Nurse & Midwife Support Podcast

In this episode we talk to Julie Sharrock, an experienced registered nurse and clinical supervisor about the importance of clinical supervision. We explore the benefits and why professional self-care as an essential form of support for nurses and midwives. Clinical supervision is a formal process that aids supported reflection. It is one tool underutilised by nurses and midwives to provide support. Julie explains how the process helps nurses and midwives to develop their practice through regular time spent in reflective discussion with experienced and knowledgeable colleagues trained in providing clinical supervision — you won’t want to miss Julie drawing a parallel between clinical supervision and the Pensieve in Harry Potter! It’s the first time the wisdom of a Harry Potter character has made it to the Your Health Matters podcast, and we hope it won’t be the last time! The magic of support matters! Mark Aitken Stakeholder Engagement Manager

On this episode of the Nurse & Midwife Support podcast we speak to Jackson Heilberg, founder of The Nurse Break (TNB), about how vital it is that nurses, midwives and students access support whenever they need it.

Bullying in the workplace is never OK, but it is a reality for many. The experience can have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing and may be related to long-term negative impacts. In the second part of this special double episode of the podcast Mark talks to Tessa Moriarty, a mental health nurse who shares her personal story of workplace bullying and how she recovered from the experience. Tessa shares that by the time she realised she was being bullied both her mental and physical health had been negatively affected. Elle Brown, Nurse & Midwife Support Senior Clinician also joins us to provide information and insights into what to expect if you contact Nurse & Midwife Support about workplace bullying and/or harassment and how we can assist you.

Bullying in the workplace is never OK, but it is a reality for many. The experience can have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing and may be related to long-term negative impacts. In this special double episode of the podcast we discuss workplace bullying and harassment and what kind of support is available for those who experience it. In this episode, our host Mark Aiken speaks to Karen Gately, HR Consultant and Director of Corporate DOJO. They provide information, insights, resources, tips, strategies and explore the choices you may consider enabling you to return to your best self if your experience of workplace bullying has knocked you for a six. Karen explains the workplace factors that put people at risk of bulling and harassment and the importance of leadership that fosters a culture of trust and respect where workplace bullying is not tolerated to ensure that staff are supported to thrive. We also discuss the ‘unconscious bully’ and factors that may cause a person to engage in bullying and

Our 3 podcast guests share their thoughts, reflections and wisdom about what supports them to make decisions about their life phases and career transitions. For more information please visit: https://www.nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/life-phases-and-career-transition

Frances’ story is one of two winners for our International Year of the Nurse and Midwife Story Competition. Her story will resonate with so many nurses and midwives we hope you enjoy it! Read her story and listen to the podcast. https://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts

Tessa is one of the two amazing winners of this year’s Nurse & Midwife Support Story Competition. Her story really struck a cord with all of the judges we hope you enjoy it! Read her story and listen to the podcast. https://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts

Burnout is something that many nurses and midwives experience in their career. In this episode we talk to Athol Hann. a registered nurse. about his experience of burnout, what he did to move past it, and what others can do to avoid it.

Accredited exercise physiologist, Liz Hewett explores the difference between exercise and physical activity, the importance of exercise to the health and well-being of nurses and midwives, and the fitness challenges experienced by some in the profession. For more information, please visit: https://www.nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/exercise-and-physical-activity-with-liz-hewett

R U OK? Day has been encouraging us to have important conversations with colleagues, friends and family for many years now. This year they are urging us to consider what more there is to say after RUOK? In line with this we are launching our new page and podcast on suicide. Where we broadly look at the topic including signs to look for and what to do if you are concerned that you, or someone close to you, is feeling suicidal, or showing signs of suicidality. Plus how to talk about it – a conversation can change a life. For more information, please visit: https://www.nmsupport.org.au/mental-health/suicide

I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic lately. Particularly as nurses and midwives are often called upon to be resilient. The COVID-19 pandemic and bushfires have challenged us in so many ways and you might not feel like you have much left in the tank. Resilience is a complex dynamic concept, consisting of many factors. To enhance our understanding I recorded a podcast with Professor Kim Foster. Kim is an internationally recognised mental health nurse academic, researcher and educator widely published in resilience, mental health and psychosocial health research. Find out more by visiting http://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/resilience-kim-foster

Nurses and Midwives aren’t immune from the effects of grief, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. Mark discusses those effects with guests Lea McInerney and Carole Arbuckle in this new episode of our podcast. Visit https://nmsupport.org.au/resources/podcasts/ for more information.

In this special edition Mark Aitken discusses the prospect of COVID-19 with Mental Health First Aid expert Sam Eddy. They talk about the importance of acknowledging emotional and physical responses to stress when crisis occurs and how to implement strategies in response. Visit http://nmsupport.org.au/podcasts for more information

As we kickstart 2020 the Year of The Nurse & Midwife, we are delighted to share this amazing podcast with Jackie and Helen, both members of the Nurse & Midwife Support team who have broad-reaching experiences in nursing and midwifery. 2020 year of nurse posterWe shared Jackie and Helens’ stories in 2019 as part of our celebration of International Nurses Day and International Day of the Midwife. You told us how much you loved reading their stories, so we thought we'd ask them to join us for a podcast to share more about their inspirational careers. Jackie and Helen share insights, stories and pearls of wisdom about the joy and satisfaction of their chosen professions and being humbled by the fragility, strength and generosity of those they have cared for. Visit http://nmsupport.org.au for more.

In our summer podcast we discuss all things kindness and why this very important human quality matters to nurses and midwives. Our guests discuss what it means to them, the importance of being kind to yourself, the joy in working for an organisation that prioritises care and consideration and how that impacts our well-being. We share tips on bringing more acts of generosity into your life and how to infuse kindness into your workplace. We also discuss how offering kindness to students and graduates is integral to their success and happiness.

September 12 is R U OK? Day and we want to take this opportunity, today and every day, to ask — are you ok? To get the conversation started, we have recorded a podcast with writer, researcher, and former nurse Sarah Russell on her experience of living and working well with bipolar disorder.

Accredited Practising Dietitian Dianne Wintle discusses her own journey with food and weight loss, which led to a later-in-life career change to Dietetics, and why her research focused on how nurses' feelings of stress and anxiety can manifest in their relationship with food.

Amy Benn is the Registered Nurse & Director of Wholeheart Magazine. Amy shares her advice and tips on how she achieved a state of well-being while doing shift work.

Nurse & Midwife Support celebrates NAIDOC Week (7─14 July) and acknowledges the important work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives.

Many nurses and midwives contact Nurse & Midwife Support seeking support to make a career change, planning their career or transitioning to retirement. We thought this would be a great podcast topic, so we’ve invited two experts who are passionate about career planning to share their wisdom with you!