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Four to six percent of Americans live with some form of chronic lung disease, and it remains one of the leading causes of death and illness in the country. In this episode of Nurse Essentials, Debbie Matejka-Orlosky, LPN, in the ambulatory respiratory office at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, discusses the role nurses play in caring for patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease and other pulmonary conditions.

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Lisa Baszynski, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) for nursing education and professional development at Cleveland Clinic, believes nurses have a responsibility to keep expanding their knowledge. “There is nothing more important in our nursing profession than continuing to grow and learn and to be educated,” she says. In this episode of Nurse Essentials, she shares advice on how to decide when it’s the right time to pursue an advanced degree, what to consider when selecting a degree program and more.

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Healthcare workers are four to five times more likely to experience workplace violence injuries than workers in private industry, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. This episode of Nurse Essentials delves into workplace violence prevention with insight provided by Ashley Withrow, PhD, Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Workplace Violence Prevention and Caregiver Well-Being, and Erica Shields, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Emergency and Behavioral Health Nursing and co-chair of the Enterprise Workplace Violence Committee.

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According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, approximately 227,000 new nurses entered the U.S. workforce last year. As more graduates begin their careers this spring and summer, this Nurse Essentials episode shares advice from a dozen Cleveland Clinic nurse leaders and experts for nurses just starting out.

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In January 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) removed 285 procedures from its inpatient-only (IPO) list, accelerating the shift of surgical care from inpatient settings to ambulatory surgery centers. In this episode of Nurse Essentials, Wendy Simmons, MSN, RN, Perioperative Nursing Director for Cleveland Clinic Outpatient Surgery & Endoscopy, explores the evolution of outpatient surgery centers and the changing expectations and responsibilities of nurses.

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Patient care nursing assistants provide invaluable care at the bedside alongside clinical nurses. “I’m very passionate about our PCNAs, especially on medical-surgical units,” says Barbara Zinner, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CENP, Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer at Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital and Marymount Sports Health. “I’ve put some focus and some energy into making sure that they are recognized, rewarded and developed.” In this podcast episode, Dr. Zinner shares strategies and initiatives that support PCNAs.

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While lung cancer is among the top three most common cancers in the United States, research has led to new understandings of the disease and new treatments for it. During her two years in thoracic medical oncology with the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Alexandria Jordan, PA-C, has treated many of the same patients – some who have lived with metastatic lung cancer for a decade. In this episode of Nurse Essentials, she discusses the latest science behind lung cancer, as well as the role of nurses on her interprofessional team and how they support patients.

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The first year in nursing practice can be awe-inspiring and joyful, but it’s also mentally and emotionally taxing. In this episode of Nurse Essentials, Kathryn Stuck Boyd, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Nursing Education Manager and Nursing Residency Director at Cleveland Clinic, shares strategies for new nurses to help smooth the transition. “The nurses that really thrive are curious and coachable,” she says. “[They] ask questions and embrace those opportunities to learn.”