The Q Word Podcast

Patients rely on nurses to alleviate their suffering, but what can nurses do to protect themselves from the weight and stress of providing care for the sick and dying? Nyssa and Lisa talk to Ariel Brown and AnnMarie Papa about The Emotional PPE Project, an initiative born out of the overwhelmingly increased burden placed on healthcare workers during the COVID crisis. This no cost, no insurance resource connects mental health professionals eager to help professional caregivers shield themselves from the harm face-masks and hand sanitizer can't prevent. Nyssa made the call - and so can you!

In this special episode, recorded live at the FlightBridge ED FAST21 conference in Nashville in May, 2021 , Nyssa and Lisa reveal how and why one of the most ubiquitous tools used in every hospital and doctor's office may be inaccurate in up to 13% of the population, and what you can do to correct this serious and pervasive issue in your practice.

The LEMON mnemonic device works well for scheduled surgeries or other stable pre-op patients, but not so great in the ER. Nyssa and Lisa are joined by airway innovator Dave Olvera, who has developed a new way to think about how to assess difficult intubations.

Nyssa and Lisa sit down with photo-journalist and documentary filmmaker Carolyn Jones, whose fascination and respect for the nursing profession launched the 2014 film The American Nurse, 2017's Defining Hope, and her upcoming project, In Case of Emergency, which focuses exclusively on the ER nurse. Learn why she thinks nurses - what they do and what they know - need to be brought front and center into the most important conversations of today.

In the second half of this special episode, Britanny Smith shares her carefully cultivated "Toolkit" with The Q Word Podcast audience, explaining to Lisa and Nyssa how to assemble one to use in your practice when facing the complex interactions required when dealing with the neurodivergent population. This document (link on website) contains a comprehensive but concise list of Do's and Do Not's, as well as links to where you can investigate what simple items can be relied upon to help you and your patient communicate.