In this episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk with Jaclyn McPheeters about her path into critical care nursing and what it really means to care for patients in the ICU. She shares how a powerful early experience as a CNA led her into this specialty and why critical care requires both technical skill and emotional resilience.

We also talk about what ICU nursing looks like day to day, the level of critical thinking it demands, the importance of teamwork, and why this specialty can be both deeply rewarding and incredibly intense. Jaclyn also shares advice for nurses considering this path, including shadowing, onboarding, certifications, and the many ways critical care experience can open doors later in your career.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• What critical care nursing really looks like beyond the patient ratio.
• Why emotional resilience and teamwork matter so much in the ICU.
• How ICU experience can lead to growth in leadership, advanced practice, and beyond.

About My Guest: Jaclyn McPheeters, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with experience in critical care, internal medicine, urgent care, skilled nursing, and nursing education. She brings more than a decade of high-acuity critical care experience to her work and is known for her patient-centered, compassionate approach. Jaclyn is also a former Assistant Professor of Nursing and the founder of Nurse Education & Empowerment LLC, where she supports nurses and nurse practitioners through education, coaching, and professional development. She is active in nursing leadership, healthcare quality improvement, and community engagement.

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In this episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk with Jessica Smith Dos Santos about her path into emergency nursing and what it really takes to succeed in the ER. Jessica shares how she entered the specialty unexpectedly after another unit closed, and how what started as a default move eventually became a role she grew into and learned to love. She also speaks honestly about how overwhelming the ER felt in the beginning, including the steep learning curve many nurses experience when starting in this fast-paced environment.

Jessica explains that not all ERs are the same and why understanding the different levels of emergency departments matters. She talks about the difference between high-acuity trauma centers and lower-acuity community ERs, and how that can shape a nurse’s experience, especially early in their career. She also shares what certifications are helpful, what nurses should know before applying, and why it is so important to be honest about the kind of pace and pressure you want in your work.

We also talk about the many directions an ER nurse can grow within the specialty, from trauma roles and triage to charge nurse, leadership, freestanding ERs, and education. Jessica gives a realistic but encouraging look at the specialty and offers valuable perspective for nurses who feel drawn to emergency nursing but want to understand the reality behind the role.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why not all ERs offer the same experience.
• What new nurses should know before starting in emergency nursing.
• How ER nurses can grow into leadership, trauma, and education roles.

About My Guest: Jessica Smith Dos Santos is an ER nurse and nurse educator with a background in telemetry, pre- and post-procedure care, and emergency nursing. Over the course of her career, she has worked in different ER settings, including high-acuity trauma environments and lower-acuity emergency departments, and has also developed experience in pediatric emergency care. She now supports nurses as an emergency room educator while still working per diem at the bedside to keep her skills sharp.

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In this episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk with Ondrea about her work as a substance use disorder registered nurse and how she found her way into this specialty through mental health nursing. After years in different nursing roles, she discovered that working with patients receiving treatment for substance use disorders became one of the most rewarding paths in her career.

Ondrea shares what a typical day looks like in an outpatient clinic, including patient assessments, vitals, drug screenings, injections, medication-assisted treatment inductions, follow-up calls, education, and harm reduction. She also explains the importance of working within a close interdisciplinary team to support patients who often have both substance use and mental health needs.

We also talk about how nurses can enter this field, where these roles can be found, what certifications may help, and how this specialty offers room for growth into leadership, care coordination, and other mental health roles. Ondrea’s passion for this work comes through clearly as she describes the life-changing impact nurses can have in this area of care.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How substance use disorder nursing blends education, treatment, and harm reduction.
• Why this work can be one of the most rewarding areas in nursing.
• How nurses can get started in this specialty and continue to grow in it.

About My Guest: Ondrea is a substance use disorder registered nurse who works in an outpatient clinic supporting patients receiving medication-assisted treatment. With 18 years of nursing experience and a background in emergency and mental health nursing, she brings both compassion and insight to this growing specialty. She is passionate about helping patients feel supported without stigma and wants more nurses to consider this rewarding path.

