English, Health / Medicine, 2 seasons, 84 episodes, 1 day 16 hours 37 minutes
Rapid Response RN
English, Health / Medicine, 2 seasons, 84 episodes, 1 day 16 hours 37 minutes
About
Do you want to go from dreading emergencies to feeling confident and ready to jump into action to rescue your patient? Well, this show will let you see emergencies unfold through the eyes of a Rapid Response Nurse. With real life stories from the frontlines of nursing, host Sarah Lorenzini MSN, RN, CCRN, CEN, a Rapid Response Nurse and educator, shares her experiences at rapid response events and breaks down the pathophysiology, pharmacology, and the important role the nurse plays during emergencies. If you want to sharpen your assessment skills and learn how to think like a Rapid Response Nurse, then Sarah is here to share stories, tips, tricks, and mindsets that will prepare you to approach any emergency. Every episode is packed full of exactly what you need to know to handle whatever crisis that could arise on your shift. It’s one thing to get the right answer on the test, but knowing how to detect when YOUR patient is declining and what to do when YOUR patient is crashing is what will make or break your day… and might just save your patient’s life.
81: Mechanical Circulatory Support for Cardiogenic Shock With Guest Christian Guzman, APRN
Host Sarah Lorenzini and Christian Guzman APRN are back to conclude this three-part heart failure series by examining the use of mechanical circulatory support for cardiogenic shock. This episode expands on the topics covered in previous parts, focusing on the application of mechanical circulatory support methods like the intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella, CentriMag, LVADs, and ECMO.Christian and Sarah review the risks and benefits of each device, when to use them, and the key factors that impact these decisions. They also address the ethical challenges of ECMO, including the clinical judgment involved when determining who’s a good candidate and when to escalate care.By the end of this episode, you’ll understand how these devices function, their critical role in managing cardiogenic shock in heart failure patients, and the value nurses bring to a multidisciplinary team.Tune in for a knowledge-packed finale of this comprehensive heart failu
01/12/2023 • 39 minutes 44 seconds
80: Medical Management of Cardiogenic Shock With Guest Christian Guzman APRN
Building on last week’s introduction to heart failure, this episode explores the nuances in the medical management of cardiogenic shock. Host Sarah Lorenzini and Christian Guzman APRN continue this three-part heart failure series by completing the case study of a patient in cardiogenic shock, and breaking down key treatment concepts and strategies.They discuss goal-directed therapy to optimize heart function, with a specific focus on the vital aspects of contractility, afterload, and preload, and their pivotal roles in patient care. As their conversation progresses, they delve into the use of medical interventions, covering the pros and cons of medications used to treat heart failure at each stage from beginning to extremis.Christian and Sarah go beyond what you’ll read from textbooks, shedding light on the challenges and clinical decision-making process of heart failure care by sharing real life examples and insights.Tune in now to learn h
24/11/2023 • 34 minutes 39 seconds
79: Heart Failure 101 with Guest Christian Guzman APRN
During a normal day gardening, an active woman in her 60s was suddenly struck with chest tightness. Thinking it was just an asthma attack, she tried to let the pain pass. What she didn’t realize was that she was having a full blown myocardial infarction, and this was only the beginning of her journey.In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini is joined by her friend, Christian Guzman APRN, to discuss this patient story and the pathophysiology of heart failure. As they go through this case study, Christian provides a comprehensive breakdown of the types of heart failure, the classifications of heart failure, and how chronic heart failure can lead into cardiogenic shock.Most importantly, you’ll learn the signs and symptoms of heart failure, including the subtle ones that are key for early detection, and find out what’s important to look at on an echocardiogram.This is just the first installment of a three-part series on heart failure, so be sure t
17/11/2023 • 44 minutes 27 seconds
78: Healthy vs Hostile: Recognizing the Nursing Red Flags and Green Flags of a Work Environment
Have you ever started a new and promising job, only to discover that it wasn’t the nurturing and supportive space you thought it was? In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini, armed with nearly two decades of nursing experience in various departments and leadership roles, provides a guideline to spotting the red and green flags that can signal a healthy or hostile workplace.Sarah explores what makes a healthy work environment, beyond reputation and first impressions, as she does a deep dive into the American Association of Critical Care Nurses' (AACN) six pillars of a healthy work environment. From communication to authentic leadership, she equips both new and seasoned nurses with strategies to assess key characteristics of prospective employers and identify signs of a healthy culture.For those dedicated to their current organization but seeking a better work culture that allows them to grow in their role, Sarah also reveals how nurses can promote positive chan
10/11/2023 • 20 minutes 58 seconds
77: THE TRAUMA DIAMOND OF DEATH: 4 Treatment Priorities in Trauma Care With Guest Sarah Vance
You may already be familiar with the trauma triad… but in this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini is once again joined by her friend and critical care nurse and educator, Sarah Vance to break down a 4th component to trauma resuscitation. Last week, they discussed the treatment of a trauma patient with neuro and respiratory injuries, but today they’re getting into the “blood and guts” of trauma cases as Sarah Vance RN walks us through a multiple gunshot wound case study. Similar to last week’s patient, this case study highlights how the body’s systems all work together, and sometimes against each other, in trauma cases.Sarah’s GSW patient’s injuries resulted in massive blood loss, leading to rounds of MTP (massive transfusion protocol), but treating blood loss is more complex than just replacing blood so we’re diving into the pathophysiology of hypothermia, coagulopathy, hypocalcemia, and acidosis — all components of the trauma diamond of death.As a nursing educat
03/11/2023 • 22 minutes 37 seconds
76: Trauma Breakdown: Beyond the Blood and Guts... A Complicated Case Study with Guest Sarah Vance RN
If you hear “trauma” and immediately think of blood and guts, this episode with host Sarah Lorenzini’s friend, critical care nurse and educator Sarah Vance, will show you that there’s so much more to trauma cases. Because even localized injuries can affect the whole body, and issues can pile up and require conflicting treatments. That’s why trauma cases require an advanced level of assessment and critical thinking skills.During this episode, Sarah Vance RN tells the story of a patient who was admitted with a brain bleed, orthopedic, and cervical injuries after a motorcycle accident. Like many trauma cases, the patient’s condition got a lot more complicated as his injuries progressed and he sustained secondary injuries within the respiratory system. The patient had a long list of issues, including traumatic head injury, ARDS, fistulas, necrotizing pneumonia, and MORE.Sarah Vance also goes into more detail on his pathophysiological injuries, as well as how the
27/10/2023 • 34 minutes 36 seconds
75: Rigors and Other Super Scary Chemotherapy Reactions With Guest Montana, Rapid Response RN
Every nurse knows the havoc chemotherapy wreaks on the body, but most nurses aren’t as knowledgeable on how to treat chemo reactions as, say, chemo or oncology nurses. Even host Sarah Lorenzini is slightly intimidated by unpredictable reactions from chemotherapy! That’s why this episode is centered around those super scary chemotherapy reactions and how to treat them.
