowing where to ask questions or like who to ask, it's definitely gonna help you in the long run.
My name is Bridget. I've worked at Northwestern Medicine for almost six years, and I work in the Float Pool Department here.
And what's something about nursing that people outside the profession just don't understand?
I feel like people don't understand how much we do and what we exactly do. Explaining to my friends sometimes all the tasks and things that we have to juggle, when you have five or six patients.
So my name is Alexis Smith. I am a flip pool clinical coordinator. I've been at Northwestern for going on three years now, but I've been a nurse for going on five.
And what's your personal why in nursing right now?
My big why in nursing is with everything going on in the world and all of the injustices that we are seeing, it is so moving to be able to take time and focus on an individual patient. And whenever I'm doing bedside care or whenever I'm in the CC role, being able to support the nurses that are doing that, one of my favorite parts of my job is getting to go up on the floor and say, “Hey, can I help you with anything? Can I do anything for you?” To make sure that those call lights are getting answered as quick as possible. So that's my big why in nursing right now is getting to make a difference for individuals.
My name is Nicole Smith. I've been working at Northwestern for four years and I work Galter 12, the CVT Step-Down Unit.
And what does it mean to you to be a nurse, not just to do nursing?
To be a nurse to me just means having empathy for patients, but also having the ability to critically think through hard situations and showing up even when you don't feel like it.
My name is Joanna Hernandez. I work at the NM Academy and I worked in Northwestern. It's gonna be nine years this year.
And what does it mean to get better inside and out of nursing?
Working on yourself. Making sure you're taking care of yourself so that you can work better in, uh, as a nurse and working with your patients. I work at the NM Academy, so I do work with students well the majority of the time, and I think I teach them a lot about helping themselves and making sure that they're taking care of themselves so they can help other patients. cause if You don't take care of yourself. You can't take care of others.
Hi, my name's Lewis. I work on Olson Six, clinical coordinator. I've been with Northwestern for five years.
And what does it mean to be a nurse?
Being a caregiver, being a provider. I think reliability is being a nurse and stability. Uh, people look to you for help and you can provide that at all times. You can comfort them in their times of need. I think just someone to lean on essentially.
My name is Michelle Graham. I go to Chamberlain University. I'm at the Tinley Park location. Um, I've been pursuing nursing since 2012, when I started taking pre-reqs. I just started my leadership class and I'm here doing my OR rotation.
What are you looking forward to the most in becoming a nurse?
I'm looking forward to, as cheesy as it sounds, helping people and just being more independent and seeing what I'm really capable of doing.
My name is Justin Gray. I am a director of Operations Performance.
So your question is, what part of your job makes you feel most like yourself?
What I love the most about my job is being able to come alongside my nursing colleagues and leaders and really helping them problem-solve. I have the unique opportunity to really help our clinicians lead Quality and Finance. And so I find a lot of joy in teaching them that side of things. How to help be creative in that space and support their teams in a new way. I just love to be able to come alongside them and figure out how do we, uh, decrease our CA rates? How do we help understand where our falls are occurring? And utilizing data to really tell a story to really drive actionable insights that are gonna be quick wins for our bedside clinicians.
Hi, my name is Maria Hamakiotis and I am the Director of Operations over Surgery, Neuro, Ortho and CTICU. Also known as Scone. I've been at Northwestern Medicine for 13 years.
What would you say to a new nurse just starting their journey?
Most importantly, be kind and be graceful to yourself. Stay curious and remember what's at the heart of all you're doing and the passion and what made you go into nursing. And connect to the people around you. Ask questions, find out how people do things differently and try to find what works for you. And always keep patient at the heart of everything you do.
I'm gonna give you a bonus question. What's your why?
My why is the inspiration that I had received as a new grad, many, many, many moons ago. What helped me get over that first year and the stress and the uncertainty and the self-doubt and the tears was I have two mentors that helped me stay focused and that I'm still friends with. And so they always pop back into my head as to why I do what I do. When we're talking to new grads or new hires or people in the new environments is stay connected, stay close, be kind, be compassionate. And just remember that there's a human at the end of what we're doing that are in the toughest time of their life, and it's a privilege for us to be doing what we do.
My name's Madeline. I work in the MICU, and I've been here almost a year now.
What's your personal why in nursing right now?
I really enjoy helping people and especially in the MICU, seeing people kind of like in their worst state and, like, being there for families and patients and the team we work with is wonderful. So it's just like a very meaningful experience when you get to like, help people get out of there and transition to step down.
