Behind Rapid Response RN: The Podcast Empowering Nurses Globally

In this insightful interview, we sit down with Sarah Lorenzini, the host and founder of Rapid Response RN, a podcast that has become a vital resource for nurses around the globe.

Driven by a passion for nursing education and a commitment to supporting her fellow nurses, Sarah shares the journey behind the creation of her podcast, including the motivation that led her to bridge the gap between nursing education and bedside care. She also shares the challenges she's faced along the way and the rewarding impact of reaching nurses worldwide. Join us as we delve into the story of Rapid Response RN and discover how Sarah is transforming nursing education, one episode at a time.

Interview with the Host & Founder of Rapid Response RN | Sarah Lorenzini

allnurses: Start off, tell me your name and your organization.

Sarah: I am Sarah Lorenzini, and I am the host of the Rapid Response RN Podcast.

allnurses: What motivated you to start it?

Sarah: I was formerly the ER nurse educator, and I was a nursing professor because I love teaching nursing. Then COVID hit and I left the official educator role to be back at the bedside as the rapid response nurse. And then I missed being an educator, so I was like, "Oh, how can I do both?” It was actually my husband who told me, "You should start a podcast,” and I laughed, because I have no experience with audio, visual, anything.

allnurses: You sound so great.

Sarah: I'm not a good talker, I don't know if I'm good with like microphones and editing and things. But I wanted an opportunity to still give back to my profession. As an educator, I go to these rapid response calls, and there are so many great teaching points — but we're too busy to really dive into the pathophysiology, and the pharmacology, and all that good stuff. 

So, the podcast gave me the space to really break down those hard concepts in a format that nurses can digest on their ride to work or whenever they're walking their dog or whatever. It's my way of supporting nurses. Whenever I'm really busy at the hospital, I can't always do that, but at least they can still listen to my podcast. 

It started as, this would be just for nurses I worked with locally to highlight some of the great stories and use them for teaching. Then it just blew up —and now there are literally 1000s and 1000s of nurses around the world who listen to it, which is so humbling. I feel very privileged with the platform to support nurses that way. 

allnurses: How has it changed from when you first launched it to now?

Sarah: My first episode, I literally recorded in a coat closet. I had a $15 microphone from Amazon, and I'm like in there with like my luggage and Winter coats, just talking to the microphone. And editing, like just a very cheap editing software that came with my laptop, super low budget. Since then, we connected that closet with another closet on the other side of the wall and made a recording studio in my house. So, in the center of the house I have a mini recording studio that's about the size of two closets put together. But now it's soundproofed and all decked out with fancy equipment. So no longer my $15 Amazon purchase, I have legitimate equipment. 

The other big change, I've learned a lot in the process of how to communicate through an audio platform. I'm a hands talker, and I like to connect with people in person —and so you really have to switch modes when you talk without your hands just to a mic with no visuals and no one you're speaking to. I've had to grow and adapt my teaching style a little bit — but I think I have, and I think it shows in the production quality and the content that I'm able to produce.

allnurses: I'm assuming you have like ad space or sponsors or anything — when did you realize that the podcast could be a business? 

Sarah: When people started coming to me and asked to sponsor the podcast. I've done a couple of sponsorships. Here's the thing I don't really identify as an influencer, like at all. I'm 40 years old. I'm not cool. But I do identify as an educator. And so if there are opportunities to influence nurses towards getting better educated, I'll take those partnerships. But I'm not advertising for scrubs and stethoscopes and things like that. Not currently at least.

So yeah, I don't do too much advertising on the podcast. I do use it to tell people about educational resources that I know are available. But there are not too many sponsorships. As far as like, I don't know what you would mostly hear on a podcast like, "Buy this car?!” I don't have any of that at all. 

allnurses: Yeah I mean, it should all be relevant to the audience instead of broad-based. What challenges in the nursing industry do you think that you're helping with on the podcast?

Sarah: I love teaching pathophysiology and pharmacology, and I feel like nursing schools have gotten shorter and shorter, more condensed. Nurses are coming out with, I would say, less exposure to what they have to know. So I get to fill in that gap—that learning gap, knowledge gap.

I also feel like one of the biggest things I bring to the nursing community as a whole is my heart for nursing and my heart for patients. Nursing is both a science and an art, and some of those softer skills in nursing are, to me, just as valuable and just as important. I love speaking on those, and I feel like those don't get mentioned really at all in nursing school. It's just, you know, learn these things to pass the NCLEX and be done.