To help us dive further into this topic, Sarah is speaking with another rapid response nurse, Montana RN. He has a dramatic patient story to share about rigors, a chemotherapy reaction that occurs as the body is trying to mount a febrile response to the medication. Not only was his patient visibly struggling, but he was hypoxic and there was no doctor available to prescribe medication to treat the reaction.
As Montana and Sarah study this patient’s case, you’ll find out what type of reaction the patient was having and walk away with the knowledge of how to treat chemotherapy reactions and their symptoms, the use of dese
20/10/2023 • 28 minutes 31 seconds
75: Rigors and Other Super Scary Chemotherapy Reactions With Guest Montana, Rapid Response RN
Every nurse knows the havoc chemotherapy wreaks on the body, but most nurses aren’t as knowledgeable on how to treat chemo reactions as, say, chemo or oncology nurses. Even host Sarah Lorenzini is slightly intimidated by unpredictable reactions from chemotherapy! That’s why this episode is centered around those super scary chemotherapy reactions and how to treat them.To help us dive further into this topic, Sarah is speaking with another rapid response nurse, Montana RN. He has a dramatic patient story to share about rigors, a chemotherapy reaction that occurs as the body is trying to mount a febrile response to the medication. Not only was his patient visibly struggling, but he was hypoxic and there was no doctor available to prescribe medication to treat the reaction.As Montana and Sarah study this patient’s case, you’ll find out what type of reaction the patient was having and walk away with the knowledge of how to treat chemotherapy reactions and their symptoms, th
In this episode of Rapid Response RN, host Sarah Lorenzini is joined by Casey BSN, RN, CCRN-CMC, CFRN, CTRN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, CNRN, NRP. And yes, you read her title right — Casey has a whopping eight certifications and is one of the few nurses with ALL five BCEN certifications. And she’s using her knowledge and skills to advocate for her patients and teach others.Today, Casey tells the story of a patient who came into the ER after a fall and was later diagnosed with a basilar skull fracture. Complicating the case even more is that the patient was a child under the age of 2, so it was more difficult to assess the signs of his injury. Casey’s hospital provider dismissed the fall as normal childhood injury, but she did what any good nurse would do and followed her hunch that something more was going on.Casey shares how the patient presented, how they arrived at the diagnosis and treated him. You’ll also learn the telltale signs and symptoms of basilar skull fract
13/10/2023 • 32 minutes 33 seconds
73: Resuscitate Before You Intubate: How to NOT KILL YOUR PATIENT When You Intubate
Intubation is a life-saving intervention, but it can also kill your patient! That’s why this follow-up episode to last week’s patient story is covering the process of intubation, what can go wrong and how nurses can mitigate risk factors to avoid bad outcomes like cardiac arrest.In part two of this intubation series, host Sarah Lorenzini details proper intubation preparation and the role of nurses during intubation. She walks through the entire process from assembling a team to what supplies and medications you need, and how to use them so that you reduce harm to the patient. You’ll hear about key factors to consider when giving patients sedative or paralytic agents, as well as how to prepare for a blood pressure drop after intubation.This episode is full of useful information that will help you during your next intubation, such as pre-oxygenation strategies, RSI (rapid sequence intubation) vs when to opt for DSI (delayed sequence intubation), and how to mit
06/10/2023 • 33 minutes 30 seconds
72: How Do You Know When it's Time to Intubate?
Patients get intubated in every department of the hospital… not just the ICU. So it’s important that every nurse know the signs and symptoms of when it’s time to intubate.Our host Sarah Lorenzini, has been asked the same type of questions about intubation multiple times this week, so we felt it was necessary to address them. Sarah’s extensive knowledge and experience in critical care and rapid response situations has prepared her to be able to provide expertise and insights on this topic, which she wants to share with all of you today!In this episode, Sarah addresses some common questions related to intubation: how to know when it's time to intubate a patient and what it means when a patient is not protecting their airway.She shares a story from her own experience to illustrate the importance of recognizing the signs that indicate the need for intubation and walks through some of the obvious, and not so obvious signs that it’s time to
29/09/2023 • 14 minutes 49 seconds
71: Recognition and Treatment of Septic Shock With Guest Yesha APRN
September is Sepsis Awareness Month, so host Sarah Lorenzini is throwing it back to one of the earliest Rapid Response RN podcast episodes with guest Yesha APRN. This episode tells the story of a patient with sepsis, and it’s one of Sarah’s favorite episodes because it exemplifies all of the classic signs and symptoms of sepsis as well as the important role the nurse plays in caring for septic patients.Last week, you learned about fluid resuscitation and the potential harm of fluid overload in the treatment of sepsis. In this episode, you’ll hear how Sarah and Yesha’s patient responded to fluid boluses and what made them advocate for a different treatment approach.Sarah then goes deeper into the pathophysiology of sepsis, indicators of sepsis using SIRS criteria and the qSOFA score, and more indicators any nurse can test without a tool. You’ll also find out how to treat a patient with sepsis, which diagnostics to run, and what you can do to promote
22/09/2023 • 38 minutes 3 seconds
70: Stop Guessing When Fluid Resuscitating With Guest Corinne RN From FloPatch
Often when a patient’s blood pressure has dropped, we administer fluids without truly knowing the exact reason for the change. Does the patient have low volume, were they vasodilating, or is their heart not squeezing effectively? Fluid resuscitation is not always the answer, but there’s no clear guideline to assess patients without advanced tools that take time and specialists. Enter the FloPatch from Flosonics, an innovative device that quickly measures blood flow in real time.Fluids can cause damage when given in excess, so it’s crucial for nurses to understand why blood pressure isn’t an adequate indicator of fluid responsiveness, and how a patient can show signs of fluid responsiveness but cardiac output is not increasing. That’s why host Sarah Lorenzini is speaking with Corinne RN to find out more about how Flosonics is helping nurses guide their fluid resuscitation using the portable FloPatch device.In this episode, Corinne shares patient stories to exhibit how F
15/09/2023 • 35 minutes 48 seconds
69: Diuretic Induced Metabolic Alkalosis with Guest Annie RN
