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I've often said on this podcast that many nurses choose this profession for reasons that aren't noble or lofty. Alisha Sandidge-Renteria changed that for me. As a teenager, she witnessed the economic disparity in healthcare after seeing her mother, who was fighting cancer, be forced to choose a cheaper, experimental, and less effective regimen which ultimately ended her life. Since then, Alisha has embodied the words of Gandhi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." And as a nurse practitioner, she can do just that. Of course, we talked about the particulars of the job, the schooling, the patient population, work settings, diagnosing, and, you know, me, we also discussed professional organizations and board certification. There was some heavy lifting as well. We talked about broken systems and broken people. But through it all, there was one common thread evident in our discussion: connection, with our patients, our communities, each other, and ourselves. In the five-minute snippet, I see a commune in her future. For Alisha's bio, visit my website (link below).
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners
California Association for Nurse Practitioners
American Association of Critical Care Nurses
New California Rule AB-890
The Daily Dad

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If nursing is consistently ranked as the most trusted profession in America…
Why do so many nurses feel unheard inside their own workplaces?

That question has been on my mind.

On this podcast:

We talk about burnout.
We talk about staffing.
We talk about leadership.

But underneath all of it is something deeper — culture.

And culture is hard to change.

Not because nurses don’t care.
Not because leaders don’t try.

But because culture isn’t just policy.

It’s identity.

There are many layers to uncover here, so let’s get into it.

Notes on Nursing: What it is and What it is Not, by Florence Nightingale

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Enjoy this short! Sit back and laugh with me and my girl, Jessica, as we have a bit of fun in the closet!

Jessica's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dream.2.b.free/
ICYMI: Conversing with a Flight Nurse: Jennifer Caposella: https://www.buzzsprout.com/Conversing with a Flight Nurse: Jennifer Caposella

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
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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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Heather Vails, MSN Ed. RNC-NIC, is definitely in my badass nurse category. She has lived with the rare genetic disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or EDS, for decades. She has not only lived, she’s thrived. After a long career as a NICU nurse, she recently left the bedside, a place she loved dearly to venture into teaching our new generation of nurses as a Professor of Pediatrics. Listen as she educates us about this rare condition and how she has not let EDS slow her down.
https://www.ehlers-danlos.org
https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/
For Heather'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
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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 has one of those careers that doesn’t follow a straight line—and that’s exactly what makes it powerful.

Julie Smith’s professional path looks a bit like a zig-zag, but every turn adds depth. She began in communications, pivoted into emergency nursing, focused on safety net populations and disaster relief, moved into education, and now serves as a clinical product leader at InterSystems. There, she helps guide development of HealthShare, one of the world’s most advanced interoperability platforms, supporting massive health systems and government-sponsored organizations around the globe.

Julie is a nurse at heart, a health IT leader by trade, and a fierce advocate for health equity and clinician-centered technology. What I loved most about our conversations is when Julie explained why nurses must have a seat at the interoperability table—and how trust, not just technology, is the real end goal.

In the five-minute snippet: You didn’t just say the Q word, did you? For Julie's bio, visit my website (link below).

Hear Julie on the Hit Like a Girl podcast!

Contact The Conversing Nurse podcast
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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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I really enjoyed talking with Kirby Williams, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She gave us the deets on where a PMHNP can work, the training required, the subspecialties, as well as the heaviness of the job, and how she cares for her own mental health. Her students are lucky to have her as a mentor and her patients, as their provider. In the 5-minute snippet, I absolutely love her advice for babies: explore ALL the possibilities.
For Kirby's bio, visit my website (link below).

Kirby's website: https://www.bbhealthandconsulting.com/

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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This week, my guest is Tracy Hicks, a doctorally-prepared and dual-certified family and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She also holds an MBA, which is particularly useful in her role as a CEO.

Tracy is the founder of C-Trilogy Comprehensive Clinical Care and C-Trilogy Outreach, a certified community behavioral health clinic that provides mental health services, substance use support, primary care, and 24-hour crisis help.

I was excited to talk with Tracy, who is an expert in the care and treatment of individuals with schizophrenia, because in my 36 years as a nurse, I have encountered only two patients with this diagnosis, both of whom were teenagers. I knew very little about the condition and was eager to learn from Tracy, and she did not disappoint.

We discussed long-acting injectables as a successful treatment option, the challenges of compliance, and the management of a long-term chronic disease. We also emphasized the crucial importance of a strong support system to help patients lead meaningful lives.

A recurring theme in our conversation was Tracy's passion when discussing these complex cases. This emotion stems from her lived experience, as two of her beloved family members—her father and her daughter—both have the disease. Growing up with the stigma of having a father with schizophrenia has shaped her perspective, and even though her daughter is now grown, Tracy’s concerns for her never waver.

Tracy’s days are incredibly busy. Between practicing in the clinic, serving on multiple boards that advocate for marginalized populations, and shaping the next generation of nurses as an Associate Professor, people often ask her how she manages it all. Her answer? When you align with your purpose from God, He will guide your steps. She truly is a blessing to her community.

In the five-minute snippet: Be prepared to jump! For Tracy's bio, visit my website (link below).

Dr. Tracy Hicks Puts Her Mind to Improving Access to Mental Care, Frontier Nursing

Empowering Care Partners Through Psychoeducation in Schizophrenia Care, Psychiatric Times

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
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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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**CAUTION** This episode discussed suicide, suicidal ideation, drug dependency. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

This is a chronology of my serious health scare in 2025 and my subsequent dependency on Xanax.

During this time I suffered suicidal ideation. I was aware of the resources available to me and I didn't reach out. Please don't make the same mistake and suffer needlessly.

Here are some trusted mental health resources:

National Suicide Hotline: Dial 988

Crisis Text Line

National Alliance on Mental Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Also in this episode is my 2026 line-up of guests!

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!