Newsletter
Amplify Nursing

Amplify Nursing

We showcase the powerful work nurses do each day. Join us in conversations with nurses leading the way in nursing science, policy and innovation.

All Episodes

Amplify Nursing Season 8: Episode 06: Dani Bowie

Today, on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Dani Bowie. A visionary leader whose creative approach to managing the behemoth that is nurse staffing has led Dani to the role of chief nursing officer at Trusted Health, where she is in the vanguard of transforming the modern American nursing workforce. Today, we talk about the importance of building institutional resilience, the challenges and complexity of the current nursing workforce, and her vision of changing the entire healthcare workforce ecosystem.
December 14, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 8: Episode 05: Monica Harmon

Today, on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Monica Harmon. Monica is a public health nurse, educator, and researcher. She began her journey into nursing as an associate-prepared nurse at the Community College of Philadelphia. She also holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University and a master’s in public health from Drexel University. Monica is also a member of the Pennsylvania Action Coalition, where she serves as the co-chair of the Nurse Diversity Council and serves as the president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Area, part of the National Black Nurses Association. She is an advocate for an inclusive and diverse nursing landscape and the empowerment of underrepresented students. She continues her efforts to expose young minds to the possibilities within the nursing profession through the NBNA’s Mini Nurse Academy. Today, we talk about Monica Harmon's journey into nursing, her dedication to community health, and the transformative impact of the Mini Nurse Academy in fostering diversity and empowering young students to envision a future in the nursing profession.
November 16, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 8: Episode 04: Jess Dillard-Wright

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Jessica Dillard Wright. Jessica began their academic career in women's studies, science, technology, and culture before transitioning into nursing. Currently an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Elaine Marieb College of Nursing. Dr. Dillard Wright has a background in emergency, critical care, and midwifery. They are an affiliate of UMass ILAS Center for Personalized Health Monitoring, a 2023 Public Interest Technology fellow, and was a 2021/22 fellow for UC Irvine Center for Nursing Philosophy. Jessica also serves on the American Nurses Association's Ethics Advisory Board. Their areas of focus include community-focused nursing and building just, equitable, and sustainable worlds.    Today, we talk with Jessica about the history of nursing and the need for nurses to push boundaries, engage in community-oriented care, and work together for a more just and equitable future for the profession.  
November 2, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 8: Episode 03: Kimberly Gordon

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk to Kimberly Gordon. After working for seven years in various cost accounting and managerial positions, Kimberly chose to pursue a career in nursing and , eventually, nurse anesthesia. While completing her Doctor of Nursing practice at Yale University, she and a colleague developed the first-of-its-kind campaign school for nurses and midwives. Kimberly is a practicing CRNA, adjunct faculty at Wake Forest and Western Carolina University, and sits on the board of several professional organizations. She is the co-founder of Healing Politics a non-profit organization on a mission to inspire, motivate, recruit, and train nurses and midwives to run for elected office while building a culture of civic engagement within the profession of nursing. Today, we talk about nursing leadership, professionalism, and how nurses have the power to change the world by working together.
October 19, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 8: Episode 02: Live from the 2023 Penn Alumni Weekend

This week’s episode of Amplify Nursing was recorded live at the 2023 Penn alumni weekend. We spoke to many Penn Nursing alumni who came back to connect about their journeys and their experiences at Penn Nursing and what makes Penn such a unique place to be. 
October 5, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 8: Episode 01: Live from the Summer Innovation Institute

On our first episode of season 8 of the Amplify Nursing podcast, we kick off with a live podcast recording from this past June as a part of our Summer Innovation Institute. During the live event - which was so much fun to record, as you will hear - we discussed with our audience the need for senior nurse leaders in health systems to embrace and support innovation, what individual and organizational traits make a nurse more innovative, and so much more. We also reveal the origin story of the Amplify Nursing podcast. This was a very fun episode to record. We hope you enjoy it.
September 21, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 7: Episode 06: Lucinda Canty

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Lucinda Canty. Dr. Canty is an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Nursing, where she also serves as the director of the Seedworks Health Equity Program. As a nurse educator, researcher, historian, and reproductive health justice activist, Dr. Canty is deeply committed to improving the maternal health of women of color. Dr. Canty talks with us about the prevalence of racism in nursing, the importance of initiating change in nursing education policy, and how she uses art and poetry to express her passions.
May 11, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 7: Episode 05: Renee Omoyeni

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Renee Omoyeni, founder of CompassRN. Renee began her career as a nurse in the US Army. She also has experience working in case management and IV infusion therapy, then went on to earn an MS in Health Education and Promotion. With her passion for mentoring and desire to help others navigate their nursing careers, Renee founded CompassRN as a platform that connects youth to health education and nursing. Renee talks with us about the obstacles she faced in starting her nursing career, her experience with military nursing, the importance of exposing students to nursing at a young age, and her work at CompassRN.
April 27, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 7: Episode 04: Brighid Gannon

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk to Dr. Brighid Gannon. Brighid is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and serial nurse entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of Lavender, an online psychiatry and therapy office led and operated by nurses. We talk with Brighid about the Ryan Haight Act, informing policy with evidence, and some of the many challenges facing the US healthcare system.
April 13, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 7: Episode 03: Randi Roy and John J. Rydzewski

