Episode Details

The healthcare system is flatlining, and it's time for a professional resuscitation.

This Nursing Week, join Dr. Danielle McCamey and Gloria E. Barrera for a heavy-hitting breakdown of the HESS framework—Humanity, Ethics, Social Justice, and Science—as the ultimate toolkit for systemic reform. From the grassroots power of Nurses Shift Change to the national Report for Duty call to action, we explore how to move beyond the bedside to fight for environmental justice, primary care, and safe working conditions. We are done paying the price for a profit-first system; it is time to stop working the shift and start being the change.

• The HESS Framework: Why merging social justice with clinical science is the future of nursing.

• Nurses Shift Change: How grassroots movements are mobilizing the workforce to demand better working conditions.

• Political Power: Why nurses must engage in policy and advocacy to fix a broken healthcare system.

• The Retention Crisis: Addressing the unique challenges facing young nurses and how to prevent "ethical injuries" in the workplace.

• Collective Action: The roadmap for nurses to unite and demand better outcomes for both patients and practitioners.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, but systemic barriers often stifle their voices. This episode is a call to action for every nurse, student, and healthcare advocate to pivot from "coping" to "changing."

"It's not just about surviving the shift; it's about changing the shift."

Keywords: Nursing Week, Nursing Advocacy, HESS Framework, Healthcare Reform, Nurses Shift Change, Nursing Ethics, Social Justice in Nursing, Nurse Retention, Health Policy.

Don't forget to like, share and subscribe and leave a review if you're ready to see the nursing profession lead the charge in healthcare transformation!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nursing Advocacy and Community Building

02:25 The HESS Framework: Humanity, Ethics, Social Justice, and Science

05:14 Public Health and Nursing: Bridging the Gap

07:45 The Power of Collective Voice in Nursing

10:45 Mobilizing for Change: The Report for Duty Rally

13:48 Strategic Nursing Leadership and Systemic Change

23:03 Awakening the Nursing Profession

24:45 The Political Nature of Nursing

26:57 Understanding Nursing as a Political Force

33:08 Addressing Racism in Nursing

39:13 The Leaky Bucket: Retaining Nurses

42:15 Ethical Injuries in Nursing

More about Nurses Shift Change: https://nurseshiftchange.org

Gloria E. Barrera (she/her/ella) is a public health and school nurse leader, recognized expert, and dedicated nursing faculty member with over 16 years of experience. She serves as Director of an RN to BSN Program and has been recognized nationally for her leadership, including being named Nurse Influencer of the Year by ANA-Illinois, and a 40 Under Forty in Public Health honoree by the de Beaumont Foundation. Gloria is the Co-Founder of Nurse Heroes for Zero and the Society of Latinx Nurses, a Fellow of the Center for Health Equity Education and Advocacy (CHEEA) and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and alumni of Healing Politics '25. She is dedicated to advancing health equity, climate justice, and the next generation of nurse leaders.

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