Can we do some rapid questions really quick?
Claw clip or scrunchie?
Claw clip.
Black pen or blue pen?
Black pen.
Danskos or running shoes?
Running shoes.
What type of water bottle? Owala, Yeti or Stanley.
I'll throw you off. Hydro jug.
She said. Hydro jug . Awesome. Stay hydrated. Take your breaks.
What would be your advice to a new nurse starting in the MICU?
Find a mentor. I have a great one. And always ask questions.
Can we shout out your mentor? Who's your mentor?
Caitlin Smicklas in the MICU. She's the best.
My name's Caitlin Smicklas. I work in the MICU at Northwestern and I've been here about three years.
How do you keep going on the hard days?
Great question. How I keep going on the hard days is honestly the rest of my co-workers. We really have a great, like, tight-knit group. And sometimes when we have hard days we always ask each other what do we want for our sweet treat later? So at about three o'clock every day, you know when someone in our pod has had just a really tough day, tough assignment, any of the things that's kind of nice for us to go on and off, switching what sweet treats we want, whether that be Panera cookies or an extra coffee. That's definitely how we get through it some days.
We're gonna do some rapid questions really quick too. OK.
Claw clip or scrunchie?
Claw clip.
Clogs, Crocs, New Balances or Hokas?
Always clogs.
Water bottle. Owala, Hydro flask, Yeti, Stanley?
Tried-and-true regular Stanley Cup. I love it. I love it. OK.
Any mentor, preceptor, someone who's getting you through those hard days you'd like to shout out?
My preceptee, Madeline, honestly, has made some of my hardest days some of my favorite days in the MICU.
My name is Deb Che. I work in Labor and Delivery, and I've been at Northwestern for 26 years.
And what does it mean to you to be a nurse?
As a labor and delivery nurse, we're taking care of moms and babies and dads and sometimes extended family. It means a lot because we're bringing a new life into the world.
My name is Joycelyn McCall, better known as Joy. I work with the professional practice team at NMG, primarily supporting the oncological services, and I've been here two and a half years now.
How do you care for yourself so you can care for others?
I make sure that I adhere to my bedtime. I go to bed fairly early. I know some of my friends call me Grandma Joy, but I wake up early, so I make sure that I adhere to my bedtime and I hydrate throughout the day.
My name is Hannah. I work in the Brain Tumor Institute, and I've worked here for about a year and a half.
And what is one thing that you've learned recently that has made you a better nurse?
I've learned a little bit about medications that we administer in the unit. Some of those medications aren't good to be used long term, and so I've learned kind of how to coach patients through that and how to do some education.
Hi I’m Kenyattia Bostic and I am a surgical liaison, and I have been here at Northwestern. It'll be six years in June.
And how do you keep going on the days that are hard?
I know that I'm coming to work to help someone else who's in a worse-off situation than I am in, and that motivates me to say, you know what, this is a hard day, but I can be on the other end. I can be the patient on that table. So I'm gonna be grateful that I'm still here, that I'm healthy, and this is a moment in time that I will grow past. And I'm just, I have to be grateful for that.
My name's Marissa. I work on 12 Galter, which is a CVT Step-Down, and I've been here for three years.
And how do you take care of yourself so that you can take care of other people?
Oooh I'm a big shopper. It's like my favorite thing to do, so I will treat myself if I've had a busy week or a hard day. I always am a coffee girl, so multiple times a day during a shift to keep me ready to go at all times. Especially my unit's a high-paced, high-acuity, so I always need to be ready. I think too, I'm a big sleeper. I love to like lay and rest, and I think that's really important for nurses to do.
What's your go-to coffee order?
Ooh, that's a good question. I'm like a big latte person now, and I've been into making my own syrups. So I do a blueberry syrup, which is so easy to make.
My name is Julissa. I work on 12 Galter and I've worked at Northwestern for three years now.
What does it mean to be a nurse?
Nursing means taking care of people, helping them get better, not just medically, but also emotionally, spiritually. Sometimes we're so focused on the medicine and so focused on what they need to take and what things they need to do. But I also feel just talking to them and kind of being there for them and being that listening ear also helps people feel better. Just making them laugh and making them kind of distract themselves from what's going on also helps people better themselves and get better.
My name is Abby. I currently work in the General Internal Medicine Clinic.
And what's your personal why in nursing right now?
I mean it sounds generic, but to make a difference in people's lives. I'm currently actually going back to school to get my master's so I can have a bigger impact on patient's experience and outcomes.