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Randi Roy and John Rydzewski. Randi is currently a Principal Consultant with Fidelum Health and has more than 30 years of experience in health care in a variety of executive and management consultant roles. John is a private investor who has served as an advisor and director to healthcare companies and health policy and education organizations. Together, they serve on the Board of Advisors at Penn Nursing and the Board’s Innovation Committee. Randi and John talk with us about how their unique backgrounds brought them to Penn nursing innovation, their work on the innovation committee of the board of advisors, how Penn Nursing facilitates collaborative innovation projects between nurses and experts in other fields, and how we can help others realize the importance of nurse-led innovation in improving healthcare.
March 23, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 7: Episode 02: Barbara Glickstein

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Barbara Glickstein, founder of Barbara Glickstein Strategies. With backgrounds in public health nursing, health reporting, and media strategy, Barbara has been extensively involved in amplifying nursing voices and developing healthcare leaders throughout her career. She is a co-producer of the HealthCetera podcast, which focuses on evidence-based health news, analysis, and commentary, as well as a Board member of Project Kesher, a global Jewish feminist women’s advocacy organization. Barbara talks with us about how her early exposure to news, policy, and activism shaped her career interests, the power of storytelling, incorporating personal interests into nursing care, her work with Project Kesher, and how nurses can make their voices heard.
February 23, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 7: Episode 01: Angela Mund

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Angela Mund, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. In her 18-year career in academia, Dr. Mund has occupied roles at the University of Minnesota as well as the Medical University of South Carolina, where she currently serves as the chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences. As a proponent of nurse leadership, she is actively involved in a number of committees and boards that amplify the voices and views of nurses. Dr. Mund talks with us about her path to becoming a nurse anesthetist, the importance of getting involved in professional organizations, and how leaders can cultivate safe environments to help others thrive.
February 9, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 07: Back-to-School with our Penn Nursing Students

Today on Amplify Nursing, we close out season six with a recording we did at our back-to-school event in September. We had a great time learning more about our amazing students at Penn Nursing, getting a message from Dean Villaruel, and talking to faculty about things happening at the school we are all really excited about. We hope you all enjoy the opportunity to listen to this special episode with our students as much as we enjoyed speaking with them.
January 5, 2023

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 06: Ali Gorman

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk to Ali Gorman. After starting her career in the Navy Nurse Corp, Ali followed her passion, and her mom's advice, earning a degree in broadcast journalism. For 13 years, Ali was a trusted health reporter for the ABC affiliate Action News. Today Ali talks about her nursing experience, how her nursing background influenced her journalism career, and her latest move as an entrepreneur, launching her app TruFaves.
December 15, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 05: Taofiki Gafar-Schaner

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Taofiki Gafar-Schaner, co-founder of Frontier Health & Resources. During his experience as a bedside RN, Taofiki observed many opportunities for patient care improvement, which inspired him to launch a business focused on creating innovative healthcare products. With their SafeSeizure pads product, Frontier Health & Resources won the 2020 American Nurses Association Innovation Award, as well as the 2019 and 2020 Nightingale Innovation Awards. Taofiki talks with us about how he became interested in nursing, the importance of drawing inspiration from bedside care, and how he navigated manufacturing and funding challenges in his journey to develop a new healthcare product.
December 1, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 04: April N. Kapu

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. April Kapu, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Kapu currently serves as the Associate Dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she also teaches as a professor in the DNP program. Through her 30 years of experience in health care and nearly two decades of work as an acute care nurse practitioner, Dr. Kapu has become widely renowned as an expert in advanced practice leadership and the development of health system advanced practice infrastructure. Dr. Kapu talks with us about how full practice authority for nurse practitioners increases access to care, utilizing technology to provide better education and care, and the importance of collaboration between nurses in advocating for the profession as a whole.
November 17, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 03: Julia Votto, Casey Cheng

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Julia Votto and Casey Cheng. Julia is a student in the Integrated Product Design Program at the University of Pennsylvania and Casey, a recent graduate from Penn Nursing’s BSN program. Julia and Casey were part of a recent collaboration between Penn’s Nursing and Design Schools, where they participated in a workflow-improvement project at Penn Medicine’s ED Pavilion using the human-centered design and design thinking skills learned in their respective programs.  In this episode, Julia and Casey talk with us about their experiences in healthcare innovation, how they became part of the ED Pavilion collaboration, and how they were able to implement the Design Thinking process throughout the project to co-create with ED staff and clinicians to construct an impactful solution. 
October 27, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 02: Mike Avery, Neil Ray, Jacqueline Taylor

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Mike Avery, Dr. Neil Ray, and Jackie Taylor. Mike is a lecturer at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. Mike has worked extensively at the intersection of design, architecture, and healthcare. Neil is a physician and Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Penn Medicine, with backgrounds in bioengineering, design thinking, and healthcare innovation. Jackie is an MSN-prepared nurse working at Penn Medicine Pavilion’s Emergency Department, as well as a current PhD student. The three of them recently worked together on an ED workflow-improvement project at Penn Medicine’s Pavilion Hospital, which was a joint collaboration between Penn Nursing, the Penn School of Design, and Penn Medicine. Mike, Neil, and Jackie talk with us about how their interests in healthcare innovation led them to the Pavilion ED Project, the benefits of co-creation between students from different backgrounds, how design thinking and human-centered design can spark improvements in healthcare, and the challenges they faced as they attempted to integrate new processes in the emergency department.
October 13, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 6: Episode 01: Kupiri Ackerman-Barger