Things like how to communicate effectively and advocate for your patient, how to navigate the social dynamics of the workplace, how to approach families who are grieving and suffering in a crisis mode, and how to support them through that journey— and I can go on and on. So, not just pathophys and pharm and all the sciencey, nerdy stuff that I love, but also the heart of nursing topics, I feel, make us better, more well-rounded nurses when you can see the bigger picture outside of just the science, but the human soul we get to care for.

allnurses: Yeah, and to play off of that. Have you heard from nurses—personal stories where they've listened to the podcast and said, "This changed my life,” or "It made my day,” or it, you know, made a big impact?

Sarah: Yes, hundreds of them, and that's actually what motivates me to keep going. It's not like I'm making a ton of money off the podcast; I do it because of those stories. The nurses that message me or email me and they're like, "Sarah, the same patient from Episode 37. I had that patient today. And I knew exactly what to do,” or "What you were talking about with caring for a patient who's dying and how to navigate difficult dynamics. I felt like I was able to show up for the family today after that episode.” So that kind of stuff. Yes, I hear that all the time and it is so rewarding to know that I'm making an impact on nurses that I could have never met in person. Nurses in Saudi Arabia and Australia and very far from me, and my story or my experience is actually supporting them and their patients at the bedside — that's the best. That's the best ever.

allnurses: That's great. What are some of the challenges that you've faced as a nurse, entrepreneur, and podcaster? It's a lot, and they're all busy, complicated things.

Sarah: Yeah. Challenges as a nurse, I think the biggest challenge is just resources. I know how to be a good nurse, but sometimes I feel like I don't have the time to be the kind of nurse that I want to be, because we're spread so thin. That's the biggest challenge there.

Challenges as a nurse entrepreneur — not knowing what the heck I'm doing when it comes to entrepreneurship, advertising, marketing, and media. Even the tech side of what I'm doing — the learning curve is very steep, and I've had to learn a lot there. But I never back down from a challenge, so I have tackled it head-on, found people who actually know what they're doing in this world, and tried to learn from them. 

allnurses: What do you think nursing schools are missing? Are you seeing new grads that are always having the same problem? 

Sarah: Yeah. I think one of the biggest things that's missing is there's a lot of talk about the tasks of nursing. Like, if you see this lab value, these are the tasks you have to do; if they have this vital sign, this is the task you need to respond with. And I feel like nursing is not just about tasks; there's a lot more critical thinking that has to go into caring for patients. So, I feel like probably a lot more case-based, evolving case studies should be implemented in nursing programs. Not just multiple-choice answers on tests, like memorizing facts — it has value — but it is not always directly applicable to the bedside. 

Broader critical thinking through scenarios is important, and that's actually why I made my podcast the format that it is. In every episode, I share a real-life story of a patient that I cared for — obviously HIPAA appropriate. Then I use the story to break down the pathophysiology, pharmacology, and the nurse's role in caring for that patient. For me, stories bring learning to life. You can tell me all the facts about a STEMI, but until I see a patient having a STEMI, see their vital signs, and see their labs — well then it clicks. That's why I like teaching with stories as well.

allnurses: It sounds like they're almost little mini-episodes of "House,” that show. 

Sarah: Yes, but it's like realistic stories. 

allnurses: Yeah, those are all real-life stories that they then put the TV dramatic spin on. But the baseline case is based on reality, and then they tell this wild story about it.

Sarah: Yeah, and they do an evolving case study format where you get a little information, then more information, and kind of put the pieces together as you go. I'm here for it. I'm down for that kind of teaching style.

Allnurses: Yeah, and for me personally, too, that works best —as far as the more visual the better. Versus looking at a book and being like, now my eyes are bleeding.

Sarah: Yeah, for sure.

allnurses: Have you sought out or made any partnerships,  AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses) or whatever that came about because of the podcast? 

Sarah: Yeah. Definitely AACN. I've been on their podcast as well and I wrote a couple of blogs for them. That's been a really rewarding relationship. I love what AACN is doing, and I'm happy to be a part of it. They actually have me representing them as an AACN volunteer for the American Heart Association Digital Summit on Nursing Resuscitation. So I'll be speaking on that next month, actually. But AACN connected me with them to be the speaker for that content — I'm honored. 

Then meeting other educators from the internet. They become my friends. Meeting Sarah Wells, for example, or my buddy Nick McGowan, who teaches a CCRN and prep course, or my friend, Sarah Vance, who's an online educator and has a membership for nursing education and critical care. So yeah, connecting with those people has been really rewarding. 