My name is Betsy. I work in Galter 18 in general internal medicine and geriatrics. And I've been at Northwestern for almost two years.
Tell me one thing that you've learned recently that's made you a better nurse.
Sometimes it's about the conditions that the patient has and more about allowing the patient to feel heard in what they're feeling.
My name is Ashley. I work on Olson 6 Observation, and I've worked at Northwestern for three years.
And how do you keep going on the days that are hard?
Friends and family are my biggest support system, just sitting down, having a laugh and knowing that I have them there if I need them.
My name is Georgia. I'm on 10 Southeast and I've been here for three years, but I just hit my year as a nurse.
Congratulations. How do you take care of yourself so that you can take care of other people?
A little spa day after work. I love a good face mask. I have a very extensive scented candle collection. You have to set the mood with a good candle, and I like to cook myself a nice dinner just so I'll have something to look forward to and good leftovers for lunch.
What's the best meal that you cook?
Oh, I make good fried rice and I make good vodka pasta.
Hi, my name is Ricky. I work on 10 Southeast, spine surgery, And I've been here for three years.
And what is something about nursing that people who aren't nurses wouldn't understand?
Every patient no matter what they're in here for is a fall risk.
I am Jeanne Wirpsa. I direct our Medical Ethics program and I have been here 27 years.
I'm sure you've had a couple hard days in 27 years. How do you keep going on the days that are hard?
I never have hard days. Are you kidding? No. I'm privileged to work here and I'm privileged. Frankly, that many days are hard and intense, right? Because that's what ethics is all about, coming up alongside people in these very complex cases where it's really not clear what the right thing to do is. over the years I've used a number of strategies, exercise, getting rid of all that anxiety and tension. My newest love is pickleball. Oh, I'm utterly obsessed. And some meditation. Every morning, I actually start my day with a gratitude meditation, and it really does ground me and help me refocus, and just be physically in my body before I start the day and settle so that I can meet all of that chaos, anxiety, stress, and hold other people's angst well.
My name's Halle. I work on Feinberg 14 East, which is Transplant Surgery Hepatology. And I've been here for a little over three years.
So we're gonna go through some rapid-fire questions first thing that comes to mind, all right.
Night shift or day shift?
Day shift.
Nursing clogs or running shoes?
Running shoes.
Coffee or energy drink?
Coffee.
Best nursing hack you swear by?
Having good friends that are gonna help you when you say hi, you need help, and they just come right there.
Face mask or essential oils?
Face mask.
Black pen or blue pen?
Black.
Awesome. What would you say to a new nurse just starting their journey?
Even though it sounds so cliche, you have to take care of yourself. You've come into this profession because you're such a caring, loving, generous person. But you need to extend some of that to yourself too. Or you're not gonna be able to do this job for too long 'cause you'll get burnt out. So take care of yourself. And figure out how to have work-life balance, whatever that looks like for you.
My name is Leticia Martinez and I'm at GIM, in uh, Internal Medicine. So ambulatory, uh, care, and I've been doing it for two to three years now.
All right. Night shift or day shift?
Day shift.
Nursing clogs or running shoes?
Running shoes.
Coffee or energy drinks?
Coffee.
Best nursing hack you swear by?
Bactrim. I’ve used it for like ingrowns. You don't have to go podiatrist. Just use a little bit of Bactrim ointment for like five days and you're good.
I love it. What's in your pockets right now?
Um, I have my cellphone, a few notes, and I'm waiting on a page from a doctor.
First thing you do after a shift?
After a shift, I sigh loudly and then, um, I go take a walk.
How are you becoming a better RN?
I think with the experience that I'm gaining, um, I learned from my previous encounter or previous, um, situation, and I just add on from there and I keep building knowledge on what I'm doing and then I, it's just easier for me now to go through messages or calls or to call the patient back with what recommendations are needed.
Hi, I'm Mo I am working currently at Galter for Observation and I've been working at Northwestern for almost four years.
What are you most looking forward to in the nursing profession in the years to come?
I'm very excited because I'm gonna get my master's and graduate in December, and I'm excited for advancement and opportunities and just to continue to create a community at Northwestern. Yeah.
I'm Ashley Wickey. I'm an Operations manager in Surgical Services, and I have worked there for 13 years.
Why surgical nursing? Why surgery?
