By Madeline Hawke MACN (Stage 1 ENL)
As someone who inadvertently signed up to a university course located 40 minutes from my house, I find that I spend a lot of my time sitting in the car. If it weren’t for excellent podcasts put together by clever people around the world, this time would be infinitely less productive.
Following on from the Five Podcasts for Nurses article published recently on NurseClick, I’ve decided to share my own Top 10 most favourite nursing-oriented podcasts with you. Not all these podcasts are explicitly about nursing, however those that aren’t give insight into information relevant to nursing practice.
- Nursing Review: When it comes to Australian nursing podcasts, it’s impossible to go past Nursing Review for regular, high quality content. Featuring interviews with a wide array of health professionals, this podcast provides insight into a variety of subjects relevant to nurses and midwives in Australia. (Australia)
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: When I first listened to this podcast, I was expecting to leave any reference to Australian nursing behind. Imagine my surprise when I heard the accent of the Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, ACN member and Australian, Professor Patricia Davidson. This podcast focuses on research and development in nursing practice; it’s engaging, relevant and thoughtful. (USA)
- New Grad Radio: A newcomer to the nursing podcast scene, New Grad Radio is a show hosted by nurse Ben Jenkins who has recently started a graduate position in a busy intensive care unit. He covers topics from how to manage night shift, to knowing when to ask for help. I’m in awe of his capacity to knit lucid thoughts together while simultaneously dealing with the stress of his first year out nursing. (Australia)
- Onthewards:onthepods: Keeping with the grad nurse/student nurse theme, this podcast is particularly useful for student nurses wanting to enhance their medical understanding. Onthewards includes interviews and case studies about issues faced on the ward and how to manage them. It is aimed at junior doctors, but the information is not exclusively doctor-oriented. They have over 100 podcasts in their archives to search and provide information in a really engaging and useful format. (Australia)
- FNFNM: Research Roundup: Though sporadic in posting, the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery provides valuable information on a number of nursing subjects. With 18 podcasts currently in their archive, exploring topics from injection technique to wound care research, it’s well worth a listen. (UK)
- Evidence based medicine (EBM) podcast: Looking for a way to learn more about evidence-based research without regularly trawling through journal articles? Hosted by Dr. Daniel Aronov, EBM podcast explores the important studies that have formed the basis of many of our guidelines for patient care. Each episode explores a landmark clinical trial that has shaped medical practice. (Australia)
- The Nurse Keith Show: Released direct from the US, The Nurse Keith Show explores existential questions of nursing, from embracing diversity to dealing with bullying. Though some examples are difficult to apply to the Australian setting, Nurse Keith raises many relevant questions for nurses to consider that are universal. (USA)
- NursEM – Nursing in Emergency: Created for nurses working in the Emergency Department, though applicable to many fields of nursing, this podcast covers a wide variety of medical topics. With a comprehensive archive to search through, there’s something there for everyone from ‘Understanding Hyponatremia’ to ‘Clotting made bloody easy!’ (Canada)
- The Good GP: I know I’ve really strayed from the nursing theme here, but bear with me. The Good GP is a really well produced, engaging podcast on community health issues. Though it’s aimed at GPs, it has a lot to offer nurses in its content. Dr Tim Koh and Dr Sean Stevens discuss topics ranging from pain management to refugee health, interviewing health practitioners who are experts on each topic. (Australia)
- Injectable orange: Jesse Spurr is a nurse educator in the Emergency Department and his podcast covers a variety of nursing-oriented topics including leadership and the power of social change. Unfortunately, new episodes are only added at random, so it’s hard to get into a listening pattern. But when they do appear, they’re always worth a listen. (Australia)
Honourable mention: I have to admit that I don’t spend all my time listening exclusively to nursing and medicine podcasts. If you’re craving an escape from work, may I recommend Happy Place, featuring interviews with Fearne Cotton and well-known performers including Dawn French, Paloma Faith and Stephen Fry. In the podcast, Cotton explores what helps remarkable people through hardship. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a vacation from thinking about work.
Update: Have you heard? ACN has launched its very own podcast — The ACN Podcast with Ben Jenkins MACN. Find out more.
