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Life After Nursing School is a podcast for new nurses navigating their first year in healthcare. Hosted by Nurse Coach Caroline, each episode offers practical advice, expert interviews, and real stories to help you build confidence, manage stress, and overcome imposter syndrome. From landing your first new graduate nurse job to battling imposter syndrome on the unit, this podcast will provide the support and guidance you need to succeed beyond nursing school. Tune in to every episode to thrive in your nursing career!
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Send a text In this episode of Life After Nursing School, I’m sharing a real and honest look at Year 2 of building my nurse coaching business and my vision for Year 3 as a nurse entrepreneur. I talk about what it actually looks like to run an online business as a nurse, including: • Doubling revenue but reinvesting everything back into the business • Hiring and working with a virtual assistant • Learning to delegate and think like a CEO • Saying no to opportunities that are not aligned • Over...
Send a text Caroline talks with April Waddell, former ICU nurse and founder of NurseMoneyDate, about financial literacy for nurses and how to build wealth without burnout. If budgeting, debt, investing, or retirement planning feels overwhelming, this episode gives you a simple starting point. April shares a practical system that helps nurses: Understand where their money is goingBuild a 3 to 6 month emergency fundPay off high interest debt strategicallyStart investing with confidenceUnderstan...
Send a text In this episode of Life After Nursing School, Caroline chats with Matt Berndt, Head of the Job Search Academy at Indeed, about what nurses need to know to navigate today’s job market with confidence. Matt shares practical insights on how resumes are changing in a digital world, what hiring teams really look for in the first few seconds, and why job hopping isn’t always a bad thing. They also break down interview preparation, career pivots, and how to tell your story in a way that ...
Send a text In this episode of the Life After Nursing School Podcast, Nurse Coach Caroline shares 10 bedside nursing hacks that make shifts easier, reduce burnout, and help nurses protect their time and energy. These practical nursing career tips cover everything from picking up shifts strategically and charting smarter, to finding burnout-proof PRN jobs, networking on the unit, and using workplace benefits like education money and EAP. This is real, big-sister nurse advice you won’t learn in...
Send a text Not getting interviews despite applying to nursing jobs? Your resume and cover letter may be the problem. In this episode of the Life After Nursing School podcast, we break down the most common resume and cover letter mistakes nurses make — mistakes that affect both new graduate nurses and experienced nurses. Drawing from real experience in hospital recruiting and nurse leadership, this episode explains why generic cover letters get overlooked, how unclear resumes cost interviews,...
Send a text First impressions in nursing interviews matter more than most candidates realize and they form fast. In this episode of Life After Nursing School, we break down what hiring teams are actually noticing in the first few seconds of an interview, often before you even answer the first question. Drawing from over a decade of experience on new grad nurse hiring teams, we explore why first impressions are so “sticky,” how they influence interview decisions, and how they can either work f...
Send a text In Episode 48 of Life After Nursing School, I’m sharing a new nurse survival guide to help you navigate your first 90 days on the job—especially if you’re in orientation, starting your first nursing role, or wondering, “Why does this feel so hard… and is it supposed to?” We break down why the first 90 days as a new nurse feel so intense, what’s happening behind the scenes during new employee orientation and nursing orientation, and how confidence is actually built through repetiti...
Send a text In this episode of Life After Nursing School, we’re kicking off 2026 by talking about Main Character Energy for nurses—what it really means and how to bring it into every shift. If you’ve ever felt like a background character in your own nursing career, this episode is your invitation to shift from survival mode to intention. Main Character Energy isn’t about ego or perfection—it’s about self-respect, confidence, and ownership, even when you’re still learning. We cover how nurses—...
Send a text In this episode of the Life After Nursing School Podcast, we’re talking about one of my favorite end-of-year rituals: choosing a Word of the Year to guide your mindset, career decisions, and personal growth. Instead of relying on rigid New Year’s resolutions, I’m sharing how a single, intentional word has shaped my confidence, my nursing career, my business, and the way I move through life. We’ll reflect on what worked this year, what didn’t, and how to choose a word that supports...
