Nurses With Voices

About Nurses With Voices

Welcome to Nurses With Voices, the podcast where we amplify the voices of nurses everywhere. Through this podcast, we aim to educate, empower, and inspire nurses at every stage of their careers. Whether you're a novice nurse navigating the challenges of bedside care, an experienced clinician looking to advance in your field, or dreaming of becoming a nurse entrepreneur, Nurses With Voices is for you.

Publisher

Dr. Lendra James DNP, MS, RN, NE-BC

Category

business · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Mar 2024

Latest episode

6 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

79 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Aug 2026

   Ep. 79. Why Nurses Must Lead Healthcare AI

   AI Innovation Series AI is already moving into healthcare, and the question is not whether nurses will be impacted. The question is whether nurses will help shape what comes next. In this episode, we explore why nurses must be part of the conversation around healthcare AI, innovation, workflow, ethics, patient safety, equity, and responsible implementation. Nurses understand where systems break, where patients are vulnerable, where workflows create burden, and where technology can either support care or create harm. This conversation connects directly to the Nurses SHIFT Change movement and our H.E.S.S. foundation: Humanity, Ethics, Social Justice, and Science. If AI is going to influence healthcare, nursing judgment, lived experience, advocacy, and leadership must be in the room. This episode is a reminder that nurses are not just end users of technology. We are clinicians, educators, leaders, consultants, advocates, innovators, and solution-builders. Key Themes Why healthcare AI needs the nurse's voice How AI may impact patient care, documentation, education, workflow, and leadership Why nurses must understand AI before decisions are made without us The importance of ethics, equity, safety, and human judgment How H.E.S.S. can help guide responsible healthcare innovation Why advocacy must evolve as healthcare technology evolves Reflection Questions for the Community After listening, share your thoughts in the comments: Where are you already seeing AI, automation, or technology show up in your work? What concerns you most about AI in healthcare? Where do you believe nurses need a stronger voice? How can H.E.S.S., Humanity, Ethics, Social Justice, and Science, help guide the future of healthcare AI? Join Our Community This conversation does not end with the episode. Join us inside the Nurses SHIFT Change Community, where nurses, nurse leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, advocates, and healthcare innovators are learning, questioning, connecting, and building solutions together. Inside the community, you will find resources, discussions, event updates, podcast episodes, H.E.S.S. content, and opportunities to move from conversation to action. https://www.skool.com/nurses-shift-change-1462/about And if this topic speaks to you, join us for the Nurses SHIFT Change AI Innovation Series, a free educational series designed to help nurses and healthcare professionals understand AI, ask better questions, and prepare to lead responsibly in this new era of healthcare. Register here :https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/CTRiquKQRDm_3DXOR7Embg  or visit https://nurseshiftchange.org/ The future of nursing is being built now. Our voice belongs in the room.

2. 

   6 May 2026

   If You're Not at the Table, You're on the Menu

   Nurses With Voices • Nurses Shift Change Special Edition This is not a conversation about nursing from the sidelines. Bryanna Patterson has been in policy rooms, on Capitol Hill, and in the middle of Rochester, New York organizing a rally in the rain — and she showed up anyway. In this special edition episode, Dr. Lendra sits down with Bryanna to talk about black maternal health wins, what the student loan cap really means for Black and brown nurses, why AI bias is a health equity issue, and what it looks like when nurses stop waiting for permission to lead. May 7, 2026 is coming. This episode is your reason to show up for the Nurses Shift Change Rally in Washington DC. visit nurseshiftchange.org Timestamps 01:43 Meet Bryanna Patterson — FNP, Policy Advocate, Community Organizer Her background, her role as co-chair of the Rochester Black Nurses Association, and why she jumped into the Nurses Shift Change movement. 02:52 How Rochester Organized Their Rally — In the Rain Mayors, commissioners, assembly members, the Women's League of Voters — how a small health policy committee pulled off a full community rally fast. 04:56 National Black Nurses Association on Capitol Hill — and the Win on Black Maternal Health Five legislative priorities, the Momnibus Act, and what it actually took to get legislation passed for Black moms and infants. 05:48 AI Is on the NBNA Policy Docket — and Here's Why That Matters Dr. Lendra and Bryanna unpack why AI is a health equity issue, how biased data harms Black and brown communities, and why nurses must be in the room when these systems get built. 11:58 Why Bryanna Is Part of This Movement — and Why Nurses Need Health Reform Now Educating legislators, showing up with clinical authority, and the real reason nurses have to stop waiting to be invited into the conversation. 12:55 Is Nursing Still a Profession? The Student Loan Cap and Who It Hurts Most The most trusted profession in America for 20+ years — now fighting to be categorized as one. What the loan caps mean for Black and brown nurses trying to advance. 17:55 Could Caps Actually Be a Good Thing? Playing Devil's Advocate Dr. Lendra pushes the other side. Bryanna responds — and the conversation lands on what institutions and universities will have to do if the money dries up. 20:12 Transitioning Into Academia — and Why the Next Generation of Nurses Needs Her There Why Bryanna left primary care, what she saw change in nursing over a decade, and what it means to be one of the only Black professors in the room. 22:38 Nursing Isn't the Same — and That's Everyone's Problem 25 years vs. 10 years of experience, the pandemic's impact on the profession, and what it means to bring humanity back to the bedside. 27:31 Final Words — Unity, Mentorship, and the Health Reform That's Coming Whether We're Ready or Not Bryanna's closing call to nurses: stop eating your young, start building each other up, and get to the table before decisions get made without you. Quotable Moments "AI is here. If you don't know, you're just going to be left behind. Nurses need to be at the table making decisions about how these systems get implemented." — Bryanna Patterson, MS, FNP-BC "There isn't nursing without ethics. If people aren't being treated fairly, how is that ethical?" — Bryanna Patterson, MS, FNP-BC "I could say I had half a Black professor going through my master's degree. That says a lot. Representation matters in all aspects." — Bryanna Patterson, MS, FNP-BC "We need to be united. Health reform is coming. I can feel it. We need to be at the table — but we also need to be together when we get there." — Bryanna Patterson, MS, FNP-BC Key Takeaways 01 Black maternal health legislation is proof that nurses showing up on Capitol Hill works. The Momnibus Act passed because advocates refused to leave it off the docket. 02 AI bias is not a technology problem — it's a health equity problem. Old, racially skewed data training AI systems means the harm gets automated at scale if nurses aren't in the room. 03 Student loan caps will disproportionately shrink the pipeline of Black and brown nurses advancing in the profession. This is not a future concern — the impact starts now. 04 Diversifying nursing academia is not optional. It changes what gets taught, who feels seen, and how the next generation of nurses understands their patients and themselves. Mentioned in This Episode National Black Nurses Association (NBNA)nbna.org Rochester Black Nurses AssociationRochester, NY chapter The Momnibus Act — Black Maternal HealthPassed legislation One Big Beautiful Bill — Student Loan CapsImpact on nursing education Nurses Shift Change Movement — National RallyMay 7, 2026 American College of Nursing — CNN CoverageNursing as a profession debate HESS Framework — Humanities, Ethics, Social Justice, ScienceNurses Shift Change foundation Report for Duty — May 7, 2026 The rally is not just a moment. It's a movement. Nurses, CNAs, NPs, PAs, OTs, PTs — every voice in healthcare belongs in this room. Links are in the show notes. Show up. Visit : nurseshiftchange.org