In college I was really lucky. I got an opportunity to go on a mission trip and I went to Guatemala, and I was able to partake in eye surgeries and hernia surgeries with two different groups that came down. And that's when I knew I really wanted to do the OR, so that was in my junior year going into my senior year. So then I got to pick my synthesis clinical, like, the last clinical where you spend the most of your time and I got to pick the OR for that. So I was really lucky and I got a pretty interesting clinical site and I only learned to circulate there, but I was like, this is, this is my home for sure.
I'm Stephanie Fattore. I work at Rheumatology Outpatient Infusion Clinic on Galter 14, and I worked at Northwestern going on nine years this December.
What does getting better mean to you in or outside of nursing?
Being more in tune with your health and what your body's asking for, whether that be like relaxing, taking a mental health day. Or anything that'll help you feel like you're taking power, empowering yourself to be better.
My name is Rosalina Galam. I'm the manager for Workforce Health and Safety in the central region. I have been with Northwestern for six years and my job is to ensure that the work environment is safe for the workforce and for the patients.
How do you get through the hard days?
Ooh, the way I get through the hard days is at least four days a week, I am, um, doing high intensity of interval training at my gym, so I have to put myself first before I help others and for my overall health and well-being.
What gets you up and what's your why behind your passion of the career that you've chosen?
So, my why and what keeps me up at, at night is to ensure that I am doing the best that I can to protect the workforce so that they can perform their job at the highest potential that they can, and also ensure that I am visible in the environment so that they know that I am their go-to and their point of contact for anything, uh, safety-related.
My name's Cameron. I'm a nurse in the ED and I've been here almost a month.
Awesome. So, fairly new to the grounds here, huh?
Yeah, very new.
What would be your piece of advice for a nurse in nursing school looking to be in your shoes?
I would say be open to everything. I never thought that I would be doing the ED. But really everything is a great experience. And get your hands dirty.
My name is Kate Colfer. I am currently the director of Workforce Planning in HR, and I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary at Northwestern this September. So I started when I was 22.
Happy anniversary. We're gonna do some rapid-fire. OK. Day shift or night shift?
Day shift.
Nursing clog or a running shoe?
Running shoe.
Coffee or energy drink?
Coffee.
Hi, I am Kristin Ramsey. I work for the system and I've been at Northwestern 22 years.
We're gonna do some rapid-fire. OK. Day shift or night shift?
I worked night shift for seven years. Loved it. And would go back to that
Nursing clog or a running shoe?
Running shoe.
Coffee or tea?
Both. I start the day with tea and then I go to coffee. I'm backwards.
What's the nursing hack that you swear by?
Always have alcohol wipes in your pocket.
And what would you say to a new nurse who's just starting their journey here?
Congratulations. Welcome to the family, and we're here to take care of you.
And that's a wrap for season two. Thanks so much everyone for listening. We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did.
Thank you for listening. Please follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and rate and review the show.
We'd love to hear your comments and any topics you might want us to explore.
and I'm Laurin Masnari.
On Better RN, we get real about nursing,
the good and the gritty.
We talk to real healthcare experts
with the goal of becoming better
for our patients, our colleagues,
our family, our friends,
our partners and ourselves.
I’m so excited for this episode. Because first off, it's my favorite week, Nurses Week, and we set up a booth to talk to some of the nurses from all over Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
I think this episode gets us back to the heart and soul of what we wanted this podcast to be, which was finding nurses and meeting them where they are, and just getting to know what's going on with people at the bedside. And I think that's exactly what we got to do.
There are so many laughs, so many stories shared, and just so much advice and love that it was such a wholesome event, and I'm so glad that we were able to show people what we do and how we record episodes, but also how they can use their voice. It's interesting 'cause some of the nurses that came up, I feel like were nervous and they're like, wait, what is this? And it took a little bit of convincing, but once we started sharing stories and you forget that the microphone is in front of you, starts flowing and we start having fun, and we start really talking about the stuff that matters to us.
And I mean we talked to so many different people, right?. We talked to nurses that work in our outpatient clinics here. We talked to nurses on the inpatient setting at our central campus. We talked to some of our patient care technicians and I think the common theme throughout all of it was one, the team is what people love. And two, we all, when I say we, I mean the people that we talk to. Everyone is here to make things better, right? To make things better for the people around us, for the people that we're caring for, for each other. And so it was really heartwarming and just a nice reminder of this is why we do what we do.
It was so much fun recording it, and I'm so glad we got to spend that time with everyone. I hope that the listeners share this with all their loved ones about the work that we do every day here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Good morning. My name is Kevin. I've been a nurse at Northwestern for three years now in the Cardiac ICU.
What does getting better mean to you in or outside of nursing?