We often are looking for an acidosis when patients present with lethargy but what about when it’s an alkalosis!? In last week’s episode with Annie Fulton RN of the “Up My Nursing Game” podcast, she and host Sarah Lorenzini presented a patient story but left the diagnosis a mystery. You heard why Annie’s patient was admitted and her initial assessment, what caused her to think something more was going on, and why she ruled out sepsis as a diagnosis. Now, find out what her diagnosis was and how she was treated! Hint: today, we’re talking all about diuretic induced metabolic alkalosis.To start off this episode, Annie recaps her patient’s story, walks us through the patient’s VBG results, and how they arrived at a diagnosis of metabolic alkalosis. Sarah then breaks down the pathophysiology of diuretic induced metabolic alkalosis, including what causes it at the cellular level and how to treat the condition. They specifically talk about contraction alkalosis, and how it’s po
08/09/2023 • 27 minutes 50 seconds
68: MYSTERY EPISODE With Guest Annie Fulton RN
Can you guess what was causing this patient’s unexpected symptoms?This episode is a little different from the rest, thanks to you, our listeners, for submitting your suggestions and ideas for how these episodes should go, because we are all ears!One of our listeners suggested we do a mystery episode (thanks Shannon!), and we thought it was brilliant! So, on today’s episode, our host Sarah Lorenzini invites back, podcast host of Up My Nursing Game, registered nurse, friend, and former Rapid Response RN Podcast guest, Annie Fulton, to unravel a patient case study of one of Annie’s patients, but we won’t be revealing the diagnosis just yet.Sarah and Annie discuss why the patient was admitted to the hospital, Annie’s initial analysis of the patient, medications that were administered, the patient’s vital signs, and physical assessment findings, as well as when and why Annie became concerned for the patient and why she had ruled out sepsis from the diagnos
01/09/2023 • 14 minutes 58 seconds
67: Battling Nursing Burnout: Interview with Nurse Burnout Coach Janna Holterman Part 2
“If you look for the bad, you’ll always find it. If you look for the good, you’ll always find it.” - Sarah’s grandmotherIn the second part of our two part series on nursing burnout, our host Sarah Lorenzini continues her conversation with Nurse Burnout Coach Janna Holterman, where they discuss how to reframe your mindset as a nurse to deal with burnout.We go to nursing school because we want to help people who are suffering and provide care on a heart centered level, not just by fulfilling tasks and making sure patients are getting their medication on time. It’s easy to lose sight of that if you’ve been at it for a while, so reminding yourself to look for those special moments to create beauty in your job as a nurse, is crucial to avoiding burnout and staying fulfilled.This is what Sarah and Janna discuss in today’s episode to hopefully provide some insight for those who are experiencing burnout or are almost there. Being aware of burnout a
25/08/2023 • 18 minutes 28 seconds
66: Who is Advocating For You? Interview with Nurse Burnout Coach Janna Holterman Part 1
Nurses are trained to put their patients first, and that oftentimes results in forgoing their own needs. Skipping out on fundamental needs like sleeping and eating healthy meals lead nurses to feel emotionally and physically exhausted, eventually leading to burnout and loss of love for the job.Nurses spend so much time advocating for patients but forget that it’s equally as important to advocate for themselves. As today’s guest will remind you, “what you resist persists.” Even if you have the ability to push your own needs to the side, they will always catch up with you, whether it’s in the form of an emotional breakdown or apathy towards other parts of your life.Host Sarah Lorenzini is speaking with Nurse Burnout Coach Janna Holterman in a special two-part series! In this first episode, Janna shares her personal experience with burnout, the symptoms of burnout, and how she helps clients address them.Janna and Sarah go over tools for overcoming burnou
18/08/2023 • 28 minutes 42 seconds
65: Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: Severe Symptoms That Make Coming Off Benzos So Difficult
Welcome to part two of our series on benzodiazepines where we will be discussing the other side of benzodiazepines: the challenges of withdrawal.As healthcare providers, you are taught that benzodiazepines are in fact safe, but our host Sarah Lorenzini wants to offer a different perspective. Do we really need to be administering benzodiazepines as freely as we are taught in school? Of course for life or death situations it is a no brainer, but what about those moments when your patient is just anxious and can’t calm down? Are there other ways to calm your patient down without giving them medication?These are the questions Sarah wants to explore in the second part of this series, as well as how severe benzodiazepine withdrawal can be. Sarah presents an example of a patient who was going through benzodiazepine withdrawal and how the symptoms were so severe it almost looked like the patient was experiencing a heart attack.Learn more about benzodiaz
15/08/2023 • 11 minutes 22 seconds
64: Benzodiazepine Overdose: Recognition and Treatment When It's an Emergency
In part one of the two part series on benzodiazepines, our host Sarah Lorenzini presents us with a case study about how she treated a benzodiazepine overdose during her time working as an ER Nurse. She walks us through the state her patient was in when she arrived at the hospital and the steps she took when assessing the patient and how to treat her, as well as her thought process along the way.Benzodiazepine overdoses are a little tricky. All the pieces of the puzzle matter, so having good detective skills and asking the right questions to get a full picture is crucial to treating the patient effectively, which is what Sarah wants to share in today’s episode.In this episode, you will hear which questions Sarah asked in order to understand the patient’s situation and medical history, as well as the critical thinking required at each step to give you a better idea of how the pieces of the puzzle are found and how they’re put together. You will also hear what
04/08/2023 • 12 minutes 3 seconds
63: The Science and Heart of Organ Donation: An Exclusive Interview With Sean, and Organ Procurement Nurse
One facet of nursing that we don’t learn much about in nursing school is organ donation. It’s such a rewarding experience to help give a person back their life, as you’ll hear from our host and today’s guest.In this episode, Sarah is speaking with Nurse Sean, organ procurement nurse and host of the “Nurse Dose Podcast.” He goes over the process of organ donation from start to finish, including procuring organs from a patient who is brain dead and also from donors after cardiac death (DCD). Together they discuss the procedures that optimize organs for procurement and transplant, and how they’re allocated.Nurse Sean has a ton of knowledge about this not so well known aspect of Nursing. By the end of this interview you’ll know how long organs can be preserved after procurement, the best way to approach a family about organ donation, and MORE. Plus, he’s debunking myths about what makes a good candidate for organ donation, and what misconceptions fam
28/07/2023 • 43 minutes 40 seconds
62: Resuscitation Leadership: Beyond the ABCs of CODE BLUE
