The Gritty Nurse

What happens when an ER nurse pivots to Labor & Delivery and accidentally becomes the internet's most trusted voice in birth advocacy? In this episode, we're joined by the incredible Jen Hamilton to dive deep into her journey from the bedside to the bestseller list (I am sure it will be)!
We're breaking down:
The "Birth Vibes" Movement: Jen shares the heart behind her new book, Birth Vibes, a practical and empowering guide to navigating pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period without the fear-mongering.

Patient Advocacy: Why the role of the nurse is changing in the age of TikTok.

The Reality of Loss: A raw conversation on how healthcare professionals cope with the heavy moments.

Mental Health & Self-Care: How Jen manages the spotlight while maintaining her sanity and her nursing license.

Her Love of Chickens: Meet her Linda's!
Whether you're a nurse, an expectant parent, or just here for the real-talk, Jen's perspective on patient empowerment and compassion-led care is exactly what the healthcare industry needs right now.
About "Birth Vibes" by Jen Hamilton 📖
Jen's debut book is more than just a birth guide—it's a toolkit for agency. Birth Vibes aims to strip away the "clinical coldness" of hospital births. It covers:
How to build a birth plan that actually works.

Navigating hospital protocols with confidence.

Understanding the physiological process of birth through a lens of humor and radical honesty.

Buy Jen's Book Here: Birth Vibes
More About Jen Hamilton:
Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse, educator, and former emergency room nurse. She is one of the most trusted voices in maternal health today, building a community of more than six million followers across her social platforms. A storyteller at heart, Jen weaves evidence-based information with the real, unfiltered moments at the bedside where life's most important moments happen. Before moving into labor and delivery in 2018, Jen spent six years as an ER nurse. Today, she is a sought-after national speaker, an advocate for equitable care for all online, and a creator of resources that empower both patients and nurses to navigate birth with confidence, clarity, and humanity. Jen lives in North Carolina with her husband, Brian, and their two sons, Ellis and Luke.
Find more and Connect with Jen here: https://www.jenhamilton.co/about
Listen and SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts – : The Gritty Nurse Podcast on Apple Apple Podcasts 
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-gritty-nurse/id1493290782
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Stay Connected:
Website: grittynurse.com
Instagram: @grittynursepod
TikTok: @thegrittynursepodcast
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X (Twitter): @GrittyNurse
Collaborations & Inquiries: For sponsorship opportunities or to book Amie for speaking engagements, visit: grittynurse.com/contact
Thank you to Hospital News for being a collaborative partner with the Gritty Nurse!
www.hospitalnews.com

Does every child in Canada truly have a right to an education?
In this powerful episode on The Gritty Nurse with Host Amie Archibald-Varley, she sits down with Matthew Flagler and Richard Hackett to discuss the systemic failures within Canada's healthcare and education systems. Spurred by the personal struggle to get adequate support for children with learning disabilities, Richard and Matthew are leading a movement to hold the government accountable.
They dive deep into why the current governments education system is failing families, the dangerous creep of privatization in healthcare, and the growing class divide in access to essential services. Most importantly, they discuss their House of Commons petition aimed at making quality education a constitutionally protected right for every child, regardless of their needs.
In this episode, we cover:
The personal toll of navigating a broken special education system.

Why the "right to education" is currently a legal grey area in Canada.

The link between public healthcare, education, and social equity.

How community advocacy can drive real legislative change.

Take Action: Matthew and Richard are calling on all Canadians to support Petition e-6982. This is a crucial step toward ensuring no child is left behind by the system.
✍️ Sign the Petition Here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6982
Read more about the story on CBC News: Father starts petition to make education a constitutional right
How to Find Richard and Matthew on Tiktok:
@author_matthewflagler
@unstoppableAnonymous
Matthew's Book:
Held to the fire: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/matthew-flagler/
Takeaways
Matthew has a background in firefighting and has published a book on a tragic fire.
Richard started a petition due to his son's long wait for occupational therapy.
The healthcare system in Canada is facing significant underfunding and challenges.
Public healthcare and education should be protected as basic human rights.
Privatization of healthcare has historically not worked and leads to inequities.
Advocacy is crucial for ensuring accountability in public services.
Community action can drive significant change in healthcare and education.
Class struggles are central to the conversation about access to services.
Teachers and healthcare workers deserve better wages and support.
The petition aims to ensure that healthcare and education are constitutionally protected rights.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Guests
02:23 Personal Experiences with Healthcare and Education
04:59 The Petition for Healthcare Reform
07:56 Understanding the Healthcare System and Its Challenges
09:43 The Impact of Privatization on Public Services
12:21 Advocacy for Universal Rights in Healthcare and Education
15:12 The Role of Community and Collective Action
17:41 Addressing Misinformation and Public Perception
20:31 The Importance of Political Engagement
23:32 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
* Listen and SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts – : The Gritty Nurse Podcast on Apple Apple Podcasts 
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Stay Connected:
Website: grittynurse.com
Instagram: @grittynursepod
TikTok: @thegrittynursepodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064212216482
X (Twitter): @GrittyNurse
Collaborations & Inquiries: For sponsorship opportunities or to book Amie for speaking engagements, visit: grittynurse.com/contact
Thank you to Hospital News for being a collaborative partner with the Gritty Nurse!
www.hospitalnews.com