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Piri Ackerman-Barger, associate dean of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and associate clinical professor at the University of California Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. With a strong background in both nursing and education, Dr. Ackerman-Barger has worked extensively on the advancement of workforce diversity, education equity, and institutional sustainability throughout her career.            Dr. Ackerman-Barger talks with us about her pathway into nursing, the challenges of addressing diversity in healthcare, the impact of stereotype threat and microaggressions on learning outcomes, and the importance of promoting not only diversity but inclusion as well.
September 29, 2022

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Twitter Spaces Event: Promoting Civic Engagement in Nursing

On this special live Twitter Spaces event, Amplify Nursing podcast hosts Marion Leary and Dr. Angela DiDonato as they talk with Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Batchelor about the critical need for nurses to be more civically engaged. There has never been a more critical time for nurses to be civically engaged because when nurses are engaged, we have safer, healthier, and more equitable communities. Follow us on Twitter at PennNursing and by using the hashtag: #PennNursingInnovation ​Alison Hernandez PhD, RN is a former 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow turned hill staffer. You can listen to Dr. Hernandez’s Amplify Nursing podcast episode here. Melissa Batchelor PhD, RN FNP, FAAN is a scientist, author, and speaker. She was a 2018-2019 Health and Aging Policy Fellow, serving the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging. She hosts a weekly podcast called This is Getting Old: Moving Towards an Age-Friendly World.
September 1, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 5: Episode 06: Jonathan Zhu

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Jonathan Zhu, a rising senior BSN student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. As an assistant in the department of innovation at Penn Nursing, Jon has worked on various projects including the Design Thinking for Health platform, Penn Nursing Innovation Accelerator, and Penn Nursing Story Slam. Jon has also participated in numerous healthcare hackathons, including NurseHack4Health, Jefferson Health Hack, MIT Health Equity, and more. Jon talks with us about what drew him to nursing and nursing innovation, the importance of innovation education in nursing curricula, and why nursing students should participate in hackathons. Read his articles here: The Case for Innovation Education in Nursing School Getting Nursing Students Involved in Hackathons
May 12, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 5: Episode 05: Neil Bardhan and Christina Eskridge

On this episode of the Amplify Nursing podcast, we talk with Dr. Neil Bardhan, Director of Applied Storytelling at First Person Arts, and Christina Eskridge, founder and Executive Director of Elevate Theatre Company. Dr. Bardhan is a science communication expert with a Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and he has been very involved in story slams across the country, including the Penn Nursing Story Slam. Dr. Bardhan is an expert on human communication, and his past work includes psycholinguistic research projects in The Netherlands and Germany, where he began combining science with storytelling principles.  Christina received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley and has worked over the past decade to combine her expertise in performing arts with her public health background to facilitate and amplify health/healthcare topics including the recent Penn Nursing Frontline Health Workers Digital Theater project. Dr. Bardhan and Christina talk with us about how their backgrounds in performing arts brought them to storytelling, the reflective nature of storytelling, and the parallels between clinical practice and the theater arts. 
April 22, 2022

Amplify Nursing Season 5: Episode 4: Dawn Bent

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Dawn Bent, program administrator of the DNP-Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing.  As a faculty at Penn Nursing, Dr. Bent has mentored numerous nursing students, and she continues to inspire and support them through the many clinical and academic rigors that they face. Dr. Bent talks with us about the significance mentorship plays in nursing education, the parallels between athletics and leadership, and the importance of promoting diversity among nurse anesthesia faculty.
April 7, 2022

Amplify Nursing: Season 5: Episode 03: Julie Fairman

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Julie Fairman, Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr. Fairman is a renowned nurse historian who has made significant contributions in studying how 20th-century healthcare issues have influenced current nursing and health care trends. Her remarkable career has sparked a new paradigm for studying the history of health care and health policy, with her current research focusing on the intersection of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Fairman talks with us about the nuances involved with studying the history of healthcare, the role of nurses in addressing structural racism and social injustice, and how historical perspectives shape the landscape of healthcare practice and policy today.
March 17, 2022

Amplify Nursing: Season 5: Episode 02: Anthony Scarpone-Lambert

Today on AmplifyNursing, we talk with Anthony Scarpone-Lambert, Co-founder and CEO of LumifyCare.  As an undergrad at Penn Nursing, Anthony was intrigued by the idea of attending a nurse hackathon. He embraced the challenge, pitched an idea to the group, and even met his co-founder. We talk to Anthony about his transformative experience, the benefits of working with a design thinking model of innovation, and his journey from nursing student to CEO.
March 3, 2022

Amplify Nursing: Season 5: Episode 01: Patricia D'Antonio

Today on the Amplify Nursing podcast we talk with internationally recognized historian of nursing Dr. Patricia D’Antonio, Director of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Studying the history of nursing has been the joy of Dr. D'Antonio's career and she believes history is one of the most critical methodologies we have to confront the complexities we face in health and helathcare today and to think about how all things are interconnected. Dr. D'Antonio is one of the authors of a white paper examining the history of racism in nursing that will be released along with the 2022 National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing Foundational Report. The Commission's goal is to look at how racism is still perpetuated in nursing and by nurses and to create strategies to combat it. Dr. D'Antonio talks with us about the history of racism in nursing, how historians look at the past, and how structural racism is embedded in nursing's origin story.
February 3, 2022