“Leadership is not a title. Leadership is influence.”Our host Sarah Lorenzini wants to highlight a question that nurses are regularly asking her to answer on the Rapid Response Podcast: how can we be better leaders during resuscitation where a fast coordinated effort is necessary?Knowing your place as a leader, knowing how to delegate and communicate, as well as having the ability to channel your inevitable fight or flight response into peak performance, may feel daunting to a lot of nurses, especially those just starting out. However, you don’t necessarily need years of experience under your belt to be a great leader in a code situation, which is what Sarah wants to share with you all today!In this episode, you will hear a detailed example of what a good leader in a resuscitation situation embodies, what their role is, what tasks are needed, the level of importance of each task, and how to delegate tasks, as well as how to debrief your tea
21/07/2023 • 22 minutes 37 seconds
61: Infective Endocarditis Part 2: Understanding Valvular Damage, Embolic Sequelae, and Clinical Manifestations
Last week, Sarah shared the story of a patient who was finally diagnosed with infective endocarditis after presenting with several symptoms, including fever, tachypnea, chest pain, hypotension and more. In this episode, she’ll further explain how the patient was diagnosed and the pathophysiology of this type of infection.Sarah goes over how septic emboli form, and the clinical manifestations that result when they travel in the body as well as the risks and signs of valvular damage to look out for when you’ve diagnosed infective endocarditis.You’ll also learn the areas of the body that can be affected by endocarditis, the diagnostic criteria, and what conditions can predispose a patient to infective endocarditis. Sarah covers the critical role that nurses can play in treating these at-risk patients and how education and compassion can make the biggest difference in the patient’s long term outcome.Make sure you’re prepared to recognize the si
14/07/2023 • 22 minutes 49 seconds
60: Infective Endocarditis: From Invasion to Destruction
In part one of this two part series, our host Sarah Lorenzini shares a story about a patient she was called to see who was under the care of nurse Clayton, a trusted colleague and previous Rapid Response Podcast guest, after he saw a drop in the patient’s blood pressure and had a gut feeling something wasn’t right. Sarah walks us through her assessment and how the team came to the conclusion that this patient had infective endocarditis.In part two of this series, Sarah will elaborate on this case by explaining how bacteria or fungus grows inside the cardiac muscle, how infective endocarditis presents itself in patients, and the different diagnostic criteria for endocarditis.Topics discussed in this episode:Clayton’s concern over a patient’s drop in blood pressureSteps Sarah took to assess the patientWhat they found after calling for an expedited echo for the patientWhat is infective
07/07/2023 • 13 minutes 57 seconds
59: Re-Release"Air Don't Go There!" Air Embolism to the Brain With Guest Marissa, Rapid Response RN
Our nursing professors cautioned us about the risk of not using proper technique when removing central lines, their warnings sometimes seeming dramatic and unlikely. That’s why this previously released interview with Nurse Marissa is such an important story, because sometimes those rare cases DO happen!In this episode, Marissa tells the story of a patient that was admitted for her mental status, lethargy and hyperkalemia. She seemed to improve but then became unresponsive, and the rapid response team was called. What followed was the surprising discovery of air in her brain, and a probe into how it happened.At the end of Marissa’s story, host Sarah Lorenzini shares her research on air embolisms, including how air gets into the bloodstream, what happens when it travels to each part of the body, and the level of risk associated with each scenario.By the end of this episode, you’ll know the steps you can take if your patient pulls their centra
23/06/2023 • 26 minutes 47 seconds
58: Narcotic Overdose: The Nurse's Vital Role In Initial Stabilization and Management
When we speak about narcotic overdoses, the first thing we think about is the administration of Narcan or Naloxone. However, our host Sarah Lorenzini shares how that shouldn’t always be the first thing we reach for.Sarah wants to share why Narcan is her absolute last resort, and why she tries to avoid administering it at all cost. Narcan, or Naloxone, is used to counteract the effects of opioids in the system and while it may help the patient breathe faster, it also blocks the effects of the narcotic that was managing their pain. In some cases, it is totally necessary to use Narcan, but not every time a patient is lethargic or minimally responsive does Narcan need to be administered.In today’s episode, you will hear a story of a patient Sarah dealt with where she made the decision to administer Narcan, the very first course of action when dealing with an overdose patient, what to look for in an overdose patient, and some pro tips on how to administer Narcan when/
16/06/2023 • 19 minutes 37 seconds
57: What to Expect When Your Patient is Dying with Hospice Nurse Hadley
Nurses are trained to treat and save lives, but hospice nurses focus on a different set of skills. As host Sarah says in this episode as she speaks with Hadley Vlahos, RN, “fixing isn’t the only great thing we can do as nurses.”In this episode and her new book, The In-Between, Hadley shares what it’s like to care for patients that are dying and what she’s learned from their end of life wisdom. She offers insight into what to expect as a patient is passing, what type of vernacular to use with grieving families, and lots more.Hadley and Sarah also discuss hard-to-describe things like the energy shift that happens after a patient passes, and an often unexplainable final burst of energy many patients have when they are close to dying. Plus, Sarah shares her life-changing first experience with a dying hospice patient in the ER.Whether you plan to work in hospice or not, tune in to hear tips on how you can be a better nurse to dying patients and
09/06/2023 • 37 minutes 43 seconds
56: Recap, Top Pearls, and Reflections from the NTI 2023 Conference
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses hosts an annual conference called NTI. Sarah and her team were able to attend NTI 2023 and they’re all recapping their experiences at the 4-day event in the episode!Sarah is joined by her team, Walker, Elisabeth, and Ashley, as well as special guest, ICU Nurse Sarah. They recorded each night to share the key takeaways from each day of the conference, from the wonderful people they met and inspirational speakers to the educational lessons in their sessions.You’ll hear highlights from NTI 2023, including how artificial intelligence is being used in the medical field, life-changing products and technology, the importance of mentorship, and LOTS MORE.Tune in as Sarah and her fellow nurses discuss what’s new in the world of nursing, and how NTI’s upcoming virtual sessions can help you become a better nurse!Topics discussed in this episode:Everyone’s e
02/06/2023 • 44 minutes 11 seconds
55: Q&A "Can You Please Make ABGs Make Sense?"
