Traditional nursing models are breaking under the weight of higher acuity, staffing shortages, and relentless workload. But nurse leaders aren't waiting for permission to fix it, they're redesigning care delivery right now.

In this episode, Kati Kleber, MSN RN, talks with Dr. Bethany Robertson, Clinical Executive at Wolters Kluwer, Health Learning Research & Practice, about how hospitals are experimenting with new care models that actually work. From team-based care to virtual nursing, Bethany explains how leaders are offloading cognitive overload, improving patient flow, and helping nurses feel valued for their clinical judgment... not just their ability to survive the shift.

We discuss:

✅ What virtual nursing really looks like in action: how it's being used across acute care to support bedside teams without cutting FTEs.

✅ Why simply adding more staff won't fix burnout, and what true workload redesign looks like when nurses can finally think, not just react.

✅ How nurse leaders are rewriting the rules using insights from the FutureCare Nursing 2025 report, to build care models that protect both patients and the profession.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Read the full FutureCare Nursing 2025 survey report from Lippincott® Solutions
• Join the FreshRN email list for free resources & updates: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/
• Nurse leaders: Looking for a comprehensive residency program for your new grads? Check out: https://www.freshrn.com/enterprise/

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In this episode of The FreshRN Podcast, host Kati Kleber, MSN RN, sits down with Dr. Susan Grant, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN (Chief Clinical Officer at symplr) to talk about how AI can actually make nursing better.

We focus less on "what AI is" and more on how to successfully integrate it into nursing practice. Susan will share leadership strategies for building trust, creating a culture where AI empowers rather than intimidates, and ensuring nurses are part of decision-making from the very beginning. We'll also talk about practical ways to prepare both seasoned nurses and new grads for the AI-driven workplace.

With more than 30 years of leadership experience at Wellstar, Beaumont, Emory, the University of Washington Medical Center, and Dana-Farber, Dr. Grant shares how technology can remove administrative burden, strengthen nurse-patient connections, and help managers and educators reclaim their time to focus on what really matters: people.

You'll learn:

✅ Why AI won't replace nurses, and the irreplaceable human skills that define our profession

✅ How ambient listening technology is capturing the unseen value of nursing care

✅ The biggest mistakes leaders make when rolling out new tech (and how to build trust instead)

✅ How AI could transform the daily workflow of both bedside nurses and nurse leaders within the next decade

Whether you're a bedside nurse, an educator, or a hospital leader, this conversation will leave you hopeful and ready to lead the change.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Connect with Dr. Susan Grant and symplr: https://www.symplr.com
• Join the FreshRN email list for free resources & updates: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/
• Nurse leaders: Looking for a comprehensive residency program for your new grads? Check out: https://www.freshrn.com/enterprise/

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If this episode gave you something to think about, follow FreshRN wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a nurse friend!

In this episode, we're talking less about what sepsis is and more about how to build systems that actually help nurses catch and treat it earlier, without overwhelming us or compromising patient safety. Instead of focusing on textbook definitions, we explore how workflow, culture, and smart (nurse-driven!) processes can radically improve outcomes.

I sit down with Jaclyn Bond, MS, MBA, RN, former Director of Nursing and an innovative leader known for transforming rapid response workflows, developing a nurse-consult activation process, and championing nurse-driven sepsis care. With a background in ER, ICU, trauma, informatics, and program development, Jaclyn brings practical, evidence-based insight that every nurse and leader needs to hear.

Together, we talk about:

✅ Why many hospitals see too few rapid response calls, but too many codes

✅ How Jaclyn's "nurse consult" activation empowered bedside nurses to escalate sooner without the fear or judgment

✅ Using hard data as your strongest ally: whether you're influencing physicians, executives, or frontline staff

✅ Why the future of sepsis care is nursing-led precision resuscitation, supported by real-time physiologic data

… and a lot more!

This conversation is packed with insight for bedside nurses, rapid response teams, educators, and leaders, especially if you're trying to improve sepsis outcomes with limited resources. Jaclyn's approach blends compassion, critical thinking, and operational excellence in a way that feels both refreshing and highly actionable.

🚨 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the guest and do not represent the official position of any organization with which they are currently or have previously been affiliated.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Learn more about FloPatch and sepsis resuscitation: https://flosonicsmedical.com/
• Read the Rapid Response / FloPatch case study
• Join the FreshRN email list for free (non-spammy) resources & updates: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up
• Nurse leaders: Need a comprehensive residency program for your new grads? Check out: https://www.freshrn.com/enterprise/

🎧 Follow & Subscribe:

If this episode gave you something to think about, follow FreshRN wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a nurse friend!