Amplify Nursing: Season 4: Episode 06: Hafeeza Anchrum

Today we talk with Dr. Hafeeza Anchrum, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Penn Program on Race, Science, and Society (PRSS). Curious about the history of nurses that shared her experiences, she recently completed a doctoral degree capturing the oral history of black nurses and their struggle for equality during the civil rights movement. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, as a child of a mother of the civil rights movement, Dr. Anchrum understood the need to preserve these stories due to a scarcity of historical scholarship focused on black nurses. We talk with Dr. Anchrum about her early experiences in the profession, the inequities baked into the education system, and who gets to tell the history of nursing, what is being taught, and whose work is celebrated.
December 30, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 4: Episode 05: Matt Douma

On this episode of Amplify Nursing, we talk to Matt Douma, a clinical nurse educator and resuscitation science expert working for Alberta Health Services in Canada. Today we talk to Matt about his early career challenges in nursing, his passion for research, and the importance of ethical considerations in resuscitation research. 
December 16, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 4: Episode 04: Ravenne Aponte

On the next episode of the Amplify Nursing podcast, we talk with Ravenne Aponte. Ravenne is a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing focusing her research on the history of black nurses. Ravenne started her educational career with a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies with a minor in Health Disparities and then received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, working as a Pediatric ICU nurse. It was the combination of these experiences that lead to her interest in nursing history and workforce diversity that ultimately lead her to co-create the Nurses You Should Know (NYSK) project. Nurses You Should Know, is a social media and digital campaign whose goal is to elevate the stories of nurses of color and to make their impact more widely known. We talk with Ravenne about how her educational, clinical, and life experiences contributed to the work she does today, the disconnect between nursing history and practice, and how she is using the NYSK project to highlight the work nurses of color have done - and are doing - to contribute to the nursing profession.
December 2, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 4: Episode 03: Rob Paquin and Allan Lai

On this episode of AmplifyNursing, we talk with our nursing neighbors to the north, Rob Paquin and Allan Lai. Allan, a self-proclaimed reformed back-packer and couch surfer, is a critical care nurse and educator currently training to be a family nurse practitioner. Rob is also a critical care nurse with an interest in healthcare design currently pursuing a PhD at King’s College in London. Together they host the podcast ResusTonight. Today we talk about interactive nursing education, learning from failure, and the potential benefits of using VR in nursing.
November 18, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 4: Episode 02: Mary Rose Saint-Cyr

On this episode of AmplifyNursing, we talk to Mary Rose Saint-Cyr. Mary Rose is a 2nd year nursing student in the direct-entry MSN program at MGH's Institute for Health Professionals in Boston. A second-degree nursing student, and no stranger to academia, Mary Rose has spent her career supporting underrepresented students in healthcare. Today we talk about her journey into nursing, her passion for workforce diversity initiatives, and her plans to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.  Organizations she mentioned: Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Leaders (SONSIEL) Nurse Hack 4 Health Launch Pad at Oculus
November 4, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 4: Episode 01: Antonia Villarruel

We are kicking off season 4 of the Amplify Nursing podcast with a live podcast interview at the B.PHL Innovation Fest. Our guest for this event is Dr. Antonia Villarruel, professor and Margaret Bond Simon, Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School Nursing. Dr. Villarruel is an internationally renowned leader in research, policy, and practice and has worked to improve the health of underserved Latino communities as well as our community at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, the number one nursing school in the world.
October 21, 2021

Amplify Nursing Season 4 Promo

Amplify Nursing Season 4 will launch in October 2021! Our Amplify Nursing guests defy stereotypes, define practice, and disrupt convention. We highlight the breadth and depth of nursing influence on society by amplifying nurses who are pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers to build a new paradigm. Amplify Nursing is a Penn Nursing podcast supported by the Pinola Fund for Innovation in Nursing, and hosted by Marion Leary and Dr. Angelarosa DiDonato . #nursing #innovation #health #healthcare
October 7, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 09: Dr. Terry Richmond

Today on AmplifyNursing, we talk to Dr. Terry Richmond, the Andrea B. Laporte Professor of Nursing, Associate Dean for Research & Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr Richmond is an accomplished nurse and researcher focusing on improving outcomes for victims of trauma. Today, we talk to Dr. Richmond about her journey into nursing, her most recent research focus, and the importance of remembering the humanity in our work.
May 20, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Special Episode: Casey Cheng and Amy Xia

On this special episode of the Amplify Nursing podcast, we talk with Penn Nursing students Casey Cheng and Amy Xia, President and Vice President, of APANSA, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Asian Pacific American Nursing Student Association. APANSA is a community dedicated to providing support and representation for the AAPI minority population within the Penn School of Nursing. We talk with Casey and Amy about the current state of prejudice in this country, the microaggressions they face in their daily lives, including during clinicians, and how faculty and staff can better provide support to students during these traumatic times.
May 13, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 08: Mari-Carmen Farmer

Mari-Carmen Farmer is a nurse midwife and social justice advocate who knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a nurse. That calling was solidified while working beside nurses caring for her daughter who was born with a genetic anomaly. Currently, she works in a community practice in Philadelphia which serves immigrant communities, patients who are underinsured, and women of color. We talk with her about her path to, and tangible passion for, midwifery, the joy that it brings her, and how the confluence of the pandemic, racial unrest, and health inequity affects the care for her most vulnerable patients.
May 6, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 07: Aliya Bhatia & David Scher

