Love n' Leary Nursing Podcast

Nurse.org
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The Love n’ Leary nursing podcast is where nursing leadership, innovation, and real talk come together. Hosted by nurse leaders Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN, and Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL, the show dives into the issues that matter most to today’s nursing community. Each episode features candid conversations, expert insights, and bold perspectives on healthcare, leadership, advocacy, and the future of nursing. Whether you’re a bedside nurse, nurse leader, or healthcare changemaker, Love n’ Leary offers thoughtful dialogue and practical takeaways to inform, inspire, and empower nurses at every stage of their careers.

  1. 1d ago

    The Story Behind the Schooling: Nursing, Journalism, and a Student’s Voice

    Hosts Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN and Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL welcome Danae Petit, a rising senior nursing student at the University of Pittsburgh and senior columnist at The Pitt News, for a powerful conversation about nursing school, identity, and the power of telling your own story. Danae shares the rude awakening of her freshman year, the moment a small interaction at a campus food spot inspired her most-read column on what it means to be a Black nurse, and how falling in love with a labor and delivery clinical rotation helped her find her niche. Along the way, Marion and Rebecca dig into why nursing needs more storytellers, why representation in the profession matters, and why writing about real nursing experiences can shape the future of healthcare. Whether you're a nursing student, a nurse leader, or someone who has ever wondered whether your voice in this profession matters, Danae's story is a reminder that small moments and honest writing can ripple outward in ways you don't expect. Jump Ahead:  00:59 — Welcome and introducing Danae Petit01:47 — Why Danae chose nursing instead of medical school03:02 — Discovering writing as a creative outlet at The Pitt News04:48 — The "rude awakening" of freshman year05:32 — The shift from high school to college-level studying06:52 — Is nursing school harder, or is it the transition?08:26 — How readers responded to her first nursing column09:43 — The comfort of knowing you're not alone10:20 — Writing about what it means to be a Black nurse11:00 — The small moment at the food spot that became a column13:24 — Why diverse voices in nursing matter14:46 — "Whether I realize it or not, there are always people watching"17:13 — Representation in nursing: 11% of undergrad students are Black18:28 — Finding her niche in labor and delivery18:45 — Her first C-section and falling in love with L&D20:49 — A favorite professor and the joy of L&D21:31 — What senior year looks like22:18 — Will the writing continue after graduation?23:49 — Marion and Rebecca on why nursing needs more storytellers25:53 — Closing thanks🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    27 min

  2. 1d ago

    What the Media Gets Wrong About Nursing — and Why It Matters (With Sandy Summers)

    Hosts Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN and Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL welcome Sandy Summers, RN, MSN, MPH, founder and executive director of The Truth About Nursing, for a powerful conversation about how the media shapes the way the public sees nurses — and why it matters far beyond entertainment. For 25 years, Sandy has been pushing back against the way nurses are portrayed on TV, in advertising, and in the news. From the early days of organizing nurses to challenge ER, to going after Hooters for a naughty nurse ad campaign, to today's fight with The Pit, Sandy walks through the stereotypes that won't go away and the real-world consequences of those portrayals on funding, policy, staffing, and the nursing shortage itself. In this episode, you'll hear how Sandy got the Washington Post to cover her first nursing media campaign in 2001, why she says the so-called nursing shortage was created by the hospital industry, how AI reimbursement codes are threatening to redefine nursing roles without nurses at the table, and what every nurse can do right now to join the fight. Whether you're a clinical nurse, a nurse leader, a nursing student, or a healthcare changemaker, this conversation is a call to use your voice. Jump Ahead:  00:58 — Welcome and introducing Sandy Summers01:32 — The Truth About Nursing's mission02:57 — Why nursing is the largest profession but still poorly defined in media03:34 — How it all started: the 2001 budget cuts and the ER campaign07:38 — Why The Pit is making the same mistakes ER did08:52 — 25 years of progress: ad campaigns, billboards, and global media wins11:09 — Why Sandy keeps going after 25 years13:20 — "I can't tolerate the disrespect"13:23 — How media portrayals affect policy, STEM designation, and funding14:54 — Nursing education gets 1/50th of physician education funding15:30 — Why the nursing shortage was created by the hospital industry16:29 — The CPT codes problem: 288 for AI, zero for nursing18:35 — How nurses can get involved with The Truth About Nursing20:00 — Linda Aiken's research: doubling a nurse's workload increases mortality by 31%23:28 — How to get more nurses fired up about this fight26:30 — Turning anger into action instead of burnout28:10 — Sandy's parting words to nurses28:44 — Closing thanks 🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    30 min

  3. Jun 9

    Code Red for Future of Science in America (Opinion)

    Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to the hosts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, beliefs, or position of Nurse.org. Hosts Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN, and Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL, are joined by Dr. Lorena Grundy (AAUP Vice President and Practice Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Penn) and Dr. Logan Spector (pediatric cancer genomics specialist at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine) on the Love n' Leary Nursing Podcast. The panel discusses a 412-page proposed rule from the White House's Office of Management and Budget regarding federal science funding in the United States. If enacted, the proposal would alter the grant decision-making process by giving political appointees the authority to override peer-review selections and terminate active grants mid-study without an appeals process. In this episode, the guests break down the specific components of the document, examine its potential impact on nursing research and clinical trials, and explain how the public can participate in the ongoing public comment period. At the time of recording, approximately 6,500 comments had been filed toward a collective advocacy goal of one million. This conversation outlines the details of the proposed policy and provides instructions on how researchers, clinicians, nurse leaders, and community members can submit feedback. Jump Ahead:  01:11 — Welcome back and introducing the episode02:01 — Introducing Dr. Lorena Grundy02:53 — Introducing Dr. Logan Spector and why this conversation was hard to book06:06 — Dr. Grundy on what's actually in the 412-page proposed rule08:55 — How this affects every scientific field, from nursing to engineering11:05 — The risk to active clinical trials and the patients enrolled in them16:47 — How universities and individual scientists balance the risk of speaking out23:55 — Why you can comment anonymously and how to do it26:06 — Rebecca's call to action28:21 — Why anyone can comment, not just scientists31:11 — Final thoughts and a thank you to the guests32:01 — The current comment count and the goal of one million33:14 — Closing thanksListen now at nurse.org/news/love-n-leary-nursing-podcast. 🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    34 min

  4. Apr 23

    Why Thousands of Nurses Are Marching on Capitol Hill May 7 (With Dr. Danielle McCamey and Dr. Lendra James)

    In this episode of the Love n' Leary podcast, host Rebecca Love sits down with nurse leaders Dr. Lendra James and Dr. Danielle McCamey, co-founders of Nurses Shift Change, to talk about why nurses must “report for duty” in Washington, D.C. this Nurses Week. They break down the urgent threats facing healthcare—hospital closures, cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, loss of coverage for vulnerable communities, and risks to nursing’s status as a profession—and why nurses’ voices are essential in shaping policy.  Learn what to expect at the Report for Duty Rally and Hill Day, how advocacy connects to nursing’s Code of Ethics, and how joy, art, and community can fuel resistance and change. Tune in to get inspired, get informed, and get ready to show up. >>Why Thousands of Nurses Are Marching on Capitol Hill May 7 Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:22] Introducing the Report for Duty rally in DC [00:01:51] Origin and mission of Nurses Shift Change [00:02:20] Adding Hill Day meetings with lawmakers [00:03:21] Why Washington, DC and engaging legislators [00:04:01] History of nurses marching and advocacy in DC [00:05:21] Why nurses must leverage their collective power now [00:06:41] Healthcare in trouble and nurses on the front lines [00:08:33] Joy and resistance: format and feel of the rally [00:09:09] Core values: humanity, ethics, social justice, science [00:11:55] How to get involved and where to find more information Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary TikTok: @marionleary Facebook: Marion Leary 🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    14 min

  5. Mar 5

    2 Nurse Leaders at the Peak of Their Public Health Careers Resigned — Here’s Why (With Dena Bushman and Rebekah Stewart)

    In this episode of the Love n' Leary Podcast, hosts Marion Leary and Rebecca Love speak with nurses Dena Bushman and Rebekah Stewart about their difficult decision to resign from the United States Public Health Service. After years of leadership in public health and infectious disease response, both nurses share the ethical and moral conflicts they faced when deployments shifted toward immigration detention facilities. Through candid conversation, they discuss moral distress, nursing ethics, and the responsibility nurses carry when systems conflict with patient care. This episode explores advocacy, courage, and how nurses can use their voices to drive change in healthcare and beyond. Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:21] Nurses resign from U.S. Public Health Service [00:01:42] Dena’s background and CDC / EIS path [00:03:07] Becky’s ER, Ebola, and CDC career overview [00:06:24] Becky’s ethical breaking point and decision to resign [00:09:37] What the U.S. Public Health Service is [00:11:58] Shift in deployments toward detention facilities [00:13:20] Question about deaths and conditions in detention [00:13:47] Becky’s 2019 Border Patrol deployment experience [00:17:42] Dena rostered to ICE and Guantánamo, moral distress [00:25:03] Dena on using your voice and next steps for nurses Connect with Rebekah:  LinkedIn: Rebekah StewartSubstack: @rebekahjstewartConnect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionlearyTikTok: @marionlearyFacebook: Marion Leary🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    33 min

  6. Feb 26

    From the ER to Congress: Why This Nurse Is Running for Office (With Nancy Mannion)