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In this episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk with Jill Leftwich about her role as a rapid response nurse and the path that led her there. Jill shares how she moved from telemetry step-down to cardiac ICU and eventually into rapid response after learning about an opening through a former coworker. Her story highlights how networking, timing, and experience can all play a role in helping nurses move into a new specialty.

We talk about what a rapid response nurse actually does, what a typical shift can look like, and the balance between emergency calls, rounding, education, and supporting bedside nurses. Jill also explains some common misconceptions about the role, including the idea that rapid response nurses are constantly running from crisis to crisis or fully take over patient care when they arrive.

Jill also shares why confidence, leadership, and calm decision-making are so important in this specialty. She offers honest advice for nurses considering this path, especially those coming from ICU, and talks about the teaching side of the role, the value of debriefing after emergencies, and how this specialty can lead into education or other advanced nursing roles.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Rapid response nurses support bedside teams during emergencies.
• The role requires calm leadership and strong ICU experience.
• It can be a great fit for nurses who enjoy both emergencies and teaching.

About My Guest

Jill Leftwich is a rapid response nurse with a background in telemetry step-down and cardiac ICU nursing. She has worked in rapid response for about six years and brings both emergency experience and a strong passion for teaching to her role. In addition to her hospital work, she creates educational content and resources to help nurses feel more prepared and supported during rapid responses and emergency situations.

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Instagram: @nurselefty
TikTok: @nurse.lefty
Website: revitalizingnurses.com

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In this episode of My Nurse Specialty, I talk with Nurse Mari about her journey into NICU nursing and what it really looks like to care for some of the smallest and most vulnerable patients. She shares how she first became interested in working with babies, why she did not get into NICU right away, and how her background in med-surg, adult ICU, and travel nursing helped prepare her for the role she has now.

We also talk about what makes NICU nursing unique, from the emotional connection with families to the high level of critical thinking and teamwork required every day. Nurse Mari gives honest insight into both the rewarding and challenging parts of the specialty, along with advice for nurses who may be thinking about this path for themselves.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Caring for fragile newborns and their families.
• Taking a longer path into the specialty you want.
• Building skills and staying ready for the right opportunity.

About My Guest: Nurse Mari is a neonatal ICU nurse who cares for babies born as early as 22 weeks gestation, along with infants who have a wide range of medical needs. Before moving into NICU, she worked in med-surg, adult ICU, and other nursing roles that helped build the experience and perspective she now brings to her work. She also creates content online to share more about life as a NICU nurse.

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Instagram: @nurse.mariii

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Welcome to My Nurse Specialty.

After more than 35 years in nursing and working across many different specialties, I’ve seen how easy it is for nurses to believe there are only a handful of career paths available. In nursing school, we are taught how to pass boards and practice safely, but we are not always shown the full range of opportunities this profession offers.

I created My Nurse Specialty because I want nurses to know there is so much more out there. Too often, we hear the same few specialties over and over again, not because those are the only good options, but because those are the ones we were exposed to. Many nurses never get the chance to explore the roles that may fit them better.

In this episode, I talk about my own journey through multiple nursing specialties and how finding the right fit can make all the difference. I believe nursing is not a one-path profession, and I want this podcast to help more nurses discover roles that match their strengths, interests, and goals.

Through this podcast, I’ll be having conversations with nurses from a wide variety of specialties so you can hear what their roles are really like, how they got there, what skills matter most, and what they wish they had known sooner.

Whether you are a student nurse, a new nurse, or an experienced nurse wondering what else is possible, this podcast is here to help you explore your options and think more intentionally about your career.

What you can expect from this podcast:
On My Nurse Specialty, you’ll hear real stories from nurses in many different specialties as they share:

• How they found their specialty
• What their role really looks like
• What skills matter in their area
• What they wish they had known earlier
• How nurses can explore and grow into different roles over time

Connect and share:
If this episode speaks to you, I’d love for you to subscribe, follow, and share it with another nurse or nursing student who may need to hear it.

And if you work in a unique nursing specialty and would like to share your story, I’d love to connect with you.

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Get the FREE guide here on how to choose your specialty!