Send a text Learn what I wish I had done before starting my first nursing job. From preparing early for the new grad nurse job search to building a standout resume, setting boundaries, preventing burnout, and staying open to opportunities—this episode is your roadmap to thriving as a new nurse Connect with Nurse Coach Caroline: Instagram → @NurseCoachCaroline TikTok → @NurseCoachCaroline Website → nursecoachcaroline.com Join the Community → The New Nurse Society Resource Mentioned in t...
Send a text As we close out 2025 and step into a brand new year, this episode is your invitation to pause, reflect, and reset. Whether you’re a new nurse, a nursing student, or somewhere in the early stages of your nursing career, today’s conversation will help you understand why the things that feel uncomfortable are the very things that help you grow. In this episode, I break down the science behind trying new things including neuroplasticity, novelty, dopamine, confidence-building, and why...
Send a text In this episode of The Life After Nursing School Podcast, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN, shares her biggest takeaways from attending the Indeed Careers in Care networking event in New York City. What started as a few days in Times Square turned into a powerful reminder about connection, courage, and career growth. Caroline reflects on meeting online connections in real life, finding unexpected mentors, and learning why human connection is truly irreplaceable. You’ll hear how one pa...
Send a text In this episode of the Life After Nursing School podcast, host Caroline Danna sits down with Stephanee Beggs, the nurse, educator, and entrepreneur behind RNExplained and author of the bestselling book Debrief. After reading Debrief cover to cover, Caroline knew she had to connect with Stephanee to dive deeper into the real, unfiltered side of nursing — the part that goes beyond exams and clinicals. Together they unpack the emotional highs and lows of life as a new nurse, the chal...
Send a text What if nurse burnout wasn’t the end of your story—but the beginning of your healing? In this episode of Life After Nursing School, host Caroline Danna sits down with Kelly Dubowski, Holistic Nurse Coach and founder of Hope With Kelly and Nurturing the Nurse. After experiencing the exhaustion and emotional toll of burnout herself, Kelly transitioned from bedside nursing to holistic nurse coaching, where she now helps nurses regulate their nervous systems, set boundaries, and redis...
Send a text When life as a nurse feels heavy and burnout starts to blur your sense of purpose, sometimes the only way forward… is through. In this inspiring conversation, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN sits down with Gaige Matthews, former ER nurse and founder of Beyond Bedside Fitness, to unpack what it really takes to rebuild your confidence, discipline, and faith when you’re running on empty. Gaige has helped over 800 nurses transform their health and mindset through her nurse-specific coach...
Send a text Feeling like your days off vanish before you can actually rest? In this episode of Life After Nursing School, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN shares how to romanticize self-care and find calm, beauty, and joy in your everyday nurse life — no spa day required. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “Opalite,” Caroline explores how happiness can be man-made and how slowing down can recharge your mind, body, and spirit. From brewing coffee like a ritual to turning your commute or shower into a...
Send a text Did you know that 33% of new graduate nurses leave their first job within a year, and nearly one in five leave nursing altogether? In this episode of Life After Nursing School, host Caroline Danna, MSN, RN (a clinical instructor and new nurse career coach) dives into why so many new nurses are walking away from the bedside… and what you can do to protect your passion, peace, and purpose in this profession. Caroline breaks down the real reasons behind new nurse burnout and turnover...
Send a text Level up your nursing career with some necessary tough love. In this episode, I share 10 tough-love lessons every nurse needs—perfect for nursing students, new grad nurses, and working nurses navigating today’s high-stress healthcare environment. From letting go of what you can’t control to building confidence before you feel ready, these are the mindset shifts that reduce burnout, boost performance, and help you use your nursing license in a way that actually adds color to your l...
Send a text Critical thinking is one of the most important skills you’ll ever develop as a new nurse but it doesn’t come overnight. In this episode of Life After Nursing School, Nurse Career Coach Caroline shares how you can use ChatGPT as a practical tool to strengthen your clinical judgment and build confidence at the bedside. You’ll learn how to apply ChatGPT to the nursing process (ADPIE) - Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation - and discover how it can hel...
Send a text Are you curious about how nurses can build flexible, remote careers? In this episode of Life After Nursing School, Caroline sits down with David Rosenbeck, co-founder of Go Beyond the Bedside, to talk about breaking free from traditional hospital roles. David shares his journey from bedside nursing to launching a platform that connects nurses with remote nursing jobs, virtual care opportunities, and innovative ways to use their clinical skills outside the hospital. If you’re a new...
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