To me, getting better means in nursing, at least just getting better with your nursing skills, improving patient outcomes. And then outside of work, getting better just means enjoying yourself. So when you come back to work, you have the energy to provide that patient care for them.
My name is Linda Jones and I am a nurse manager in Same-Day Surgery. I have been at Northwestern for 45 years. I started here ooh, when I was just a baby. And I started as an LPN, and then I kind of worked my way up. I realized that nursing was my passion once I got here and it was like, oh my God, this is it.
Okay. Your tough question is how do you keep going on the hard days?
So on those days that it's hard, I just, to keep going, I do remind myself of why we're here. And the number one thing is to give our patients the best experience. So that kind of keeps me going.
My name is Liz Cumpian. I work for Surgical Services, was one of the perioperative nurse navigators, and I've been here 23 years.
The question we have for you is what's your personal why in nursing right now?
Still the same as it was since day one. I make a difference in somebody's life every single day. But also right now I'm very involved in sustainability. We now have a sustainability advisory council and a local sustainability committee, and I serve on both of those. And I started the green team years ago for my first lead project. So we've been able to do a lot of really amazing things to decrease our carbon footprint. And recycling is my passion. So I'm really excited about being able to do that in my career at this point. It's so rewarding.
My name is Cole Ramirez. I am the trauma coordinator for Northwestern. I worked in the ED for about six years before taking on this job.
You're gonna have some good advice for this one. Your question is, what would you say to a new nurse just starting their journey,
Use your resources. Ask questions. Don't think you're gonna know all the answers. Be patient and just be able to receive a lot of feedback and not be offended. 'Cause it's, medicine's always changing. There's always things you can improve on and, yeah, that'll make you a stronger nurse.
My name is Jessica Sorkin. I work on 16 West Feinberg, and I've been here for almost a year and a half.
And what would you say to a new nurse who's just starting their journey here?
Um, hang in there. You're gonna have tough days, but knowing where to ask questions or like who to ask, it's definitely gonna help you in the long run.
My name is Bridget. I've worked at Northwestern Medicine for almost six years, and I work in the Float Pool Department here.
And what's something about nursing that people outside the profession just don't understand?
I feel like people don't understand how much we do and what we exactly do. Explaining to my friends sometimes all the tasks and things that we have to juggle, when you have five or six patients.
So my name is Alexis Smith. I am a flip pool clinical coordinator. I've been at Northwestern for going on three years now, but I've been a nurse for going on five.
And what's your personal why in nursing right now?
My big why in nursing is with everything going on in the world and all of the injustices that we are seeing, it is so moving to be able to take time and focus on an individual patient. And whenever I'm doing bedside care or whenever I'm in the CC role, being able to support the nurses that are doing that, one of my favorite parts of my job is getting to go up on the floor and say, “Hey, can I help you with anything? Can I do anything for you?” To make sure that those call lights are getting answered as quick as possible. So that's my big why in nursing right now is getting to make a difference for individuals.
My name is Nicole Smith. I've been working at Northwestern for four years and I work Galter 12, the CVT Step-Down Unit.
And what does it mean to you to be a nurse, not just to do nursing?
To be a nurse to me just means having empathy for patients, but also having the ability to critically think through hard situations and showing up even when you don't feel like it.
My name is Joanna Hernandez. I work at the NM Academy and I worked in Northwestern. It's gonna be nine years this year.
And what does it mean to get better inside and out of nursing?
Working on yourself. Making sure you're taking care of yourself so that you can work better in, uh, as a nurse and working with your patients. I work at the NM Academy, so I do work with students well the majority of the time, and I think I teach them a lot about helping themselves and making sure that they're taking care of themselves so they can help other patients. cause if You don't take care of yourself. You can't take care of others.
Hi, my name's Lewis. I work on Olson Six, clinical coordinator. I've been with Northwestern for five years.
And what does it mean to be a nurse?
Being a caregiver, being a provider. I think reliability is being a nurse and stability. Uh, people look to you for help and you can provide that at all times. You can comfort them in their times of need. I think just someone to lean on essentially.
My name is Michelle Graham. I go to Chamberlain University. I'm at the Tinley Park location. Um, I've been pursuing nursing since 2012, when I started taking pre-reqs. I just started my leadership class and I'm here doing my OR rotation.
What are you looking forward to the most in becoming a nurse?
I'm looking forward to, as cheesy as it sounds, helping people and just being more independent and seeing what I'm really capable of doing.
My name is Justin Gray. I am a director of Operations Performance.