In this episode of The Gritty Nurse Podcast with host Amie Archibald-Varley, she interviews fellow nurse, Danielle Gibbs Koenitzer. Danielle recounts her experience presenting to the Emergency Department at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital—the very institution where she served as a nurse. Despite her clinical background as an emergency room nurse and professional ties to the facility, Danielle's care was marked by significant gaps, dangerous dismissal of her symptoms and pain. and questions concerning racial bias and health equity. 
Her experience is not an anomaly, but a reflection of a documented public health crisis. In Canada, studies show that Black patients are 22% less likely to receive any pain medication compared to white patients, and many healthcare providers still hold the dangerous, non-evidence-based belief that Black people have a higher pain threshold. These biases often lead to misdiagnosis and medical neglect, where symptoms are ignored until they reach a point of no return.
The conversation moves beyond the clinical errors to address the institutional silence that followed. Danielle discusses her ongoing efforts to seek accountability from the hospital's leadership team, who have yet to provide substantive answers or engage in a meaningful quality improvement process. This is a factual look at the systemic barriers Black women face in healthcare and the breakdown of institutional responsibility when patients demand transparency. Black women do not seek justice and accountability only during the month of February, but every day they navigate a system that fails them.
Episdoe EDIT: @10:37 Danielle says 180 cm, she meant to say 180cc of fluid.
Takeaways
Danielle's journey into nursing was influenced by her mother's advice.
She has worked in various nursing roles, including critical care and education.
Danielle experienced severe pain after a medical procedure but faced challenges in receiving adequate care.
Her experience highlights systemic failures in healthcare, particularly for Black women.
Racial bias plays a significant role in how pain is perceived and treated in healthcare settings.
Danielle's colleague had a vastly different experience at the same hospital, raising concerns about racial disparities.
The healthcare system often dismisses the pain of women, especially women of color.
Education on racial bias in healthcare is crucial for future providers.
Advocacy for patients is essential, but can be difficult for those within the system.
There is a need for co-conspirators to address and change systemic issues in healthcare.
Keywords: nursing, healthcare, racial bias, pain management, advocacy, systemic issues, black women, healthcare disparities, patient experience, interventional radiology
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Danielle's Journey
02:25 The Painful Experience: A Personal Story
05:04 Systemic Issues in Healthcare for Black Women
07:46 Racial Bias in Pain Management
10:42 The Aftermath: Seeking Accountability
13:03 Reflections on Healthcare Inequities
21:38 Addressing Racial Bias in Healthcare
25:21 The Challenges of Self-Advocacy in Medicine
27:15 The Need for Systemic Change in Healthcare
32:00 Empowering Patients and Advocates
35:34 The Call for Co-Conspirators in Healthcare Reform
* Listen on Apple Podcasts – : The Gritty Nurse Podcast on Apple Apple Podcasts 
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* Watch on YouTube –  https://www.youtube.com/@thegrittynursepodcast
Stay Connected:
Website: grittynurse.com
Instagram: @grittynursepod
TikTok: @thegrittynursepodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064212216482
X (Twitter): @GrittyNurse
Collaborations & Inquiries: For sponsorship opportunities or to book Amie for speaking engagements, visit: grittynurse.com/contact
Thank you to Hospital News for being a collaborative partner with the Gritty Nurse!
www.hospitalnews.com

Can an algorithm truly care for a patient? As we move further into 2026, the healthcare industry is being flooded with AI tools promising to automate everything from charting to triage. But there's a massive problem: most of these tools are being built by engineers who have never spent a 12-hour shift on a med-surg floor.
In this high-stakes conversation, Rebecca Love, RN, joins us to explain why the "Nursing Voice" is the most valuable asset in the 2026 tech landscape. We discuss the recent surge in ambient clinical scribes and the ethical "black boxes" of agentic AI—and why tech giants are destined to fail if they don't put nurses at the center of the development loop. This episode is a banger! Please like, follow and SUBSCRIBE! 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
The Missing Link in Innovation: Why tech companies are struggling to achieve ROI because they lack the "frontline intuition" only a nurse provides.

The 2026 AI Reality Check: A look at the current trends, from Google's Nurse Handoff tools to the 18% error rate recently found in some AI-generated discharge summaries.

Ethics of the "Black Box": How nurses serve as the ultimate "Human-in-the-Loop" to prevent algorithmic bias and hallucinations from reaching the patient.

Why Big Tech Can't "Do It Right" Alone: The specific clinical nuances—like reading a patient's non-verbal cues or navigating family dynamics—that cannot be coded into a Large Language Model (LLM).

The Accountability Crisis: As AI begins drafting clinical work, who is legally responsible? Rebecca dives into the shifting liability landscape for RNs and NPs.