Arterial Blood Gas interpretation is tricky if you aren’t regularly looking at them, and a lot of the information out there makes it really confusing. In today’s episode, you will hear a palatable explanation on what you need to know when looking at ABGs, how the kidneys and lungs work together to maintain pH balance, and examples that will help you wrap your head around all of it.If you have been looking for a simple explanation of ABGs, this is definitely the episode for you. So be sure to tune in!Topics discussed in this episode:How Sarah learned about ABG interpretationValues to memorize when looking at an ABGDetermining whether the ABG is acidotic or alkaloticInterpreting the First, Middle, and Last name of the ABGExamples of metabolic and respiratory derangements Do you always need an ABG?This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique <a href="http://po
26/05/2023 • 15 minutes 30 seconds
54: ARDS Part 2... Meds, Proning, and ECMO With Guest Christian Guzman APRN
Concluding this two-part series on acute respiratory distress syndrome, Sarah and Christian Guzman APRN focus on the treatment options of ARDS and how you can make a difference in the outcome of ARDS patients.They cover the pros and cons of deep sedation, early paralysis, inhaled vasodilators, steroids and more. You’ll also learn about the rationale for prone position therapy and ECMO.Topics discussed in this episode:Pharmacological interventions for ARDSPros and Cons to sedation and paralytics for patients with ARDSThe controversial use of steroids and more medicationsBenefits of prone position therapyThe role of fluid managementHow Christian treated his ARDS patientDetermining when to cannulate for ECMO and when take a patient off ECMOChristian’s tips on recognizing and treating ARDSIf you would like to check out Sarah’s 1hr, 1 CE course
19/05/2023 • 35 minutes 2 seconds
53: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Part 1 With Guest Christian Guzman APRN
Sarah is welcoming back Christian Guzman APRN on the show for a two-part series on acute respiratory distress syndrome, otherwise known as ARDS. Don’t know how to properly diagnose ARDS, or treat it without further damaging the lungs? This episode will answer your questions!Christian shares the case of a patient who presented with abnormal symptoms for his age, and how they reached an ARDS diagnosis. ARDS is a secondary diagnosis, so you’ll also hear how to differentiate between ARDS and other conditions like pneumonia, aspiration, congestive heart failure, viral infections, etc.In this episode, Christian gives a history of ARDS, how our treatment methods have changed, and why lung protective ventilation is essential for care. He also details the 3 types of trauma that can occur with ventilation, including atelectotrauma, barotrauma and volutrauma, plus one newer trauma that’s showing up in the literature.For a breakdown of the history, pat
12/05/2023 • 46 minutes 37 seconds
52: Transitioning From Nursing Student to Being 'The Nurse' With Guest Stephanee Beggs RN
It’s a huge shift in mindset and level of responsibility to go from introducing yourself as “Hi! I’m the nursing student” to “Hi! I will be your Nurse today”. This episode is not just for Nurses who are making that transition from student to “The Nurse” but also for anyone who will be precepting and mentoring new Nurses. Sarah welcomes Stephanee Beggs to the show for an important discussion on how to successfully make this transition.Stephanee Beggs, BSN, RN, has made the Forbes 30 Under 30 List since leveraging her business background with a new nursing career as CEO of RNExplained. Her company provides fellow nurses and students with educational resources, and her social media content has attracted a large following. After graduating from an accelerated nursing program, Stephanee thought the hardest part of transitioning from student to nurse would be applying the skills taught in simulation labs. In reality, the toughest aspect of the job proved to be very diff
05/05/2023 • 33 minutes 3 seconds
51: "Poop in the Lungs?": Aspiration Pneumonia With Guest Nurse Mo From the Straight A Nursing Podcast
Aspiration Pneumonia can come from a variety of sources and sometimes it is difficult to put your finger on when you didn't see your patient aspirate. As the lungs begin to react to the foreign substance, the symptoms start accumulating and it becomes undeniable that aspiration has occurred.Rapid Response RN always emphasizes the importance of advocating for our patients because patient advocacy is a crucial responsibility that can make the difference in a patient’s health and recovery.In this episode, Nurse Mo of the Straight A Nursing Podcast shares how she advocated for a patient with aspiration pneumonia. She details what clues led her to believe the patient had a serious issue, why aspiration pneumonia is such a serious condition and how to diagnose it.We also talk about nursing pet peeves, how to advocate for your patient when there’s opposition, the ins and out of bronchoscopy procedures, and more.<p
28/04/2023 • 40 minutes 5 seconds
50: What's the Big Deal With Delirium? With Guest Kati Kleber From the FreshRN Podcast
