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Dr. Bonny Kehm is the Founding Dean and Assistant Provost of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Columbia Southern University. She’s an accomplished nurse educator, researcher, and leader whose work has had a substantial influence at both the state and national levels.

Appointed to the Missouri State Board of Nursing back in 2017, Dr. Kehm went on to serve as board president and contributed to vital initiatives through the Nursing Education Committee. Her leadership has influenced policy, program development, and the academic standards that shape how nurses are educated today.

Beyond her administrative and regulatory work, she’s also a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing and has been recognized with multiple awards for her excellence in education and scholarship.

What I love about Dr. Kehm’s story is how she blends deep clinical experience with a passion for education, innovation, and mentorship. I’m inspired after hearing her insights on leadership and the future of nursing. Her dedication to shaping compassionate and confident nurse leaders is making a lasting impact, and I know you will walk away feeling motivated and hopeful.

In the five-minute snippet: This one came out of nowhere. For Bonny's bio, visit my website (link below).

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My guest this week is Yasmin Sharifi, an operating room nurse with many decades of experience. She’s here to give us a glimpse into, as she says, “what really goes on behind that red line.”

Yasmin didn’t initially set out to be an OR nurse. She started her career in med-surg but quickly encountered burnout due to a nursing shortage and inadequate patient-to-nurse ratios, often sharing 35 patients with another nurse. Realizing this was not sustainable, she transitioned to the PACU. When she was offered a chance to move into the operating room, she embraced the opportunity and discovered her true passion.

Yasmin pointed out that in 1990, there were no formal orientation programs for OR nurses. However, resourcefulness is a nurse’s superpower. She joined the professional organization AORN, purchased relevant books, and trained herself to adapt to the role.

Fortunately, those days are behind us. Nurses entering the operating room today receive a comprehensive education and an orientation period that lasts nearly a year. And if you think being an OR nurse means you won't have to interact with patients and their families, Yasmin dispels that myth completely.

We discussed the dynamics among the operating room team members, the egos involved, and the common goal that brings them all together: the patient. I’m confident you’ll enjoy and learn from our discussion.

After being in charge for almost her entire career, Yasmin has now taken charge of her own business, OR RN Mentor. Here, she provides expert insights, practical tips, and real-world experiences designed to help others thrive in the OR. Now that’s what I call giving back.

In the five-minute snippet: it’s 80’s rock for the win. For Yasmin's bio, visit my website (link below) and check out my CE library to see if you can earn CE's just for listening!

CNOR Certified Perioperative Nurse

AORN Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses

IFPN International Federation of Perioperative Nurses

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Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
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Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

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Today’s guest is someone who brings compassion, intellect, and a genuine love for medicine to everything he does.

Dr. Mahmoud Ibraheem is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician whose medical journey has taken him from Bahrain to New York, Florida, and Texas. Those experiences shaped who he is as a physician.

Beyond medicine, Dr. Ibraheem is passionate about mental health, music, and making medicine more human. He’s also a proud husband to a brilliant cardiologist and devoted dog dad to Xena and Blue. In other words, he’s very well-rounded.

You might know him from Instagram, where he shares insight and humor about life in medicine under the handle @icuboy_meded.

As Mahmoud told his story, I was filled with wonder at his joyful personality. His journey reminds us that medicine isn’t just about surviving intense situations; it’s about bringing heart, humor, and humanity into every encounter.

In the five-minute snippet: Mahmoud’s gone to the dogs! For Mahmoud's bio, visit my website (link below).

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Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
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Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

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Meet Lia Xiong-Ratley, a Family Nurse Practitioner, women’s health advocate, and rescuer of the underdogs, literally.

Lia has worn many hats over the years, from pediatric ICU to cardiothoracic surgery, but after becoming a family nurse practitioner, she has found her place at Planned Parenthood.

If you think the only services offered through Planned Parenthood are contraception and abortion, you're not alone; Lia and I thought this too. However, the reality is that they provide essential services such as STD testing and treatment, cervical and breast cancer screenings, prenatal care, infertility services, vasectomies, and gender-affirming care, which Lia defines with remarkable clarity (trust me, it’s more than you think).

So, why did Lia become such a passionate advocate for the underserved? Her own experiences have shaped her. As the daughter of emigrants fleeing political persecution during the Vietnam War, Lia grew up advocating for her family as they rebuilt their lives as Americans. It’s no surprise that she roots for the underdogs.

And speaking of dogs, Lia runs a successful dog rescue through her Instagram, which initially started as a platform to showcase her travel adventures (you'll hear about those too). The dogs Lia fosters each have distinct personalities, and she has a special gift for bringing that out in them. She'll make you fall in love with each one (I know I have).

In the five-minute snippet: Uh, yeah, you’ll just have to hear this one for yourself. For Lia's bio, visit my website (link below).

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

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Today’s guest is someone whose work sits right at the intersection of education, innovation, and human connection.

