The Nursing the System Podcast is for nurses who want to change the healthcare system—but are tired of bandaid fixes and ‘just try harder’ advice. This podcast delivers practical tools, real-world case studies, and systems thinking strategies to help you drive meaningful change—without burning out in the process.
Brought to you by Nursing the System and your host, Claire Phillips, DNP RN.
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This episode is a little different. I didn’t plan it. I didn’t prep it. I sat down on my lunch break in the middle of a very real, very messy Tuesday and hit record. Because I was overwhelmed and I remembered that I built a tool inside Changemaker Essentials specifically for moments like this.
So I decided to walk myself through the framework I teach for navigating overwhelm and regaining clarity when your brain feels like it’s short-circuiting. I talk through the mental chatter, the reality of my workload, and what it looks like to pause, reassess, and make a plan that actually feels doable.
If you’re juggling a lot and feel like you might snap, this one’s for you.
🔑 In This Episode, I Talk Through:
What overwhelm really is (and why it’s not just about time)
The three levers we can pull to manage it: raise resources, reduce demands, or reassess reality
Why I treat my own brain like a system to be supported
The real difference between perception and reality when we’re maxed out
How I used a 4-step tool from Changemaker Essentials to go from spiraling to grounded in 30 minutes
🧠 A Few Mindset Shifts You’ll Hear:
Overwhelm isn’t always a problem to fix—sometimes it’s a cue to pause and assess
Resilience means working with your limits, not pretending you don’t have any
The project plan didn’t fail—you just didn’t know what life was going to throw at you
There’s no shame in revising timelines when your circumstances change
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit: “I need to stop and re-plan”
🛠️ Practical Steps You Can Try This Week:
Do a commitment audit: What can you pause, delegate, or deprioritize right now?
Try a brain dump and organize your tasks by priority and dependency
Time block the rest of your week based on what’s truly essential
Communicate your capacity clearly to others—whether that’s your team or your friends
Protect your restorative routines (like workouts or quiet time), especially during crunch seasons
📣 Curious About the Tool I Used?
The 4-step overwhelm activity I walked through is straight from the Change Maker Essentials curriculum. It’s a framework I return to over and over again—and if you found it helpful, you’ll love the rest of the program.
Enrollment opens in September—and you’ll be the first to know when it does.
📲 Let’s Stay Connected:
Feeling overwhelmed right now? DM me and let me know what your first next step is
Love this kind of behind-the-scenes honesty? Let me know in a podcast review, your words help the show reach more nurse change-makers like you
I Want to Change Healthcare… But I Don’t Know Where to Start
Saison 2 · Épisode 25
lundi 4 août 2025 • Durée 23:17
🎧 Episode Overview:
This week’s episode is inspired by a DM I received from a nursing faculty member who said, “I want to set the nursing world on fire—but I don’t know where to start.” If that resonates with you, you’re not alone.
Whether you’re a student, an educator, or a practicing nurse, if you know you want to make change but don’t yet know what your contribution will look like—this episode is for you. I’m walking you through why you don’t need a perfectly defined mission to get started, and I’m offering real, strategic steps you can take today to begin building your changemaker skillset.
Oh—and if you hear some rustling or meowing in the background, that’s Poppy the cat. She’s joining us for this episode too.
🔑 In This Episode, I Share:
Why clarity comes after action—not before it
How to use your current job as your changemaker training ground
The personal story behind my own uncertain beginnings in nursing and systems work
Why building skills (not chasing credentials) is the fastest path to clarity
How to choose a first change project that’s motivating and manageable
A behind-the-scenes look at how I approach leadership, personal mastery, and team development
🧠 My Hope for You After This Episode:
You feel permission to start before you’re ready
You see your current role—whatever it is—as fertile ground for change
You understand the power of starting small and learning as you go
You’re reminded that your energy, interests, and growth matter just as much as the outcomes you’re driving
🛠️ Try This:
Make a list of “things that tug at your heart” at work—then look for patterns
Set up one conversation this week with a colleague to learn more about their challenges
🧭 Want Help Figuring Out Where to Start?📣 Want to Go Deeper?📲 Let’s Stay in Conversation:
2025 Reflection- 6 Months In — How is it going 👀
Saison 2 · Épisode 24
lundi 28 juillet 2025 • Durée 35:01
🎧 Episode Overview:
We’re back—and not exactly how I imagined. My summer sabbatical didn’t go the way I planned. I got sick, lost energy, and had to put a lot of things on pause. But the time away gave me unexpected clarity. In this episode, I’m reflecting on a post I shared at the start of the yearand I’m revisiting what’s held true, what’s shifted, and how I’m applying (or re-learning) those lessons now.
This is a vulnerable one. If you’ve been navigating your own version of plans-gone-sideways, I hope it offers something grounding and real.
