Podcasts for Nurses

In between shifts, or while driving to and from work, you might want to listen to a podcast. Let's look at a few of the more popular nursing podcasts. But to begin, even though we are all connected now 24/7, a look back at the history of podcasts is in order. How to start one and what resources are available to do just that will be mentioned.

Brief history of podcasts

To begin this is a two-part word. The pod in the first part of the word refers to an Apple product, the "iPod" digital media player.¹ The second part of the word, cast is derived from the word broadcast, as in a radio broadcast. Despite this, owning or having access to an iPod is not necessary to listen to a podcast. That can be done on your phone or any mobile device, such as laptop or PC. There are also video podcasts. The beauty of the podcast is that there is no predetermined schedule that the listener must adhere to or lose the opportunity to listen. The opportunity is there 24/7.

How To Access a Podcast

Podcast are usually accessed through RSS which stands for Real Simple Syndication. Podcasts are free to access, listen to and enjoy. If you find a podcast you want to access, simply go to the RSS icon on your phone or iPod or the subscription button. If you have a subscription, you are then in the loop because the application will let you know that there is new material available from the podcast. There is also the advantage of listening to groups of podcasts all from the same producer. Therefore, podcast have been compared to magazine subscriptions, where you subscribe to the same magazine and get a new one each month in the mail or online. Podcasts app² for Ios allows you to access podcasts on your mobile device. This includes, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. If you have an android phone, you can access Google Play Music app and get started.³

Nurses and Podcasts: a Great Fit

Nurses should be listening to podcasts as a way of expanding their point of view. Gone are the days where there were no resources for nurses except trekking down to the public library. Now, it as simple as going online and opening up a whole new world to explore. If you don't want to listen to music on your way to and from work, grocery shopping or on the way to school, you can simply go all nursing all the time. Tune out everything and totally immerse yourself in all things nursing.

Best in Show

There must be at least 50 nursing podcasts. A list of six which will earmark different themes such as education, specialties and career advice will be given. Here goes:

1. Johnson & Johnson, a leader in healthcare products and of course, the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing sponsors a podcast called Nursing Notes Live. This is broadcast two times a month. The purpose of this podcast, which is hosted by RN EMT Jamie Davis is to further expand the online content in their Nursing Notes, the company's e-digest. To listen go to Podcasts | Discover Nursing.⁴
2. Nurse Keith show. This is the link to the podcast: The Nurse Keith Show.⁵ This focuses on career advice and how to succeed as a nurse. He is also one of the founders of RNFMRadio which went off the air in 2017. Keith also is doing a podcast with NursingDegreeDatabase.com called Mastering Nursing. This focuses on the movers and shakers in the industry.
3. Another one from RN EMT Jamie Davis called The Nursing Show. Nursing Show Podcast - For Nurses by Nurses . ⁶ Davis highlights anything newsworthy that would be of interest to nurses in general at any career level. He also has guests stopping by to discuss their specialties as well.
4. As far as specialties go, there are several. For oncology there is, the oncology nursing podcast from the Oncology Nursing Society. The Oncology Nursing Podcast by Oncology Nursing Society on Apple Podcasts. ⁷ For those of you who would only consider being ER nurses, you can subscribe to er NURSE pro's PODCAST er NURSE pro's PODCAST by erNURSEpro on Apple Podcasts. ⁸
5. This list would not be complete without, new nurses and nurse entrepreneurs. For new nurses Podcast - FRESHRN.⁹ Hosted by Katie Kleber BSN RN CCRN-K.
6. For nurse entrepreneurs go to Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN's podcast. She talks about careers and getting the most out of your life as a busy nurse in her podcast Your Next Shift: A Nursing Career Podcast for Nurses and Nursing Students at Your Next Shift: A Nursing Career Podcast for Nurses and Nursing Students. ¹⁰

How to Get Started Doing a Podcast

By now, you may be wondering if you too can start a Podcast. The answer is yes. There are hundreds of resources to get you started. You can even start with your basic phone and use that to record. This is what you will need at a minimum:¹¹

THE BASICS

1. You will need to have a name or idea for each segment.
2. A nuts and bolts description of what you want to accomplish and a logo for your podcast.
3. You will need to create an audio file like an.MP3s. You will have to determine the length of each file or segment. A microphone like the one in your phone or PC can be used.
4. A podcast hosting service is needed. You can try googling podcast hosting for that, they are readily available.
5. The next step is to get them into the "RSS feed". They should appear on iTunes so they can be accessed 24/7.

REFERENCES

1. iTunes - Podcasts - FAQs: For Podcast Fans - Apple
2. https://internationalpodcastday.com/what-is-podcast/
3. https://www.androidcentral.com/how-use-podcasts-google-play-music-android
4. Podcasts | Discover Nursing
5. The Nurse Keith Show.
6. Nursing Show Podcast - For Nurses by Nurses
7. The Oncology Nursing Podcast by Oncology Nursing Society on Apple Podcasts
8. er NURSE pro's PODCAST by erNURSEpro on Apple Podcasts
9. Podcast - FRESHRN
10. Your Next Shift: A Nursing Career Podcast for Nurses and Nursing Students
11. https://www.shopify.com/blog/34911301-how-to-start-a-podcast-the-ultimate-step-by-step-podcasting-guide