On this episode of Amplify Nursing, we talk to ER nurse David Scher and COO of Vot-ER Aliya Bhatia. Founded by ER physician Alister Martin, Vot-ER is an organization that provides access to voter registration whenever patients and families come into the healthcare system. Today we talk to Aliya and David about Vot-ER's mission, the intersectionality of health and civics, and helping those without a voice get one.
April 29, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Special COVID-19 Episode: Alison Buttenheim

This week on AmplifyNursing we welcome the return of Dr. Alison Buttenheim. A public health researcher and behavioral epidemiologist, Dr. Buttenheim is an associate professor of nursing at UPenn School of Nursing and assistant professor of health policy at the Perelman School of Medicine. Today, we talk to Dr. Buttenheim about the current and evolving state of the coronavirus pandemic in the US and across the globe. She shares her insight into vaccine rollout, her coronavirus education project, Dear Pandemic, and her thoughts on the new normal.
April 22, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Special Episode: Dallas Ducar

On a special episode of the Amplify Nursing podcast, we talk with Dallas Ducar, a nurse practitioner, activist, and CEO of Transhealth Northampton. Dallas talks with us about the Arkansas House Bill 1570, signed into law earlier this month which prohibits access to safe health care for transgender and non-binary minors, her journey transitioning to the person she is today, and her fierce advocacy speaking up for gender-affirming care for all.
April 15, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 06: Donte Flanagan

On our next episode of Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Donte Flanagan. A nurse anesthetist, mentor, and author, Dr. Flanagan is a driven advocate for students of color and those underrepresented and looks to inspire and motivate them in all that he does. Through his foundation Bigger Dreams, Better Tomorrows, and in his new memoir, Dream Big, he shares his experiences with others. Today we talk with him about those dreams, his peripatetic path in the profession, and the importance of representation in healthcare.
April 8, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 05: Rhonda Manns

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk to Rhonda Manns. Curious and creative, Rhonda relies on the depths of her nursing experience to solve problems. As a nurse-leader, she guides others through the design thinking process to improve processes and patient care. Today, we talk to Rhonda about translating nursing into business, the importance of diversity in nursing, and seeing innovation as more than just tech.
March 25, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 04: Tarik Khan

On our next episode, we talk with Tarik Khan, a nurse practitioner, doctoral student at Penn Nursing, and the president of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association. Tarik’s work focuses not just on making his patients' lives better but on making the profession better, and he does this in a variety of ways including volunteering on the ground during the pandemic and pushing bills through the state legislature in his role with PSNA. We talk with him about his work with the Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corp, alongside his mom, a fellow nurse, his goals for the future, and the need to unleash the power of nurses.
March 11, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 03: Ernesto Holguin

Today on AmplifyNursing we talk to Ernesto Holguin. A clinical nurse, innovator, and entrepreneur, Ernesto creates solutions to everyday clinical problems with his team at OTEN Medical. He shares with us his inspiration for his work, the challenges of developing a new product, and his entry into nursing through a very unusual route - the United States Army Marching Band.
February 25, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 02: Hiyam Nadel

Today on AmplifyNursing, we talk to Hiyam Nadel. The Director of the Center of Innovations in Care Delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Hiyam is a potent mix of talent and creativity whose goal is to cultivate and harness the power of innovation with clinicians at the bedside. Hiyam talks about building start-ups, building relationships, and investing in nurses.
February 11, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 3 Episode 01: Teresa Brockie

On this first episode of season 3 of the Amplify Nursing podcast, we talk with Dr. Teresa Brockie, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. A member of the White Clay Nation, Dr. Brockie’s research focuses on achieving health equity through community-based interventions for the prevention of suicide, trauma, and adverse childhood experiences among vulnerable communities. We talk with Dr. Brockie about health inequity among indigenous populations, her crucial work in this area, and the importance of having diverse representation in the profession.
January 28, 2021

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 08: Beth Toner

Today on AmplifyNursing, we talk to Beth Toner. A Senior Communications Director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Beth is able to perfectly intersect her experience as a nurse and her previous career in journalism. A self-described nurse communicator, and storyteller, she supports the Foundation's grantees, leadership, and nursing programs. Beth talks to us about the covid-19 pandemic, cringeworthy nursing stereotypes, and the power nurses have when they tell their stories.
December 31, 2020

Nurse-led Podcasting to Amplify Nursing

Hello everyone, I’m Marion Leary, Director of Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. I am doing a special podcast episode to go along with my 'My Nurse Influencer' column in the American Nurse journal. My column this month is on nurse-led podcasting to amplify nursing. I hope to encourage other nurses to use their voice and expertise to create new nurse-led podcasts for all to hear. Read more at: https://www.myamericannurse.com/category/my-nurse-influencers/yes-and/
December 23, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 07: Patrick McMurray

Today on AmplifyNursing, we talk to Patrick McMurray. Known as Nurse PatMac, RN on social media, the self-described citizen scientist uses his social media influence to educate and support his fellow nurses. An avid proponent of all things science and education, we talk with Pat about his journey from community college to graduate school, his love of space science, and the paradox that is the art and science of nursing.
December 17, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 06: Scharmaine Lawson

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk with Dr. Scharmaine Lawson. A nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and creator of the "House Call" course, Dr. Lawson has been meeting the needs of patients and practitioners in New Orleans since the early 2000s. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 left a profound need for care that Dr. Lawson was able to provide through her homecare service. A consummate champion of the profession, Dr. Lawson developed the Nola the Nurse children's book series to teach children about advanced practice nursing. In this interview, we talk about the book series, the importance of role models, and Dr. Lawson's adventures in nursing.
December 3, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 05: Donna Shalala and Alison Hernandez