3. 

   30 Apr 2026

   Ep.77: Nursing Is Political — And Silence Is Not an Option

   Nurses With Voices • Nurses Shift Change Bonus Series If you've ever said "I'm just a nurse, I'm not into politics" — this episode is your wake-up call. Dr. Lendra sits down with Dr. Justin Gill, who at 33-years-old became a history-maker leading the Washington State Nurses Association, to unpack why every nurse is already political whether they realize it or not. From the one big beautiful bill gutting Medicaid, to workplace violence legislation, to the power of nurses showing up in numbers — this conversation is about what it actually means to have a seat at the decision-making table and what happens to patients when we don't. Join Nurses at the "Report For Duty" rally on May 7, 2026 in Washington DC, RSVP at : nurseshiftchange.org Support the Movement : Click here (https://square.link/u/DWD97WgV) Timestamps 00:00 Welcome & Nurses Shift Change Introduction Dr. Lendra sets the stage for this bonus series and introduces the national advocacy movement. 01:41 Dr. Gill's Journey — From Political Science to Nursing to President Congressional internship, bedside nursing, and why clinical practice and policy are synergistic — not separate careers. 04:46 Why Nurses Must Be at the Decision-Making Table The difference between being partisan and being political — and why your values are the compass, not the party. 08:15 Assault on Healthcare Workers — What WSNA Did About It How nurses flooded legislators with emails and stopped a dangerous bill from passing. Real advocacy. Real results. 11:34 Staffing — The Crisis That Won't Fix Itself Ratios, committees, moral injury, and why California's model matters for every state. The business AND the moral argument. 15:49 Skills Nurses Already Have for Policy Work Communication, persuasion, navigating multiple stakeholders — nurses have been doing this at the bedside all along. 19:11 The Silence After Executive Orders — and the Nurses Shift Change Origin Story What that pause was really about, and why the movement exists to break it. 20:26 The One Big Beautiful Bill — A Big Betrayal Medicaid cuts, student loan caps, hospital closures, and why this legislation crosses a moral and ethical line. 25:43 History at 33 — The Mindset That Made It Possible How Dr. Gill stepped into historic leadership, why values beat party loyalty, and the WSNA lawsuit win you need to hear. 30:16 Final Words & How to Get Involved How to plug in at whatever level works for you — nurses shift change, professional associations, and the march on Washington. Quotable Moments "Clinical practice in nursing and policy advocacy are not mutually exclusive. They are synergistic." — Dr. Justin Gill "Nurses are the oil that makes the engine of healthcare run efficiently. If you don't invest in them, you have a dysfunctional system." — Dr. Justin Gill "When policies are written without us, about us — they don't include us." — Dr. Lendra James "That negativity only becomes a reality if we allow it to take over without any ability to resist or push back." — Dr. Justin Gill Key Takeaways 01 Nursing IS political. Staying silent about policy isn't staying neutral — it's ceding the table to people who don't deliver bedside care. 02 Your clinical skills are already advocacy skills. Every shift, you negotiate, persuade, prioritize, and communicate across difference. That's exactly what policy work requires. 03 The "One Big Beautiful Bill" is a betrayal — cutting Medicaid, student loan access, and hospital funding in communities that have no alternative. This is not a partisan issue. It's a moral one. 04 When nurses mobilize in numbers, bills die. The WSNA assault bill and the CDC database lawsuit win prove what's possible when we stop watching and start acting. Mentioned in This Episode Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA)wsna.org Nurses Shift Change MovementNurses Shift Change The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)Medicaid cuts & more CDC Database Lawsuit — WSNA + 9 plaintiffsFederal settlement win National Nurses March on WashingtonComing 2026 American Nurses Association (ANA)Endorsed staffing ratios Your Voice Is the Movement Join Nurses Shift Change, get on the call list, and make sure you have your seat at the table. The national rally is coming on May 7 2026 in Washington DC — and they need you there. Visit : nurseshiftchange.org

Who has been a guest on Nurses With Voices

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Rachell Dumas
• Grace Mei-Yen Foo
• Dr Lendra James

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

30,324

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 62 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

93

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

0

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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