In this episode of The NICE Podcast, Kate and Ben continue their exploration of complexity in intensive care — shifting focus from conversations to the challenges of delivering care where clinical, operational, and human factors intersect.

Their guest is Dr Nhi Nguyen, 2024 NSW Health Staff Member of the Year, Senior Intensivist, Clinical Director of Intensive Care NSW, and Board Member of the College of Intensive Care Medicine.

Together, they discuss the realities of resource management — exit block, bed allocation, and the difficult decisions required when resources are limited. Nhi also reflects on the importance of deep listening on patient flow and care delivery, and how she maintains balance and wellbeing in her many leadership roles.

This conversation offers an insightful look into how leaders in intensive care navigate constraint and complexity while striving to deliver safe, compassionate, and equitable care.

In this thought provoking episode, Ben and Kate sit down with Tegan Butts, a highly respected local ICU nurse, to talk about something many of us struggle with — how to explain our work in intensive care to the people we love, many of whom don't work in the healthcare industry.

From sending banana emojis 🍌 to navigating the emotional weight of life and death in casual conversation, this episode dives into the complexity of bringing our ICU world into our homes — thoughtfully, ethically, and authentically.

In recognition of Clinical Trials Day 2025, Kate and Ben are joined by Amber Poulter, a Research Clinical Nurse Consultant, for an insightful conversation about the complexities of conducting research in the intensive care environment.

Together, they explore what makes ICU research so challenging and essential. The discussion covers how consent is managed when patients are unconscious or critically unwell, whether patients can be enrolled in trials without their prior consent, and the ethical frameworks that underpin these decisions. They also examine the practical barriers that can make research difficult in ICU, as well as the enablers that support successful trial conduct.

This episode shines a light on the purpose-driven people making ICU research possible, and why it matters for patients, families, and the future of intensive care.

• Clinical Trials Day 2025 - At the forefront of every therapeutic breakthrough, you’ll find clinical research professionals who are driven by a powerful purpose: advancing treatments that transform patients' lives. ​Clinical researchers move innovative therapies from scientific discovery to the developments of tomorrow. With every data point collected, every protocol created, and every patient served, their contributions have the potential to improve health outcomes and benefit generations to come. ​ These professionals are powered by a commitment to drive clinical research forward. ​They are powered by knowing that the work they do matters. ​They are powered by the common purpose of advancing human health. ​ And, together, their purpose is realized—study by study, patient by patient—in communities around the world. ​ For Clinical Trials Day 2025, ACRP honors the power and purpose of all clinical research professionals.

Building on their previous episode, Kate and Ben draw from their experiences in intensive care to develop a practical toolkit of actions and behaviours that support best practice in family meetings.

The NICE podcast hosts, Kate and Ben, introduce Dr Philip Cheung, an anaesthetist, simulations and professional coach. They discuss the intersection of life and work and how a coaching relationship can lead to success in the workplace.

Links below:

• Philip Cheung Coaching
• International Coaching Federation

Join Kate and Ben as they discuss breaking bad news to patients and families on intensive care. Using inspiration from one of the worlds best story tellers, William Shakespeare, Kate and Ben outline a structured approach to undertaking a family meeting that was first conceptualised by Drs Dale Gardiner and Ben Ivory, both based in the UK. As Kate and Ben share some of their experiences and tips for structuring challenging conversations, the scene is set for future in depth conversation about some of the complexities and nuances of communicating with patients and families at perhaps one of the most challenging times of their lives.

• The Critical Care Commute Podcast - Listen to Dr Dale Gardiner as he discusses his model for breaking bad news and conversations transitioning the care focus towards the end of life.

Kate and Ben reintroduce the NICE Podcast for 2025 and talk about the upcoming NSW CICM Trainee Day which will be hosted in the wonderful NSW ocean town of Newcastle (affectionally known by locals as 'Newy'). The hosts share their vision for the podcast for this year and preview some forthcoming episodes.

Dr Andrew Davies talks at the 2024 NSW Annual CICM Trainee Day held in Newcastle about work-life balance and his reflections on how this has evolved for him over the course of his career.

Andrew eloquently describes his journey from high school to high level international ICU research, and how an innate desire to please others and strive for the ‘top’ led him to a place in his life where he was forced to reflect on what truely brings job satisfaction. Andrew considers on how a change in direction led to a new focus for his life goals, including connecting more deeply with his patients and their families, daily meditation, exercising his body and the creation of his now well establish podcast, Mastering Intensive Care.