    In this episode of the Love n' Leary Podcast, we sit down with emergency nurse and congressional candidate Nancy Mannion (PA-11). Nancy shares how bedside experiences, seeing the impact of lack of access to care and crushing medical debt, propelled her to run for Congress. She breaks down the nursing skills—communication, negotiation, and teamwork—that translate directly to policymaking, and talks candidly about imposter syndrome, becoming a public figure, and preparing for tough town hall questions. Nancy also offers practical encouragement for nurses considering political engagement at any level, from school boards to federal office, and explains why she believes America is in “critical condition” and needs a nurse to help heal it. >>From the ER to Congress: Why This Nurse Is Running for Office | Opinion Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:00] Introducing guest: ER nurse Nancy Mannion, running for Congress [00:02:09] What inspired Nancy to run for a congressional seat [00:03:06] ER stories showing impact of poor access to healthcare [00:04:37] Speaking at a local event leads to being asked to run [00:06:09] Exploring how to run and finding Healing Politics [00:07:45] Nursing skills Nancy will use in Congress [00:11:50] Learning every word as a candidate is public [00:14:29] Preparing for town halls and handling wide-ranging questions [00:17:53] Advice to nurses thinking about speaking up or running for office [00:21:33] How nurses can support Nancy’s campaign and get involved Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary TikTok: @marionleary Facebook: Marion Leary 🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    25 min

  7. Feb 19

    The Next Frontier for Nurses? Outer Space. (With Christine Rincon, The Space Nurse)

    Space tourists, floating vomit, CPR in microgravity—this episode goes exactly where you think it won’t. Marion and Rebecca sit down with Christine Rincon, founder of The Space Nurse™, to explore why the future of space travel urgently needs nurses. From decoding NASA job postings to unpacking “human in the loop” processes, Christine reveals how everyday bedside nursing skills directly translate to mission control and long-duration space missions. The conversation dives into microgravity’s surprising effects on the body, space station livability, and why nurses must help design the next era of space exploration. If you’ve ever wondered what nursing looks like on the journey to Mars, this episode is your launchpad. >>The Next Frontier for Nurses? Outer Space. Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:47] What is The Space Nurse [00:02:37] Space nursing isn’t “a thing” yet [00:04:05] Why long-term missions need nurses [00:05:31] Translating nursing skills to NASA jobs [00:06:29] “Human in the loop” explained for nurses [00:08:00] NASA Standard 3001 and human factors [00:09:48] CPR guidelines for the International Space Station [00:11:45] NASA’s free training and human research roadmap [00:13:24] Idea of a Nurses in Space hackathon with NASA [00:21:35] Webinar to prep nurses for care in microgravity Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary TikTok: @marionleary Facebook: Marion Leary 🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    27 min

  8. Feb 12

    How Federal Health Funding Cuts Are Reshaping Global Care—and Impacting Nursing Leadership (With Jerilyn Hoover)

    In this episode of the Love and Leary Podcast, Rebecca Love and Marion Leary sit down with public health nurse and former USAID leader Jerilyn Hoover to discuss the sweeping impact of recent federal health funding cuts. Jerilyn shares a firsthand account of how the abrupt closure of global health programs disrupted HIV, maternal-child health, and workforce initiatives worldwide—contributing to devastating human consequences and the displacement of thousands of health workers. The conversation also explores a critical but overlooked issue: the loss of nursing leadership within federal agencies and its long-term implications for healthcare policy and innovation. >>How Federal Health Funding Cuts Are Reshaping Global Care—and Impacting Nursing Leadership Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:03] Introducing guest Jerilyn Hoover [00:02:15] Early interest in public health nursing [00:04:10] MPH at Johns Hopkins and focus on health policy [00:04:40] Joining USAID and health workforce work [00:05:35] Asked about the day the agency was closed [00:06:00] Inauguration week trip to Ivory Coast [00:07:00] Seeing news of the 90-day aid freeze [00:07:20] PEPFAR background and scale of support [00:08:07] Overnight layoffs and halted services [00:09:22] Locked clinics and shortages of HIV meds [00:12:31] Estimated 700,000 deaths from aid cuts [00:16:09] Federal government as career pathway for nurses [00:19:23] Why nurses must be in policy roles [00:22:13] Risk of nursing retreating to only clinical/academic roles [00:23:31] Calls to action: advocacy, mentorship, support Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary TikTok: @marionleary Facebook: Marion Leary 🎙️ About The Love & Leary Podcast Thank you for tuning in to The Love n' Leary Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a colleague. 🌐 Connect With Us Official Website: Visit nurse.org/lovenleary for episodes, articles, and exclusive nursing resources.Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to  Love n' Leary Podcast YouTube to watch full video episodes and highlights.👥 Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn Stay connected, network, and join the conversation with us professionally: Connect with Rebecca: Rebecca Love on LinkedInConnect with Marion: Marion Leary on LinkedInAbout Nurse.org: Empowering, entertaining, and uniting nurses worldwide. Explore more career guides, news, and community stories at Nurse.org.

    28 min
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About

The Love n’ Leary nursing podcast is where nursing leadership, innovation, and real talk come together. Hosted by nurse leaders Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN, and Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL, the show dives into the issues that matter most to today’s nursing community. Each episode features candid conversations, expert insights, and bold perspectives on healthcare, leadership, advocacy, and the future of nursing. Whether you’re a bedside nurse, nurse leader, or healthcare changemaker, Love n’ Leary offers thoughtful dialogue and practical takeaways to inform, inspire, and empower nurses at every stage of their careers.

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