So your question is, what part of your job makes you feel most like yourself?
What I love the most about my job is being able to come alongside my nursing colleagues and leaders and really helping them problem-solve. I have the unique opportunity to really help our clinicians lead Quality and Finance. And so I find a lot of joy in teaching them that side of things. How to help be creative in that space and support their teams in a new way. I just love to be able to come alongside them and figure out how do we, uh, decrease our CA rates? How do we help understand where our falls are occurring? And utilizing data to really tell a story to really drive actionable insights that are gonna be quick wins for our bedside clinicians.
Hi, my name is Maria Hamakiotis and I am the Director of Operations over Surgery, Neuro, Ortho and CTICU. Also known as Scone. I've been at Northwestern Medicine for 13 years.
What would you say to a new nurse just starting their journey?
Most importantly, be kind and be graceful to yourself. Stay curious and remember what's at the heart of all you're doing and the passion and what made you go into nursing. And connect to the people around you. Ask questions, find out how people do things differently and try to find what works for you. And always keep patient at the heart of everything you do.
I'm gonna give you a bonus question. What's your why?
My why is the inspiration that I had received as a new grad, many, many, many moons ago. What helped me get over that first year and the stress and the uncertainty and the self-doubt and the tears was I have two mentors that helped me stay focused and that I'm still friends with. And so they always pop back into my head as to why I do what I do. When we're talking to new grads or new hires or people in the new environments is stay connected, stay close, be kind, be compassionate. And just remember that there's a human at the end of what we're doing that are in the toughest time of their life, and it's a privilege for us to be doing what we do.
My name's Madeline. I work in the MICU, and I've been here almost a year now.
What's your personal why in nursing right now?
I really enjoy helping people and especially in the MICU, seeing people kind of like in their worst state and, like, being there for families and patients and the team we work with is wonderful. So it's just like a very meaningful experience when you get to like, help people get out of there and transition to step down.
Can we do some rapid questions really quick?
Claw clip or scrunchie?
Claw clip.
Black pen or blue pen?
Black pen.
Danskos or running shoes?
Running shoes.
What type of water bottle? Owala, Yeti or Stanley.
I'll throw you off. Hydro jug.
She said. Hydro jug . Awesome. Stay hydrated. Take your breaks.
What would be your advice to a new nurse starting in the MICU?
Find a mentor. I have a great one. And always ask questions.
Can we shout out your mentor? Who's your mentor?
Caitlin Smicklas in the MICU. She's the best.
My name's Caitlin Smicklas. I work in the MICU at Northwestern and I've been here about three years.
How do you keep going on the hard days?
Great question. How I keep going on the hard days is honestly the rest of my co-workers. We really have a great, like, tight-knit group. And sometimes when we have hard days we always ask each other what do we want for our sweet treat later? So at about three o'clock every day, you know when someone in our pod has had just a really tough day, tough assignment, any of the things that's kind of nice for us to go on and off, switching what sweet treats we want, whether that be Panera cookies or an extra coffee. That's definitely how we get through it some days.
We're gonna do some rapid questions really quick too. OK.
Claw clip or scrunchie?
Claw clip.
Clogs, Crocs, New Balances or Hokas?
Always clogs.
Water bottle. Owala, Hydro flask, Yeti, Stanley?
Tried-and-true regular Stanley Cup. I love it. I love it. OK.
Any mentor, preceptor, someone who's getting you through those hard days you'd like to shout out?
My preceptee, Madeline, honestly, has made some of my hardest days some of my favorite days in the MICU.
My name is Deb Che. I work in Labor and Delivery, and I've been at Northwestern for 26 years.
And what does it mean to you to be a nurse?
As a labor and delivery nurse, we're taking care of moms and babies and dads and sometimes extended family. It means a lot because we're bringing a new life into the world.
My name is Joycelyn McCall, better known as Joy. I work with the professional practice team at NMG, primarily supporting the oncological services, and I've been here two and a half years now.
How do you care for yourself so you can care for others?
I make sure that I adhere to my bedtime. I go to bed fairly early. I know some of my friends call me Grandma Joy, but I wake up early, so I make sure that I adhere to my bedtime and I hydrate throughout the day.
My name is Hannah. I work in the Brain Tumor Institute, and I've worked here for about a year and a half.
And what is one thing that you've learned recently that has made you a better nurse?
I've learned a little bit about medications that we administer in the unit. Some of those medications aren't good to be used long term, and so I've learned kind of how to coach patients through that and how to do some education.