Delirium is acute brain failure. It’s not just an unavoidable consequence of being hospitalized, it is a condition that can be prevented and treated! That’s why Rapid Response RN has teamed up with some of our favorite nursing podcasts for a pod crawl devoted to delirium.In this episode, Kati Kleber, MSN RN and host of the FreshRN® Podcast, joins our discussion on treating patients with delirium and avoiding its long-term effects. We go over the ABCDEF bundle, common mistakes new nurses make in regards to delirium, and the importance of family engagement in its treatment.You’ll also hear an inspiring story of how host Sarah Lorenzini used creative solutions, combined with a nurse’s secret weapon (their intuition!), to get a patient with delirium out of the ICU and away from the harmful effects of sedation.Listen to this stop on the pod crawl for a lesson in delirium treatment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and patient advo
21/04/2023 • 1 hour 52 seconds
49: TACO, TRALI, and All Things Blood Transfusion Reactions
Would you know how to identify a blood transfusion reaction? This is one of those nightmare cases because we just expect that when we give blood transfusion, the patient will get better… but what about when they get worse?Host Sarah Lorenzini has dealt with situations where a blood transfusion reaction took place, but it is so rare. So she wants to share evidence-based research to shed some light and insight into this very rare, but potentially life threatening situation.In today’s episode, Sarah goes over a case study of one of a rapid response patient she dealt with where she discovered there was a blood transfusion reaction when it wasn’t readily apparent. You will hear how the patient was reacting, how she assessed the situation, and how the patient was treated.You will also hear Sarah’s cliff notes from what she researched detailing what kind of blood transfusion reactions to look out for, their treatment, what TACO and TRALI stand for
14/04/2023 • 23 minutes 30 seconds
48: Hemorrhagic Stroke with Guest Nurse Alice
We are so excited to be joined by Nurse Alice Benjamin, cardiac clinical nurse specialist, family nurse practitioner, Chief Nursing Officer of Nurse.org, host of the Ask Nurse Alice podcast, and media health expert known as “America’s favorite nurse.”Highlighting the power of nurses’ intuition, Nurse Alice shares an interesting story of a patient found unresponsive and how her initial assessments led her to call a CODE STROKE. In discussing this case, we cover the difference between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, what a brain bleed looks like on a CT, and the importance of advocating for our patients.During her 23 years as a nurse and community educator, Nurse Alice has picked up a lot of knowledge that helped her treat this patient quickly and notice less common signs of stroke that other medical professionals missed.Tune in to hear how Nurse Alice cared for this patient, and take note of her best nursing advice!<br
07/04/2023 • 45 minutes 25 seconds
47: Hyperkalemia Cardiac Arrest Part 2: Treatment
Today we are diving deeper into hyperkalemia cardiac arrest as we present you with part two of last week’s episode where we talked about our hyperkalemia case study Ms. Wanda. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend you check out episode 46!Ever heard of the hyperkalemia cocktail? This cocktail, when administered in the correct order and the correct way, can help temporarily shoot the potassium back into the cell and lower the serum potassium. Disclaimer here, this treatment does not fix your patient’s potassium, it only buys you time.In today’s episode you will hear what these cocktails of drugs are, when and how to administer them, how they affect potassium excretion, and much more!Tune in for some sciency fun and helpful nursing tips! Topics discussed in this episode:Treating the source and options for potassium excretionCocktail of drugs that shift potassium out of the bloodstre
29/03/2023 • 21 minutes 4 seconds
46: Hyperkalemia Cardiac Arrest Part 1
This isn’t your average hyperkalemia story! Today, host Sarah Lorenzini is sharing the story of Ms. Wanda, a frequent visitor to the ER who came in one day complaining of weakness — and then went into cardiac arrest as she was being examined.In this episode, Sarah walks us through her surprising visit and how she reached the diagnosis of hyperkalemia. You’ll learn the signs of hyperkalemia, how to detect it, and what can cause hyperkalemia.Listen to part one of Ms. Wanda’s story, and tune in next week to learn the treatment for hyperkalemia!Topics discussed in this episode:Background on Sarah’s patient, Ms. WandaWhy her potassium levels were so highHow hyperkalemia can evolve towards cardiac arrestMs. Wanda’s signs of hyperkalemiaProgression of an ECG changes with hyperkalemiaSymptoms of hyperkalemiaCauses of hyperkalemiaSupplement this
21/03/2023 • 18 minutes 22 seconds
45: Q&A: "How Can I Become a Rapid Response Nurse?"
In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini is answering a frequently asked question: How do I prepare for a career as a rapid response nurse?Listeners have been coming to her DMs wanting to know, so Sarah’s breaking down the role of a rapid response nurse and what the day-to-day grind might look like. She goes over the skills and work styles that compliment this role, and who should avoid it.Sarah also shares the two questions she uses to assess every nurse interviewing to join her rapid response team. These two questions don’t just apply to those interested in Rapid Response Nursing… they are helpful to any nurse trying to figure out what type of Nursing role they want to pursue or if it’s time to make the switch to a different specialty. You want to take the time to answer them for yourself!Rapid response nursing is more than just responding to emergencies, so tune in to find out what the role entails and if it’s right for you.Topics discuss
10/03/2023 • 26 minutes 7 seconds
44: "Heart Attack" or Anxiety?
