Love n' Leary Nursing Podcast

Code Red for Future of Science in America (Opinion)

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this episode belong solely to the hosts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, beliefs, or position of Nurse.org. Hosts Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN, and Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL, are joined by Dr. Lorena Grundy (AAUP Vice President and Practice Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Penn) and Dr. Logan Spector (pediatric cancer genomics specialist at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine) on the Love n' Leary Nursing Podcast. The panel discusses a 412-page proposed rule from the White House's Office of Management and Budget regarding federal science funding in the United States. If enacted, the proposal would alter the grant decision-making process by giving political appointees the authority to override peer-review selections and terminate active grants mid-study without an appeals process. In this episode, the guests break down the specific components of the document, examine its potential impact on nursing research and clinical trials, and explain how the public can participate in the ongoing public comment period. At the time of recording, approximately 6,500 comments had been filed toward a collective advocacy goal of one million. This conversation outlines the details of the proposed policy and provides instructions on how researchers, clinicians, nurse leaders, and community members can submit feedback. Jump Ahead:  * 01:11 — Welcome back and introducing the episode * 02:01 — Introducing Dr. Lorena Grundy * 02:53 — Introducing Dr. Logan Spector and why this conversation was hard to book * 06:06 — Dr. Grundy on what's actually in the 412-page proposed rule * 08:55 — How this affects every scientific field, from nursing to engineering * 11:05 — The risk to active clinical trials and the patients enrolled in them * 16:47 — How universities and individual scientists balance the risk of speaking out * 23:55 — Why you can comment anonymously and how to do it * 26:06 — Rebecca's call to action * 28:21 — Why anyone can comment, not just scientists * 31:11 — Final thoughts and a thank you to the guests * 32:01 — The current comment count and the goal of one million * 33:14 — Closing thanks Listen now at nurse.org/news/love-n-leary-nursing-podcast.

Why Thousands of Nurses Are Marching on Capitol Hill May 7 (With Dr. Danielle McCamey and Dr. Lendra James)

In this episode of the Love n' Leary podcast, host Rebecca Love sits down with nurse leaders Dr. Lendra James and Dr. Danielle McCamey, co-founders of Nurses Shift Change, to talk about why nurses must “report for duty” in Washington, D.C. this Nurses Week. They break down the urgent threats facing healthcare—hospital closures, cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, loss of coverage for vulnerable communities, and risks to nursing’s status as a profession—and why nurses’ voices are essential in shaping policy.  Learn what to expect at the Report for Duty Rally and Hill Day, how advocacy connects to nursing’s Code of Ethics, and how joy, art, and community can fuel resistance and change. Tune in to get inspired, get informed, and get ready to show up. >>Why Thousands of Nurses Are Marching on Capitol Hill May 7 [https://nurse.org/news/report-for-duty-rally-2026/] Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:22] Introducing the Report for Duty rally in DC [00:01:51] Origin and mission of Nurses Shift Change [00:02:20] Adding Hill Day meetings with lawmakers [00:03:21] Why Washington, DC and engaging legislators [00:04:01] History of nurses marching and advocacy in DC [00:05:21] Why nurses must leverage their collective power now [00:06:41] Healthcare in trouble and nurses on the front lines [00:08:33] Joy and resistance: format and feel of the rally [00:09:09] Core values: humanity, ethics, social justice, science [00:11:55] How to get involved and where to find more information Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalovenursing/] Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary [https://www.instagram.com/marionleary/] TikTok: @marionleary [https://www.tiktok.com/@marionleary] Facebook: Marion Leary [https://www.facebook.com/marion.leary1/]