Hi I’m Kenyattia Bostic and I am a surgical liaison, and I have been here at Northwestern. It'll be six years in June.
And how do you keep going on the days that are hard?
I know that I'm coming to work to help someone else who's in a worse-off situation than I am in, and that motivates me to say, you know what, this is a hard day, but I can be on the other end. I can be the patient on that table. So I'm gonna be grateful that I'm still here, that I'm healthy, and this is a moment in time that I will grow past. And I'm just, I have to be grateful for that.
My name's Marissa. I work on 12 Galter, which is a CVT Step-Down, and I've been here for three years.
And how do you take care of yourself so that you can take care of other people?
Oooh I'm a big shopper. It's like my favorite thing to do, so I will treat myself if I've had a busy week or a hard day. I always am a coffee girl, so multiple times a day during a shift to keep me ready to go at all times. Especially my unit's a high-paced, high-acuity, so I always need to be ready. I think too, I'm a big sleeper. I love to like lay and rest, and I think that's really important for nurses to do.
What's your go-to coffee order?
Ooh, that's a good question. I'm like a big latte person now, and I've been into making my own syrups. So I do a blueberry syrup, which is so easy to make.
My name is Julissa. I work on 12 Galter and I've worked at Northwestern for three years now.
What does it mean to be a nurse?
Nursing means taking care of people, helping them get better, not just medically, but also emotionally, spiritually. Sometimes we're so focused on the medicine and so focused on what they need to take and what things they need to do. But I also feel just talking to them and kind of being there for them and being that listening ear also helps people feel better. Just making them laugh and making them kind of distract themselves from what's going on also helps people better themselves and get better.
My name is Abby. I currently work in the General Internal Medicine Clinic.
And what's your personal why in nursing right now?
I mean it sounds generic, but to make a difference in people's lives. I'm currently actually going back to school to get my master's so I can have a bigger impact on patient's experience and outcomes.
My name is Betsy. I work in Galter 18 in general internal medicine and geriatrics. And I've been at Northwestern for almost two years.
Tell me one thing that you've learned recently that's made you a better nurse.
Sometimes it's about the conditions that the patient has and more about allowing the patient to feel heard in what they're feeling.
My name is Ashley. I work on Olson 6 Observation, and I've worked at Northwestern for three years.
And how do you keep going on the days that are hard?
Friends and family are my biggest support system, just sitting down, having a laugh and knowing that I have them there if I need them.
My name is Georgia. I'm on 10 Southeast and I've been here for three years, but I just hit my year as a nurse.
Congratulations. How do you take care of yourself so that you can take care of other people?
A little spa day after work. I love a good face mask. I have a very extensive scented candle collection. You have to set the mood with a good candle, and I like to cook myself a nice dinner just so I'll have something to look forward to and good leftovers for lunch.
What's the best meal that you cook?
Oh, I make good fried rice and I make good vodka pasta.
Hi, my name is Ricky. I work on 10 Southeast, spine surgery, And I've been here for three years.
And what is something about nursing that people who aren't nurses wouldn't understand?
Every patient no matter what they're in here for is a fall risk.
I am Jeanne Wirpsa. I direct our Medical Ethics program and I have been here 27 years.
I'm sure you've had a couple hard days in 27 years. How do you keep going on the days that are hard?
I never have hard days. Are you kidding? No. I'm privileged to work here and I'm privileged. Frankly, that many days are hard and intense, right? Because that's what ethics is all about, coming up alongside people in these very complex cases where it's really not clear what the right thing to do is. over the years I've used a number of strategies, exercise, getting rid of all that anxiety and tension. My newest love is pickleball. Oh, I'm utterly obsessed. And some meditation. Every morning, I actually start my day with a gratitude meditation, and it really does ground me and help me refocus, and just be physically in my body before I start the day and settle so that I can meet all of that chaos, anxiety, stress, and hold other people's angst well.
My name's Halle. I work on Feinberg 14 East, which is Transplant Surgery Hepatology. And I've been here for a little over three years.
So we're gonna go through some rapid-fire questions first thing that comes to mind, all right.
Night shift or day shift?
Day shift.
Nursing clogs or running shoes?
Running shoes.
Coffee or energy drink?
Coffee.
Best nursing hack you swear by?
Having good friends that are gonna help you when you say hi, you need help, and they just come right there.
Face mask or essential oils?
Face mask.
Black pen or blue pen?
Black.
Awesome. What would you say to a new nurse just starting their journey?