Dr. Christine “Christy” Heid is a nursing educator, simulationist, innovator, and healthcare advocate with more than two decades of experience.

As a Nursing Simulation Specialist, she brings an invaluable perspective as both a nurse educator and simulation expert who has personally experienced the challenges institutions face in preparing nurses for clinical practice. A recognized innovator in nursing education, she created the Heid ATE Guide for Clinical Teaching and Learning©, which is an Innovative, Progressive Tool to facilitate the Development of Clinical Judgment Skills for real-world nursing Practice. Brilliant.

But wait, there’s more. Christy has led a multi-site research project funded by an OADN Foundation Grant. She has held roles as a consultant, course developer, and faculty member, contributed to national committees, and published research on simulation and clinical judgment.

In this episode, we talk about how simulation is transforming nursing education, what it really means to build clinical judgment, and why innovation is as much about empathy as it is about technology. Her work reminds us that innovation and empathy aren’t opposites; they’re partners.

I wish, as a young nursing student in 1983, that Christy had been in my life. We didn't have simulations. We didn't have nursing simulation specialists. We had to practice on each other. Yeah, I'm not kidding. So we've come a long way and I was so happy to meet Christy.

In the five minute snippet: Put on your boxing gloves. For Christy's bio, visit my website (link below).

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
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Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

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"Life is a journey, not a destination." This quote perfectly describes the path of my guest this week, Kim Kish, a surgical oncology nurse practitioner.
Kim's journey started as a lab research associate where she learned valuable skills and even got published. From there, she moved into cardiovascular circulatory support, where she found herself observing nurses, doctors, and patients. She was again picking up crucial work and life skills that would prepare her for her next career in business.
Wait, what? I thought we were moving in the direction of nursing. Yes, but we are enjoying the journey. In her role as a business process design specialist, Kim discovered the joys of traveling, high pay, and process management. But something kept tugging at her, urging her to go around the next bend and discover nursing. So at age 30, she became an adult learner and entered nursing school.
Kim is passionate about providing quality care to the people she serves. She is a leader among her peers, a mentor to new APRN's, and a published author. She told me she loves being a nurse practitioner and will likely retire from this profession. Does that mean she has reached her destination? Not hardly. Something exciting is right around the corner. She is soon launching her career coaching business to help nurses in their journey to lead fulfilling lives.
In the five-minute snippet: Got any travel plans? For Kim's bio, visit my website (link below).


NP for Life LinkedIn
Nurse Your Life Back to Health on Amazon
kknpforlife Instagram

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

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Today’s episode is one that really hits close to the heart — because it’s about the people who spend their lives caring for others, and what happens when no one’s caring for them.

You’re about to meet Kevin Dickinson, the founder of GetVitals, and his co-founder and clinical advisor, Amber Smith. They developed a mental health app built specifically for nurses — starting with those working in emergency departments.

Kevin didn’t come from healthcare; he came from engineering. But after watching Amber, an ER nurse and educator with more than a decade of experience, struggle through exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and burnout, he decided to do something bold: he left his career to build a tool that actually supports the people on the front lines.

Together, Kevin and Amber are bringing a deeply personal and powerful perspective to the conversation about mental health in nursing — one that blends love, lived experience, and a shared mission to change the culture of healthcare.

We’ll discuss what burnout really looks like inside an ER, what inspired GetVitals, and how they’re helping nurses take care of themselves with the same compassion they provide their patients every day.

So settle in. This conversation is honest, hopeful, and a reminder that healing the healers might just be where change begins.

In the five minute snippet: He nailed it! For Kevin and Amber's bios, visit my website (link below).

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!

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Are you a critical care nurse or aspiring to become one? If so, you won't want to miss my guest this week, Sarah Vance.
With over 15 years of critical care experience, Sarah is dedicated to educating and mentoring nurses, both new and new to critical care.
Sarah has a knack for simplifying complex concepts and bringing a lighthearted approach to the often intense ICU environment.
She shares valuable free open-access medical education content on social media, covering topics such as intra-aortic balloon pump placement, sedation and pain management for ventilated patients, and safe blood transfusion administration, all crucial for critical care nurses.
Her Instagram handle is @iseeyou_nurse which is a keen play on words but clearly communicates that as a nurse, YOU ARE SEEN.
And that is one of Sarah’s superpowers. She sees the nurse holistically, recognizing the emotional and interpersonal aspects in addition to the technical skills and protocols. She understands that nursing involves the heart, emotions, relationships, communication, and ongoing self-reflection.
In the five-minute snippet: what undo button? For Sarah's bio, visit my website (link below).
Sarah's Instagram
ISeeUNurseResources Etsy store
The Critical Care Masterclass
ISeeU_Nurse website
Sarah's YouTube
Sarah's TikTok
Sarah's LinkedIn

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/
Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.com
Your review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-review
Would you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-form
Check out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast

I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcast

Thanks for listening!