Today on Amplify Nursing, we talk to Congresswoman Donna Shalala and Health and Aging Policy Fellow, Dr. Alison Hernandez. Representative Shalala has been a titan of health policy spanning over 30 years while most recently representing Florida’s 27th district in Congress. Working closely with Rep. Shalala, Dr. Hernandez has led efforts to improve care and affordability for Medicare patients. In this interview, we talk about the profound impact nurses can have on policy, the importance of full scope of practice for practitioners, and why it’s important that nurses have a voice at the table.
November 19, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 04: Joshua Littlejohn

Beginning his journey in molecular biology, Joshua Littlejohn was driven to nursing, a profession that fully encompasses his modus operandi- empathy. He found purpose in oncology nursing where he was able to care for patients and families for extended periods of time. He eventually transitioned to a healthcare technology company, combining his homecare experience and enthusiasm for innovation. Today, we talk to Joshua about his journey into nursing, bringing nurses into hackathons, and his passion for seeing nurses as innovators.
November 4, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 03: Denetra Hampton

Denetra Hampton has led a self-described life of divine intervention. A chance encounter with a navy recruiter led to a 15 year career in Naval Intelligence Information Systems. Encouraged to pursue officer training, Denetra chose nursing and served the rest of her career as an officer in the Navy Nurse Corps. Upon return to civilian life, she stumbled upon a lecture that inspired her to become, of all things, a film maker. Today, we talk to Denetra about her naval career, her passion for nursing science, and the importance of telling stories that need to be heard.
October 22, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 02: Senator Maria Collett

Pennsylvania state senator, Maria Collett, has spent her entire career in the service of others. As a clerk in family court, then a deputy attorney general in Camden County, she worked tirelessly to protect children and advocate for families. Her experience inspired her to seek out a more direct way to positively impact people. After graduating from Drexel University, she began her career as a nurse eventually working in trauma, long term care, and pediatric home health. In 2018, she was elected to the PA state senate representing Senate District 12. Today, we talk to the senator about her journey, her drive to advocate for the citizens of Pennsylvania, and the responsibility nurses have to use their collective voice in political discourse.
October 8, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 2 Episode 01: Travis Nelson

Today we launch episode 1 season 2 of the Amplify Nursing Podcast. Growing up in rural Louisiana, Travis Nelson didn't consider himself a trailblazer. His drive to help people, along with some encouragement from his mom, lead him to be the first African American man to graduate from his community college nursing program. Once a nurse, he soon found himself gravitating toward union leadership working on behalf of his fellow nurses. We talk to Travis about his passion for advocacy, his work as an elected delegate for the DNC in Oregon, and the political weight that nurses carry.
October 8, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Bonus Episode: Marion Leary and Dr. Angelarosa Didonato

Today on a bonus episode of Amplify Nursing…Angela and I thought it would be fun and entertaining, if to no one else but ourselves, to interview each other! We talk about our paths to nursing, how we spend our time when we are not hosting this podcast, and our thoughts on all the things related to the profession.
September 2, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 13: Ann Burgess

On our season 1 final episode on Amplify Nursing we talk with Dr. Ann Burgess. For the past 50 years, Dr. Burgess has been tirelessly working for victims of violent crime. Her initial research, studying rape victims in 1960's Boston, brought her to the attention of the FBI and lead to a decades long partnership profiling violent criminals and learning how to best help victims. Whether in her role as a researcher and educator at Boston College or as the basis for the fictional TV character, Dr Wendy Carr on the Netflix series, Mindhunter, Dr. Burgess' legacy of advocating for victims continues to grow. Today, we talk about her experiences working with the FBI, the value of nursing research, and her upcoming book, Shattering Silence.
July 29, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 12: Sarah Gray

Today on Amplify Nursing we talk with Sarah Gray, founding nurse and clinician at Trusted Health, a company that reimagines how nurses work through unparalleled transparency, efficiency, and technology. As a clinical nurse working at the bedside Sarah felt like she wanted a different perspective on how to innovate and creatively solve for the problems she was seeing in her practice. Unsure how to move her career in that direction she was ultimately drawn away from the bedside to the health tech scene in San Francisco. Today she is helping to lead the change in the clinical and non-traditional nursing workforces, which she hopes will eventually allow for more sustainability and growth in the profession.
July 15, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 11: Roxana Chicas

This week on AmplifyNursing we speak with Dr. Roxana Chicas. Currently a researcher at Emory University, Dr. Chicas focuses on the health of migrant farm workers. In this episode, she speaks candidly about her experiences as an immigrant in nursing, the importance of mentorship, and the profound effect nurses can have on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations.
July 1, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Special Episode: Dr. Pritma Dhillon-Chattha and Dr. Brighid Gannon

This week on AmplifyNursing, we talk with Dr. Pritma Dhillon-Chattha and Dr. Brighid Gannon. When the world shut down for the covid-19 pandemic, these entrepreneurial nurses, saw a need. Dr. Gannon, a psychiatric NP, was inundated with requests for treatment and struggled to meet the demand. Partnering with Dr. Dhillon-Chattha, together they focused on improving access to mental health treatment. We speak with them about their project, Lavender, the trauma suffered by healthcare workers during the pandemic, and creative solutions for improving mental health.
June 26, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 10: Megan Mariotti