“As nurses, we care for a lot of patients with anxiety, right? We have to fight not to get jaded and write off our patient's symptoms. It would've been easy for this nurse to just administer some Xanax or Ativan and gone on with her shift. It's not like the patient's vitals were super high or super low, but this nurse tapped into two things: her intuition and critical thinking skills.”You may recall this quote from an earlier episode, but we’re revisiting it today because discerning between a heart attack and anxiety can sometimes be tricky. There’s a lot to learn from this story of a patient that was experiencing a huge myocardial infarction but downplayed her symptoms as "just anxiety."Listen in for a lesson in intuition, critical thinking skills, and MORE!Topics discussed in this episode:Sarah’s patient’s initial complaint and symptomsWhat concerns the primary Nurse had about the patient’s presentationPathophysiology a
03/03/2023 • 23 minutes 33 seconds
43: Eisenmenger Syndrome With Guest Nick McGowan RN
Imagine a patient with a SPO2 in the 80’s, not in distress, and acting normal. Their echocardiogram shows an atrial septal defect and a pulmonary artery pressure of 95!!! What can we do for this patient? What could cause such a high PA pressure?Today’s guest Nick McGowan MSN, RN, CCRN, had this experience and is sharing his patient’s story with Sarah. Nick revisits how this case evolved, from getting test results to discovering his shockingly high PA pressure and transferring the patient to the ICU.Many nurses haven’t heard of this condition before, but you’ll understand the pathophysiology of Eisenmenger syndrome and its prognosis by the end of this episode. We also go over the importance of establishing goals of care with patients, and the role of nurses in the ICU.Nick is also a nursing educator, so tune in to learn his helpful tips on treating elevated PA pressures!Topics discussed in this episode:
24/02/2023 • 37 minutes 14 seconds
42: Dry As a Bone: Acute Kidney Injury
In today’s episode, our host Sarah Lorenzini will be discussing a very important topic that all nurses need to know about, acute kidney injury, which is a common occurrence in hospital settings. As a rapid response nurse Sarah has seen acute kidney injuries often, but the treatment isn’t always cut and dry. Sarah tells us a story about a patient she was called to see in a rapid response situation and the steps she took to assess and take action when the patient went from a pre-renal kidney injury to intrarenal. She goes through each detail of the patient’s history, how the nurses relayed information, her interactions with the resident doctors, and why she made the decisions she made to get this patient well enough to be discharged from the hospital.Acute kidney injury is very serious, it exponentially increases their mortality rate and decreases their chances of walking out of the hospital. Every step each health care professional takes with the patient
17/02/2023 • 20 minutes 17 seconds
41: Let's Make Priapism Not So Hard... With Guest Walker, Rapid Response RN
It’s a hard conversation, but priapism is a medical emergency!Sarah Lorenzini is joined by her friend and co-worker, Walker, to discuss the symptoms, causes and treatments of priapism. Walker introduces his priapism patient, and walks us through his initial assessment and treatment. You’ll even learn a little bit of its history, and hear Sarah’s firsthand experiences with priapism.They explain why priapism is an emergency situation, and why a fast response is needed to avoid complications. Walker ends the interview with key advice to all nursing professionals, so this is not an episode to miss!Topics discussed in this episode:Walker’s nursing journeyDefining priapismPriapism’s causes and why it’s an emergencySarah’s first priapism patient experience as a new gradTreatments for priapismMaintaining patient dignityIf you would like to check out th
10/02/2023 • 29 minutes 13 seconds
40:Why Rapid Response Nursing? Interview With The Nurse Keith Show
Join your host Sarah Lorenzini as she’s interviewed by Keith Carlson, fellow nursing podcaster at The Nurse Keith Show.With the ability to stay grounded and alert during chaotic situations, Sarah is the epitome of being an anchor in a storm. In this episode, she shares how she found her niche in nursing, why rapid response nursing suits her work style, and how she coaches other nurses through the stress of emergent situations.Sarah gets fulfillment from helping others, and she does this in so many ways — education through storytelling on her podcast, teaching an online course that’s approved by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and as a nursing educator.Tune in to get a sense of what it’s like to be a rapid response nurse, and learn how you can develop the skills to become a better nurse!Topics discussed in this episode:What drew Sarah to rapid response nursingDiscovering what type of nursing works best with y
05/02/2023 • 55 minutes 23 seconds
39: Critical Limb Ischemia
As health care professionals, it is our job to advocate for our patients, even if our efforts are not well received initially. Especially when we are deeply concerned, or uncomfortable with the situation. This can be tough, but it is essential for the health of the patient. What happens when we are expressing real urgent concern and the provider on the other end doesn’t feel your urgency? On today’s episode, our host and rapid response nurse Sarah Lorenzini, tells us about an experience she had when providing care for a patient with critical limb ischemia where she knew the patient needed immediate surgery, but the primary care doctor didn’t think it was urgent. Sarah goes through real examples of how she spoke with the doctor, the doctor’s responses, intentional language she used to get her urgency across, and what happened thereafter.Sarah also explains the classes of critical limb ischemia, symptoms to look out for in varying severity, how to treat
27/01/2023 • 14 minutes 29 seconds
38:Q&A: How to Effectively and Professionally Advocate For Your Patient… Even When the Provider is Intimidating
Nurses, for the most part, spend significantly more time with patients compared to physicians. Regardless, it can be difficult for nurses to have their voice heard. For instance, how many times have YOU found yourself apologizing to a physician for just doing your job?The education from nursing school teaches a lot of vital skills, but one that’s ignored is the need to effectively communicate with other members of an interdisciplinary team. How do you make a physician take into account your concerns for your patient? And, what if you’re dealing with a rude physician?During this episode of Rapid Response RN, Sarah Lorenzini shares multiple communication strategies she uses when trying to advocate for patients. She also discusses the nurse/physician relationship, and the patience required to work with medical residents and interns.Tune in to gain a better understanding of how to deal with this issue through her real-life examples!Topics discussed i
20/01/2023 • 28 minutes 55 seconds
37: Hypercalcemia Cardiac Arrest with guest Kisha RN
One Sunday during football season, after being pressured by his wife, a reluctant patient gave in and decided to finally come into the ER. His calcium levels were high, but his EKG came back normal, he was experiencing no pain, and seemed healthy and responsive — until he wasn’t.Telling her story of treating this patient is host Sarah Lorenzini’s friend and fellow nurse, Kisha RN, CEN. She details her experience with this patient, starting from convincing him to stay for further tests, to shocking him 19 times after he coded, and reuniting months later.Tune in to learn why it wasn’t obvious this patient was about to experience cardiac arrest, and how medical professionals should address similar cases. You’ll also hear from Kisha and Sarah about the emotional impact of working on a patient who has coded as they fight for their life that is in your hands.Kisha has helpful takeaways and advice from this case to share, so don’t miss this episode!T
13/01/2023 • 40 minutes 41 seconds
36: Commotio Cordis: Responding to Sports Related Cardiac Events With Guest Dr. Jeremy Alland, Team Physician for the Chicago Bulls
We are all praying for Buffalo Bills’ safety, Damar Hamlin, after he was hit, causing a cardiac event, sending him to the ICU. This is a nightmare for any athlete, and disheartening for family, friends and fans.As nurses, medical students, even parents, when viewing these types of tragic events, it is natural to think about what you would do in an emergency situation like this. Especially a parent attending a child’s sporting event, having the knowledge and ability to help out in an emergency can start to feel more important than ever.On today’s episode, rapid response nurse and our host, Sarah Lorenzini, has invited guest Dr. Jeremy Alland, the official physician for the Chicago Bulls basketball team, to help us unravel what happened to Damar Hamlin on the football field, and how we can better prepare ourselves for cardiac events as medical professionals in non-medical settings.We go over sports medicine doctor’s roles, common cardiac events that occ
06/01/2023 • 26 minutes 12 seconds
35: Cardiac Syncope...(DO NOT AMBULATE!)