More About Rebecca Love RN, BS, MSN, FIEL
Rebecca Love, RN, BS, MSN, FIEL is an experienced nurse executive and first nurse featured on Ted.com, first nurse panel at SXSW. Rebecca is a regular contributor on the Forbes Business Council, has been featured in BBC, Fortune, Becker's, AXIOS, STAT, Forbes, Chief Healthcare Executive Magazine and ABC news and has co-authored two books: The Rebel Nurse Handbook and the The Nurses Guide to Innovation.
Rebecca, was the first Director of Nurse Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the United States at Northeastern School of Nursing – the founding initiative in the Country designed to empower nurses as innovators and entrepreneurs, where she founded the Nurse Hackathon, the movement has led to transformational change in the Nursing Profession. In early 2019, Rebecca, along with a group of leading nurses in the world, founded and is President Emeritus of SONSIEL: The Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders, a non-profit that quickly attained recognition by the United Nations as an Affiliate Member to the UN.
Rebecca is an experienced Nurse Entrepreneur, founding HireNurses.com in 2013 which was acquired in 2018 by Ryalto, LTD UK, where she served as the Managing Director of US Markets, until it's acquisition in 2019. Rebecca served as the Chief Clinical Officer of IntelyCare, Inc. In 2023, Rebecca founded the Commission for Nurse Reimbursement- dedicated to solving the United States Nursing Crisis by creating a new economic model to reimburse for nursing services.
Rebecca is passionate about empowering nurses and creating communities to help nurses innovate, create and collaborate to start businesses and inventions to transform healthcare. In 2024, Rebecca signed as the Co-Chair of the NursingIsSTEM Coalition. In addition, Rebecca sits as an advisory board member on several leading digital health startups and organizations, has co-authored 2 books, founded 3 companies, speaks internationally, and is dedicated and passionate about empowering nurses to be at the forefront of healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship.
Connect with her on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/rebeccalovenursing
 Listen on Apple Podcasts – : The Gritty Nurse Podcast on Apple Apple Podcasts 
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-gritty-nurse/id1493290782
* Watch on YouTube –  https://www.youtube.com/@thegrittynursepodcast
Stay Connected:
Website: grittynurse.com
Instagram: @grittynursepod
TikTok: @thegrittynursepodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064212216482
X (Twitter): @GrittyNurse
Collaborations & Inquiries: For sponsorship opportunities or to book Amie for speaking engagements, visit: grittynurse.com/contact
Thank you to Hospital News for being a collaborative partner with the Gritty Nurse!
www.hospitalnews.com

A Historic Seat at the Table...
In this landmark episode of the Gritty Nurse Podcast, we sit down with a true trailblazer: The Honorable Marjorie Michel, Canada's first Black Minister of Health.
The Canadian healthcare system is at a critical crossroads, and Minister Mitchell is leading the charge toward a more modern, equitable, and efficient future. We dive deep into the "gritty" realities of reform, from the essential—yet often undervalued—role of nurses to the technological frontier of AI in clinical settings.
Inside the Episode:
The Modernization Mandate: How Canada is pivoting to meet the demands of a 21st-century population.

Nursing at the Core: Why nursing leadership is non-negotiable for a functioning healthcare system.

The Mental Health Frontier: Strategies for closing the gap in provincial and national care.

Breaking New Ground: The urgent need for a National Men's Health Strategy.

The AI Revolution: Can technology solve the staffing crisis or is it a new set of challenges?

Whether you're a nurse on the front lines or a citizen concerned about the future of care, this conversation offers a rare look at the intersection of policy, passion, and progress. 
Don't Forget to Like, Share and SUBSCRIBE on Apple and Youtube!
About The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, Canada
Marjorie Miche is a Haitian-Canadian politician who has served as Minister of Health since 2025 in Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet. A member of the Liberal Party, she has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Papineau since 2025, succeeding former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Her political career began in 2016 as a policy adviser to Jean-Yves Duclos, later serving as his chief of staff. In 2019, she became the first Black chief of staff in the Trudeau government, according to The Hill, staying on when Duclos became Treasury Board president before moving to the PMO. She went on to lead the Liberal Party's Quebec operations in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections before joining Trudeau's office in 2021 and later becoming deputy campaign director of the party," wrote Gazettereporter Harry North.
The Liberal Party website does not mention any previous experience in public health care, but describes her as passionate about people: "A strong advocate of sustainable networking, she has been actively involved with the Réseau des Femmes d'Affaires du Québec since 2005, making economic inclusion her primary focus."
Michel is the daughter of former Haitian Prime Minister Smarck Michel, and holds a master's degree in social work, and organizational psychology from UCL (Belgium).
https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/marjorie-michel(122684)
https://www.canada.ca/en/government/ministers/marjorie-michel.html
https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=20406
* Listen on Apple Podcasts – : The Gritty Nurse Podcast on Apple Apple Podcasts 
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* Watch on YouTube –  https://www.youtube.com/@thegrittynursepodcast
Stay Connected:
Website: grittynurse.com
Instagram: @grittynursepod
TikTok: @thegrittynursepodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064212216482
X (Twitter): @GrittyNurse
Collaborations & Inquiries: For sponsorship opportunities or to book Amie for speaking engagements, visit: grittynurse.com/contact
Thank you to Hospital News for being a collaborative partner with the Gritty Nurse!
www.hospitalnews.com