Today on Amplify Nursing we speak with Megan Mariotti, as the Clinical Innovation Delivery Lead at Verily, Megan brings her nursing experience to healthcare innovation. A pediatric nurse practitioner by training, Megan has worked to improve quality and health outcomes throughout her career. In this episode Megan talks about her thoughts on innovation, overcoming barriers and the opportunity for nurse to change the landscape of healthcare.
June 17, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Special Episode: Dr. Lisa Lewis

On an important special episode of Amplify Nursing we talk with Dr. Lisa Lewis, Associate Professor of Nursing and Associate Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, as well and the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusivity at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. Dr. Lewis’ research centers around health equity and health disparities, and she uses that research as a way to advocate and provide a voice for Black patients. As a mentor and educator she focuses on preparing student nurses to care for this country’s increasingly diverse patient populations. We talk with Dr. Lewis about racism, health inequity, and social justice.Speaking truth to power, she discusses what this means from the nursing perspective, the influence the nursing profession could have to leverage the fight against racial inequity, and what anti-racism nursing might look like.
June 12, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Special Episode: Coronavirus 8: Dr. Sascha James-Conterelli

COVID-19: This week on our next special COVID19 episode of AmplifyNursing we speak with Dr. Sascha James-Conterelli. Whether leading the NY state association of Licensed midwives or teaching at the Yale School of Nursing, Dr James-Conterelli is bringing to light racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. As co-chair of Gov Cuomo’s maternal morbidity and racial disparity task force , she is using her experience to create policy change at a state and national level. We talk with her about her policy work, the added challenges COVID-19 is placing on marginalized communities, and the need to be optimistic about the future.
May 29, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 09: Bonnie Clipper

Author and though leader Dr. Bonnie Clipper has a complete understanding of the profession of nursing. Over her more than 30 year career she has assumed many roles both clinically and in executive leadership. Formerly as the Vice President of innovation at the American Nurses and Association, and currently as the Chief Clinical Officer at Wambi, she is leading the movement to educate and motivate nurses as leaders in the areas of innovation and technology. As a self proclaimed innovation evangelist she sees nurses as natural innovators and encourages us to lean in hard and take control of our own future.
May 20, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus 7: Dr. Laura Vargas and Dr. Adriana Perez

On our next special episode of Amplify Nursing we talk to Dr. Laura Vargas and Dr. Adriana Perez, two scholars whose research focuses on Latinx immigrant populations in the US. Dr. Vargas is a Vice-Provost post-doctoral fellow at the Penn Injury Science Center at the School of Nursing and Dr. Perez is a nurse practitioner and an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. They discuss the challenges our immigrant communities face during this pandemic, how health and healthcare disparities in the Latinx immigrant communities are being magnified, and what needs to happen moving forward to start to solve the complex issues both during and after the pandemic.
May 15, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 08: Dr. Holly Shaw

For almost 50 years, Dr. Holly Shaw has been a nurse, advocate and leader. Whether through her practice working with patients' with bereavement, grief, and trauma in Cambodia, mentoring and educating students in New York, or her pioneering work at the United Nations, Dr. Shaw looks to pave the way for nurses to lead around the world, and in doing so, she is not only helping to elevate the profession, but is a shining example of all that nurses can do on a global scale.
May 6, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus 6: Lynda Benton, Molly McCarthy, & Rebecca Love

On the next special episode of Amplify Nursing we talk with the three organizational leaders behind the upcoming Nurse Hack for Health: COVID19 virtual hackathon, Molly McCarthy, a National Director and Chief Nursing Officer at Microsoft, Lynda Benton, Senior Director, at Johnson & Johnson, and Rebecca Love, President of SONSIEL, the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Leaders. Together they’re providing nurses an opportunity to virtually work alongside engineers and developers to create new, innovative solutions to the problems they are seeing in the acute care and home-care settings, during this pandemic. We talk with them about their organizations’ fierce passion to support our frontline nurses, what a virtual hackathon is and how it works, and why we all should be supporting nurses as leaders in health and healthcare innovation, especially during this public health crisis.
May 1, 2020

Amplify Nursing: Season 1 Episode 07: Chinelo Ofoma

On our next episode of Amplify Nursing we talk with Chinelo Ofoma. Chinelo is a pediatric nurse practitioner and advocate for nurses. Chinelo was born and raised in Nigeria, where she recalls that it was no one’s dream for their child to be a nurse. As Chinelo described, nursing was not considered a respected profession, and in turn, nursing was never a calling for her. But, it was ultimately Chinelo’s love of taking care of others, and the vast versatility a nursing degree provides, which lead her to the profession. Today, using her platform Nurse on Purpose, She strives for the voices of nurses to be heard in the media, in publications, in healthcare and at large, challenging all of the stereotypes of nursing along the way.
April 22, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus 5: Dr. Rachel Walker and Dr. Anna Valdez

On the next special COVID19 episode of Amplify Nursing we talk with Dr. Rachel Walker and Dr. Anna Valdez, two of the organizers of the Nursing Mutual Aid 2020 Twitter conference. Created to support Mutual Aid and to foster global connections, the Nursing Mutual Aid Twitter Conference aims to amplify new knowledge necessary to nurse the community in the context of the current pandemic . Dr. Walker and Dr. Valdez will discuss the importance of mutual aid, how a Twitter conference works, and why a virtual conference like this is so important for the nursing community.
April 16, 2020

