New nurses step onto the floor with a license, but not with all the answers. Yet patients, families, and even friends often expect brand-new RNs to perform like seasoned experts. In this episode, I (Kati Kleber, MSN RN) sit down with my husband, licensed clinical counselor John Kleber, to unpack what it's like to learn under that spotlight of public expectations.

Together, we explore how new nurses can manage the gap between what people expect of you, and what you realistically know as you grow into the role.

What you'll learn:

✅ Why people assume you "know everything now" the second you pass NCLEX, and what's actually realistic

✅ How the Dunning-Kruger effect shows up in new grad nursing (the "I've got this!" → "Oh no I don't" roller coaster)

✅ How Benner's Novice-to-Expert model explains the long game of becoming truly competent

✅ Why shame, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome hit so hard in your first year

✅ Simple phrases you can use when you don't know the answer... but still want to build trust with patients and families

✅ Practical mindset shifts (from a counselor's perspective) to build confidence that's grounded and not fake

🔗 Resources & Links:

• John's counseling practice: https://www.klebercounseling.com/

• Join the FreshRN email list for free (non-spammy) resources & updates: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up

• Nurse leaders: Need a comprehensive residency program for your new grads? Check out: https://www.freshrn.com/enterprise/

🎧 Follow & Subscribe:

If this episode gave you something to think about, follow FreshRN wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a nurse friend!

New nurses are often handed a long "allergy list" and five minutes to make sense of it. In this episode, Kati Kleber talks with Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, former President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and NP at DePaul Community Health Centers, about how to take a focused allergy history that actually improves patient care.

What you'll learn:

✅ A fast framework to separate side effect vs intolerance vs sensitivity vs true allergy

✅ The exact questions to verify things like "penicillin allergy" and when to consider delabeling

✅ How and when to use allergen-specific IgE blood testing (no antihistamine washout)

✅ High-impact pitfalls: alpha-gal syndrome and heparin; birch–apple cross-reactivity

✅ Documentation that helps providers choose safer meds and diets

✅ When to loop in pharmacy/allergy, and what to tell families about prevention

This episode is great info for new grads, med-surg, ICU/ED, primary care, school nurses, and anyone updating intake workflows.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Connect with Dr. Sophia Thomas on LinkedIn and X
• Join the FreshRN email list for free resources & updates: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/
• Nurse leaders: Looking for a comprehensive residency program for your new grads? Check out: https://www.freshrn.com/enterprise/

🎧 Follow & Subscribe:

If this episode gave you something to think about, follow FreshRN wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a nurse friend!

Traditional nursing models are breaking under the weight of higher acuity, staffing shortages, and relentless workload. But nurse leaders aren't waiting for permission to fix it, they're redesigning care delivery right now.

In this episode, Kati Kleber, MSN RN, talks with Dr. Bethany Robertson, Clinical Executive at Wolters Kluwer, Health Learning Research & Practice, about how hospitals are experimenting with new care models that actually work. From team-based care to virtual nursing, Bethany explains how leaders are offloading cognitive overload, improving patient flow, and helping nurses feel valued for their clinical judgment... not just their ability to survive the shift.

We discuss:

✅ What virtual nursing really looks like in action: how it's being used across acute care to support bedside teams without cutting FTEs.

✅ Why simply adding more staff won't fix burnout, and what true workload redesign looks like when nurses can finally think, not just react.

✅ How nurse leaders are rewriting the rules using insights from the FutureCare Nursing 2025 report, to build care models that protect both patients and the profession.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Read the full FutureCare Nursing 2025 survey report from Lippincott® Solutions
• Join the FreshRN email list for free resources & updates: https://www.freshrn.com/email-sign-up/
• Nurse leaders: Looking for a comprehensive residency program for your new grads? Check out: https://www.freshrn.com/enterprise/

🎧 Follow & Subscribe:

If this episode gave you something to think about, follow FreshRN wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a nurse friend!