2 Nurse Leaders at the Peak of Their Public Health Careers Resigned — Here’s Why (With Dena Bushman and Rebekah Stewart)

In this episode of the Love n' Leary Podcast, hosts Marion Leary and Rebecca Love speak with nurses Dena Bushman and Rebekah Stewart about their difficult decision to resign from the United States Public Health Service. After years of leadership in public health and infectious disease response, both nurses share the ethical and moral conflicts they faced when deployments shifted toward immigration detention facilities. Through candid conversation, they discuss moral distress, nursing ethics, and the responsibility nurses carry when systems conflict with patient care. This episode explores advocacy, courage, and how nurses can use their voices to drive change in healthcare and beyond. Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:21] Nurses resign from U.S. Public Health Service [00:01:42] Dena’s background and CDC / EIS path [00:03:07] Becky’s ER, Ebola, and CDC career overview [00:06:24] Becky’s ethical breaking point and decision to resign [00:09:37] What the U.S. Public Health Service is [00:11:58] Shift in deployments toward detention facilities [00:13:20] Question about deaths and conditions in detention [00:13:47] Becky’s 2019 Border Patrol deployment experience [00:17:42] Dena rostered to ICE and Guantánamo, moral distress [00:25:03] Dena on using your voice and next steps for nurses Connect with Rebekah:  * LinkedIn: Rebekah Stewart [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekahjstewart/] * Substack: @rebekahjstewart [https://substack.com/@rebekahjstewart] Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalovenursing/] Connect with Marion on social media: * Instagram: @marionleary [https://www.instagram.com/marionleary/] * TikTok: @marionleary [https://www.tiktok.com/@marionleary] * Facebook: Marion Leary [https://www.facebook.com/marion.leary1/]

From the ER to Congress: Why This Nurse Is Running for Office (With Nancy Mannion)

In this episode of the Love n' Leary Podcast, we sit down with emergency nurse and congressional candidate Nancy Mannion [https://www.nancymannion.com/] (PA-11). Nancy shares how bedside experiences, seeing the impact of lack of access to care and crushing medical debt, propelled her to run for Congress. She breaks down the nursing skills—communication, negotiation, and teamwork—that translate directly to policymaking, and talks candidly about imposter syndrome, becoming a public figure, and preparing for tough town hall questions. Nancy also offers practical encouragement for nurses considering political engagement at any level, from school boards to federal office, and explains why she believes America is in “critical condition” and needs a nurse to help heal it. >>From the ER to Congress: Why This Nurse Is Running for Office | Opinion [https://nurse.org/news/why-our-political-system-needs-nurses/] Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:00] Introducing guest: ER nurse Nancy Mannion, running for Congress [00:02:09] What inspired Nancy to run for a congressional seat [00:03:06] ER stories showing impact of poor access to healthcare [00:04:37] Speaking at a local event leads to being asked to run [00:06:09] Exploring how to run and finding Healing Politics [00:07:45] Nursing skills Nancy will use in Congress [00:11:50] Learning every word as a candidate is public [00:14:29] Preparing for town halls and handling wide-ranging questions [00:17:53] Advice to nurses thinking about speaking up or running for office [00:21:33] How nurses can support Nancy’s campaign and get involved Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalovenursing/] Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary [https://www.instagram.com/marionleary/] TikTok: @marionleary [https://www.tiktok.com/@marionleary] Facebook: Marion Leary [https://www.facebook.com/marion.leary1/]

The Next Frontier for Nurses? Outer Space. (With Christine Rincon, The Space Nurse)

Space tourists, floating vomit, CPR in microgravity—this episode goes exactly where you think it won’t. Marion and Rebecca sit down with Christine Rincon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-rincon-445b248b/], founder of The Space Nurse™, to explore why the future of space travel urgently needs nurses. From decoding NASA job postings to unpacking “human in the loop” processes, Christine reveals how everyday bedside nursing skills directly translate to mission control and long-duration space missions. The conversation dives into microgravity’s surprising effects on the body, space station livability, and why nurses must help design the next era of space exploration. If you’ve ever wondered what nursing looks like on the journey to Mars, this episode is your launchpad. >>The Next Frontier for Nurses? Outer Space. [https://nurse.org/news/nurses-in-space-missions/] Jump Ahead to Listen:  [00:01:47] What is The Space Nurse [00:02:37] Space nursing isn’t “a thing” yet [00:04:05] Why long-term missions need nurses [00:05:31] Translating nursing skills to NASA jobs [00:06:29] “Human in the loop” explained for nurses [00:08:00] NASA Standard 3001 and human factors [00:09:48] CPR guidelines for the International Space Station [00:11:45] NASA’s free training and human research roadmap [00:13:24] Idea of a Nurses in Space hackathon with NASA [00:21:35] Webinar to prep nurses for care in microgravity Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalovenursing/] Connect with Marion on social media: Instagram: @marionleary [https://www.instagram.com/marionleary/] TikTok: @marionleary [https://www.tiktok.com/@marionleary] Facebook: Marion Leary [https://www.facebook.com/marion.leary1/]