AmplifyNursing: Season 1 Episode 06: Cathy Crowe

Cathy Crowe has been a nurse and advocate for over thirty years working with Canada’s homeless population. She uses her influence to bring Canada’s most impoverished citizens to the forefront of national consciousness. In her new book, “A Knapsack Full of Dreams: Memoirs of A Street Nurse,” Cathy talks about her experiences and lessons learned along the way.
April 8, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus 4: Elise Tarbi and Brianna Morgan

On our next special COVID19 episode of Amplify Nursing we talk with Adult and Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioners Elise Tarbi and Brianna Morgan. We discuss the importance of advance care planning in the era of COVID19. With demands on both hospitals and providers expanding, and resources predicted to become ever more scarce, there has been heightened public discourse about rationing. Our guests discuss how advance care planning has increased importance in this landscape in order to support people with an increased risk of dying, as well as the healthcare providers and family members who may be facing these difficult decisions.
April 3, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus 3: Dr. Alison Buttenheim and Dr. Carolyn Cannuscio

On our next special edition of Amplify Nursing we check back in with public health researcher and behavioral epidemiologist Dr. Alison Buttenheim and social epidemiologist Dr. Carolyn Cannuscio. It’s been two weeks since we last spoke with Dr. Buttenheim and Dr. Cannuscio about the coronavirus and a lot has occurred in that time. In this episode we discuss where we are at in this pandemic, how it has been handled locally and nationally so far, and what is still to come.
March 27, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus 2: Dr. Lisa Campbell

COVID-19: On this second special episode of Amplify Nursing we speak with public health nurse Dr. Lisa Campbell DNP, RN PHNA-BC. Dr. Campbell is a Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing and the immediate past chair of the American Public Health Associate’s Public Health Nursing Section. Dr. Campbell is also the chairperson of the Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations and leads initiatives to advance public health in urban and rural communities. We talk with Dr. Campbell about the current state of our public health system in the US, the effect this rapidly changing coronavirus pandemic is having on that system, and what we could be doing differently to flatten the curve.
March 20, 2020

AmplifyNursing: Season 1 Episode 05: Lydel Wright

Lydel Wright is first and foremost a nurse, but also an innovator, entrepreneur, and all around engaged citizen. As an inaugural recipient of the Johnson and Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship, Lydel is building on his experience as a leader in the sub-acute care space to help nurses work more efficiently, while also improving patient outcomes. Through his non-profit organization, Empact, Lydel finds joy in giving back, and supporting other nurses as they begin their journeys to create solutions to the problems they see in their communities.
March 18, 2020

Amplify Nursing Special Episode: Coronavirus: Dr. Alison Buttenheim and Dr. Carolyn Cannuscio

COVID-19: On this special episode of AmplifyNursing we talk with public health researcher and behavioral epidemiologist Dr. Alison Buttenheim and social epidemiologist Dr. Carolyn Cannuscio. Dr.Buttenheim is an associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing and Assistant Professor of Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Cannuscio is the Director of Research for Center for Public Health Initiatives and an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania. Today they discuss the coronavirus – what we need to know, what we need to do to help lessen the spread, and what we should expect in the days and weeks to come.
March 13, 2020

AmplifyNursing: Season 1 Episode 04: Robin Cogan

Robin Cogan is a relentless school nurse. While training as an art therapist, Robin realized the power in caring for the whole person. For the past nineteen years she has maintained a dedicated practice as a school nurse. Responsible for overseeing the health of hundreds of children in Camden New Jersey, Robin passionately advocates for the health and safety of all of her students. As the author of The Relentless School Nurse blog, Robin shares her stories and insights, and provides a platform for a global community of school nurses.
March 4, 2020

AmplifyNursing: Season 1 Episode 03: Karen Flaherty-Oxler

As a 38 year veteran of the US Navy, retired Rear Admiral Karen Flaherty-Oxler is well-versed in the challenges veterans face when navigating the healthcare system. The first woman CEO of the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, Flaherty-Oxler talks with us about seeing challenges as an opportunity for growth, the importance of caring for the healthcare team, and the benefits of bringing joy to work.
February 19, 2020

AmplifyNursing: Season 1 Episode 02: Antonette Montalvo

Antonette Montalvo is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and a community health consultant, mentor, and coach for nurses. As the daughter of a mother from the Bahamas, and a father in the Navy, Antonette grew up in many places and was influenced by many cultures. Her path to nursing was influenced by that rich family background, her education, and healthy dose of wanderlust. She built her career focused on a human-centered approach to culturally competent care that has worked to improve the health of individuals around the world.
February 3, 2020

AmplifyNursing: Season 1 Episode 01: Carolyn Jones

Carolyn Jones is a photographer, photojournalist, and champion of the profession of nursing. She sees the best of what humanity can be in the profession, and highlights that humanity by capturing the intimacies and authenticity of nursing through her work. In this episode, she discusses her love of nurses and her projects Defining Hope and the American Nurse.
January 9, 2020

About Amplify Nursing

Amplify Nursing features nurses who are leading the way in science, policy and innovation. Our guests defy stereotypes, define practice, and disrupt convention. We highlight the breadth and depth of nursing influence on society by amplifying nurses who are pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers to build a new paradigm. Amplify Nursing is a Penn Nursing podcast supported by the Pinola Fund for Innovation in Nursing. Hosted by Marion Leary and Dr. Angelarosa DiDonato.

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