Even though it sounds so cliche, you have to take care of yourself. You've come into this profession because you're such a caring, loving, generous person. But you need to extend some of that to yourself too. Or you're not gonna be able to do this job for too long 'cause you'll get burnt out. So take care of yourself. And figure out how to have work-life balance, whatever that looks like for you.
My name is Leticia Martinez and I'm at GIM, in uh, Internal Medicine. So ambulatory, uh, care, and I've been doing it for two to three years now.
All right. Night shift or day shift?
Day shift.
Nursing clogs or running shoes?
Running shoes.
Coffee or energy drinks?
Coffee.
Best nursing hack you swear by?
Bactrim. I’ve used it for like ingrowns. You don't have to go podiatrist. Just use a little bit of Bactrim ointment for like five days and you're good.
I love it. What's in your pockets right now?
Um, I have my cellphone, a few notes, and I'm waiting on a page from a doctor.
First thing you do after a shift?
After a shift, I sigh loudly and then, um, I go take a walk.
How are you becoming a better RN?
I think with the experience that I'm gaining, um, I learned from my previous encounter or previous, um, situation, and I just add on from there and I keep building knowledge on what I'm doing and then I, it's just easier for me now to go through messages or calls or to call the patient back with what recommendations are needed.
Hi, I'm Mo I am working currently at Galter for Observation and I've been working at Northwestern for almost four years.
What are you most looking forward to in the nursing profession in the years to come?
I'm very excited because I'm gonna get my master's and graduate in December, and I'm excited for advancement and opportunities and just to continue to create a community at Northwestern. Yeah.
I'm Ashley Wickey. I'm an Operations manager in Surgical Services, and I have worked there for 13 years.
Why surgical nursing? Why surgery?
In college I was really lucky. I got an opportunity to go on a mission trip and I went to Guatemala, and I was able to partake in eye surgeries and hernia surgeries with two different groups that came down. And that's when I knew I really wanted to do the OR, so that was in my junior year going into my senior year. So then I got to pick my synthesis clinical, like, the last clinical where you spend the most of your time and I got to pick the OR for that. So I was really lucky and I got a pretty interesting clinical site and I only learned to circulate there, but I was like, this is, this is my home for sure.
I'm Stephanie Fattore. I work at Rheumatology Outpatient Infusion Clinic on Galter 14, and I worked at Northwestern going on nine years this December.
What does getting better mean to you in or outside of nursing?
Being more in tune with your health and what your body's asking for, whether that be like relaxing, taking a mental health day. Or anything that'll help you feel like you're taking power, empowering yourself to be better.
My name is Rosalina Galam. I'm the manager for Workforce Health and Safety in the central region. I have been with Northwestern for six years and my job is to ensure that the work environment is safe for the workforce and for the patients.
How do you get through the hard days?
Ooh, the way I get through the hard days is at least four days a week, I am, um, doing high intensity of interval training at my gym, so I have to put myself first before I help others and for my overall health and well-being.
What gets you up and what's your why behind your passion of the career that you've chosen?
So, my why and what keeps me up at, at night is to ensure that I am doing the best that I can to protect the workforce so that they can perform their job at the highest potential that they can, and also ensure that I am visible in the environment so that they know that I am their go-to and their point of contact for anything, uh, safety-related.
My name's Cameron. I'm a nurse in the ED and I've been here almost a month.
Awesome. So, fairly new to the grounds here, huh?
Yeah, very new.
What would be your piece of advice for a nurse in nursing school looking to be in your shoes?
I would say be open to everything. I never thought that I would be doing the ED. But really everything is a great experience. And get your hands dirty.
My name is Kate Colfer. I am currently the director of Workforce Planning in HR, and I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary at Northwestern this September. So I started when I was 22.
Happy anniversary. We're gonna do some rapid-fire. OK. Day shift or night shift?
Day shift.
Nursing clog or a running shoe?
Running shoe.
Coffee or energy drink?
Coffee.
Hi, I am Kristin Ramsey. I work for the system and I've been at Northwestern 22 years.
We're gonna do some rapid-fire. OK. Day shift or night shift?
I worked night shift for seven years. Loved it. And would go back to that
Nursing clog or a running shoe?
Running shoe.
Coffee or tea?
Both. I start the day with tea and then I go to coffee. I'm backwards.
What's the nursing hack that you swear by?
Always have alcohol wipes in your pocket.
And what would you say to a new nurse who's just starting their journey here?
Congratulations. Welcome to the family, and we're here to take care of you.
And that's a wrap for season two. Thanks so much everyone for listening. We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did.
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