The most concerning type of syncope! When a patient suddenly passes out from either an arrhythmia or a structural abnormality of the heart... this needs to be investigated and treated... next time they might not wake up from it!If you love learning from other people's mistakes, you will love this episode of when I didn't realize my patient was in V-tach and walked him back to his room!We discuss all of the reasons the heart might cause you to pass out and a little about the challenges of being an ER Triage Nurse in this final episode of the year and the last episode in a 4 part series on syncope. So make sure you also check out episode #32, #33, and #34 to learn seizure vs syncope, reflex syncope, and orthostatic syncope. If you would like to check out the 1hr, 1 CE course, go to:www.rapidresponseandrescue.comyou can use coupon code: PODCAST22To get $22 off the cost of the course now until the end of 2022
27/12/2022 • 18 minutes 41 seconds
34: Orthostatic Syncope
This episode covers the two types of orthostatic syncope:Neurally mediated orthostatic syncope (from conditions with autonomic dysfunction)and"non-neurally mediated" orthostatic syncope which is from medications or hypovolemia.We discuss the diagnostic value and dangers of orthostatic vital signs and how to determine what type of orthostatic syncope your patient has had.This is part 3 of a 4 part series on syncope so make sure you check out episode #32 and #33. If you would like to check out the 1hr, 1 CE course, go to:www.rapidresponseandrescue.comyou can use coupon code: PODCAST22To get $22 off the cost of the course now until the end of 2022
19/12/2022 • 13 minutes 32 seconds
33: Vasovagal Syncope with guest Annie Fulton
Part 2 of a 4 part series on syncope.Syncope is one of the top reasons why a rapid response is called... but the question is, what precipitated the syncope?In this episode we discuss a classic case of vasovagal syncope, in which Annie's patient had a six second pause on his ECG in response to some overwhelming news. We break down why atropine might not be the best intervention for this patient and some of the treatment options for bradycardia.
06/12/2022 • 34 minutes 26 seconds
32: Syncope vs Seizure?
This episode is Part 1 in a 4 part series on syncope.Syncope and seizure can both present with unresponsiveness. It can be difficult to differentiate between the two very different causes for an unresponsive episode. Fortunately, there are some things to look for to help rule out seizure or confirm that it is the culprit... and they probably aren't the ones you thought you knew.
26/11/2022 • 10 minutes 6 seconds
31: Cardiac Tamponade with Guest Brian McCain
If you are a cardiac nurse, this is your nightmare case! Cardiac Tamponade is a surgical emergency that requires you know more than ACLS to save this patient. The signs and symptoms are subtle and takes an astute clinician to figure it out.In this episode we discuss all the classic textbook assessment findings from Beck's Triad to pulsus paradoxus as well as some of the more subtle clues of declining cardiac output. We talk through when you need a pericardiocentesis and when it's time to crack the chest and perform an open arrest.And who better to discuss this case than the person who taught me about cardiac tamponade, my boss and former Cardiac ICU Nurse; Brian McCain.If you want to be prepared for the absolute worst case scenario for your post cardiac surgery patient, than you're gonna want to take notes on this one.
11/11/2022 • 40 minutes 46 seconds
30: Life Threatening Small Bowel Obstruction
This patient was so backed up, his abdomen looked like he was 9 months pregnant! It was so bad that he was tachycardic and hypotensive. In this episode we talk about common post-surgical complications from constipation, to an ileus, to a small bowel obstruction. We break down diagnostics, pharmacological interventions, and surgical options.Ever given neostigmine? Then you are gonna want to hear this episode.Ever heard of Ogilvie's syndrome... if you care for post-surgical patients this is another one you want to be familiar with.Do you want to listen to an entire episode about poop... than you will love this episode!It's amazing how inability to poop can cause such severe and even life threatening complications!
30/10/2022 • 28 minutes 14 seconds
29: Managing Pre-Shift Anxiety As a Nurse
Nursing pre-shift anxiety is a thing! Many of us stress ourselves out so much leading up to our shift that we don't sleep or eat well or we feel overwhelmed by the thought of another 12 hour shift and we haven't even stepped foot in the hospital yet. But there is hope...This episode does not have any hacks for erasing pre-shift anxiety... but rather how to face it.Sarah discusses the 3 things that she has done to work through the anxiety associated with being a Nurse.So, if you find yourself dreading your shifts, losing sleep over worry about work, or overly consumed with what could happen, you might want to give this episode a listen.
14/10/2022 • 14 minutes 27 seconds
28: Another Metabolic Acidosis With Christian Guzman APRN
Do you want to grasp ABGs more? Arterial Blood Gases are tricky! It's one thing to memorize the normal ranges for each value, but an astute clinician is able to see the combination of abnormal values and determine what led to this derangement and what to do about it.In this episode, guest Christian Guzman, Critical Care APRN shares an interesting case of...SPOILER ALERT: Necrotizing FasciitisThe patient's presentation was concerning but not very clear what was going on initially. But the Nurse's intuition which led to an ABG helped guide the team towards a diagnosis, prompted Christian to upgrade the patient to the ICU, and ultimately led to the patient making a full recovery.If you love nerding out with a deep dive into pathophysiology, then you will love this episode.
30/09/2022 • 34 minutes 24 seconds
27: Time is Brain: The Why Behind the Hustle With Stroke
This episode is jam packed with everything you need to know for your next stroke alert!I was interviewed by Annie Fulton from the Up My Nursing Game Podcast and we got to talk about all things stroke from differentiating between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke to the life saving interventions of tPA, thrombectomy, ventriculostomies, and the pharmacological interventions for stroke. We discuss the role of the Rapid Response Nurse and the bedside Nurse during a stroke alert. What to assess for first, what information the stroke team is going to need, what are the priorities, and why all the hustle to get to CT?! If you want to be prepared, not only to recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke, but also anticipate what is next in this patient's course of care from diagnostics to interventions and recovery, this episode is for you! You can listen to more of Annie's podcasts at https://www.upmynursinggame.com/ and on Apple Podcasts at h