Podcasting can be kind of lonely to be honest with you, it's just you in your studio with a microphone. I've had to find ways — this very extroverted gal has had to find ways to connect with people and have that camaraderie and collaboration in this effort to educate nurses globally —and not what I used to do, my nursing students, the new hires in the ER —now I'm educating 45,000 nurses a month on the podcast, that I've never even got to meet in person, which is wild. 

allnurses: What is next for you and for the podcasts? Where do you see it in five years or ten years?

Sarah: Such a good question. I just started an online membership this year. Every week, I go live in the membership and do a live teaching. Which I really love a lot because the podcast is recorded and there's no other side of the microphone. This is me and a bunch of nurses via digital communication; I can see other faces and teach kind of in person. The community has been great.

I love what the community is evolving into because it's nurses from all over the world, from all different specialties. There are ER nurses, ICU nurses, med-surg nurses, oncology nurses, pediatric nurses, rapid response nurses, and flight nurses. When a nurse has a question, they can hop on there, ask their question, and get support from other nurses and from me. The community aspect I'm just loving and getting to teach live has been really rewarding. So, I hope that it continues to grow. There are about 100 nurses right now, and I hope that this number grows from there.

I would like to create more courses that nurses can just purchase, like a course on human dynamics, a course on vasopressors, a course on cardiac emergencies—but time is definitely a factor. I still work at the hospital, and I have five kids, so trying to find time to do that. But with time, I hope to have more courses that are available.

I love public speaking, so this year, I'm booked for several conferences to speak at, which is exciting. But I hope to do more of that in the future. To me, it's so rewarding to be in front of an audience and to share your heart. It's also really stressful, but it's really rewarding at the same time. 

allnurses: Our audience is very diverse as far as people ready to get into nursing, to nursing students, to experienced nurses, to retired nurses — it's the whole gamut. Is there anything else that you think would be of interest, whether it's about podcasting or starting a business from a nurse's perspective, that you think our audience would benefit from?

Sarah: I'm not quite sure what advice, I need more of a narrative. 

allnurses: Yeah, so a lot of people I've talked to so far are nurses who have started something else, and I feel like nurses are often in this mode of just being a nurse, but they have ideas like, "Oh, this could be better" or "This could be whatever.” How do you go from being a nurse to starting a podcast, having a coaching business, writing test prep, or whatever else as a business?

Sarah: That I can answer. I feel like a lot of nurses recognize how stressful the bedside role can be, and they're looking for something that might be additional revenue for their family that's not quite as taxing on their body or soul — and so they're looking for something. I feel like if you're just looking for financial gain, you're going to burn out because it takes time to build a business. So if you're just doing it to make money and you're not making money, what's the point, right? 

If you're going to choose something, some new venture or something that you are interested in, I think there has to be some sort of driving passion. Like, you think it's important and the world needs it — and if you really think that it has value and nurses need it, or patients need it, or whoever really needs this thing, well, that's going to carry you through whenever it's hard. Whenever it's stressful. Whenever it's late nights. Whenever it's time-consuming. Whenever it's just clunky and you're just not getting it. It's not launching like you want.

My podcast—I did it for two years, and it got a couple thousand downloads per month. But nothing really took off until I was like, you know what, more nurses need to find this thing. What can I do? What can I learn? What resources can I tap into to help more nurses find my podcast? When I took those strategies and applied them, that's when the podcast took off.

But let me tell you, it was hundreds of hours, of late nights — the kids are all in bed, my husband is sleeping, and I'm in my closet recording a podcast because I know nurses need to know this stuff. I think if you are truly passionate about it and really feel like people need this, that will drive you through the challenges, the barriers, and the obstacles until you get to the other side.

allnurses: That's great. Where can our audience find you — social media, website, Spotify?

Sarah: My podcast is available on all podcast platforms — Audible, Spotify, Apple; wherever you listen to your podcast, you can find "Rapid Response RN Podcast.”  

On social media on all of them. I am "TheRapidResponseRN", not because I'm the only one that does this in the world, but because Rapid Response RN was already taken, and so I had to choose a different username. So "TheRapidResponseRN" on — Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube and all the things. 

I also have an online course called "Rapid Response and Rescue" —  just type it and it should pop up. And then I just started the membership, which is called "Rapid Response Academy: The Heart and Science of Caring for the Sick."

allnurses: That's awesome. Thank you so much.