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Hear Me Reflect On:
How I’m still learning to hold my vision tightly but my plans loosely
The way illness forced me to rethink productivity and capacity
Why I believe in piloting—even when things don’t go the way I hoped
What actually happened with Nurse Leader HQ (and why we pushed the launch)
How I think about investing in support—and why sometimes not hiring help is the right move
🧠 A Few Things I’m Taking With Me:
A clear vision doesn’t need a rigid plan.
Just because an opportunity is exciting doesn’t mean it’s sustainable.
Your gut is a valid data source—especially when it comes to collaborators.
Piloting is not a failure. It’s a wise way forward.
Growth doesn’t always require new investments—it sometimes looks like honoring past ones.
🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode:
Treat this episode like a check-in—with me, and maybe with yourself too. What intentions did you set at the beginning of the year? What’s changed? What do you want the rest of 2025 to feel like?
🛠️ Try This:
Revisit your goals: Are you being flexible with the how?
Scan your calendar: Are your “yeses” energizing you—or draining you?
📣 A Quick Update:📲 Let’s Stay Connected:
School’s Out for Summer! (We’re Going on Sabbatical)
Saison 2 · Épisode 23
lundi 9 juin 2025 • Durée 08:29
🎙 We’re Taking a Summer Sabbatical (But Here’s What’s Coming)
🎧 Episode Overview:
This is a quick update to let you know what’s happening behind the scenes at Nursing the System and what’s coming your way this fall. After 6 months of showing up every week with new episodes, Taylor and I are taking a short sabbatical to rest, realign, and focus on some exciting projects we’re building for you. In this episode, I’m sharing why we’re pressing pause, what we’ll be working on this summer, and how you can stay connected while we’re on break.
📣 Special Announcements:
☀️ We’ll be back July 21st with fresh new episodes
📌 The How to Be a Systems Thinker workshop returns in August
🧠 Changemaker Essentials Fall Cohort kicks off in September
📣 Nurse Leader HQ second cohort begins in December
(If you’re interested in NLHQ and haven’t taken CME, now’s your time!)
Breaking the Cycle of Disempowerment: Why You Stopped Speaking Up—and How to Start Again
Saison 2 · Épisode 22
lundi 2 juin 2025 • Durée 36:12
🎙 The Cycle of Disempowerment: Why Nurses Stop Speaking Up (and How to Start Again) 🎧 Episode Overview:
In this episode, I’m walking you through a pattern I’ve seen over and over again—not just in healthcare, but across all kinds of systems: the cycle of disempowerment. It’s what happens when we bring up ideas or try to push for change, and we keep hearing “no” until we eventually stop speaking up. I’ll break down why this cycle happens, how to recognize it, and what you can do to break out of it—both for yourself and the people around you.
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
What the cycle of disempowerment looks like in action (and why it's so common in healthcare)
The 5-stage framework that explains why we stop bringing ideas forward
How our own protective responses unintentionally reinforce stagnant systems
What to say to coworkers and leaders when you notice this pattern
A practical, compassionate strategy to reclaim your voice—without burning out
🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:
Repeatedly being told “no” changes our behavior—even when we care deeply.
Emotional withdrawal is protective, but it also keeps our systems stuck.
Sometimes the cycle isn’t a leadership issue—it’s a culture issue.
Speaking up again requires both courage and strategy—and it's okay to start small.
🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode:
If you’ve been feeling disengaged at work—or watching your team shut down—this episode might name something you’ve struggled to articulate. Listen with curiosity and self-compassion. You’re not broken. But there is a way forward.
🛠️ Practical Actions You Can Take:
Ask yourself: “Where have I stopped trying—and why?”
Share this episode with a colleague and start a real conversation about what’s keeping you stuck
Use the scripts I share to name the pattern (with your team or your boss)
Reframe “no” as data—not a reflection of your value
Decide: is it time to shift your strategy… or shift your environment?
📲 Call to Action:
Introducing Nurse Leader HQ: The Program I Wish I’d Had
Saison 2 · Épisode 21
lundi 26 mai 2025 • Durée 32:59
🎧 Episode Overview:
If you've ever felt like you were handed the keys to a leadership role and left to figure it out on your own—this one's for you. In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the making of Nurse Leader HQ, a brand new 6-month mentorship and mastermind for nurse leaders who are done winging it and ready to lead with clarity, strategy, and support. You’ll hear why I built this, what makes it different, and what you can expect inside this high-touch container.
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
The real gap in leadership support that Nurse Leader HQ is designed to fill
Why private coaching alone isn’t enough to meet the growing needs of nurse leaders
The 3-part structure of the program: private coaching, mastermind community, and leadership lab
What’s included inside the program—and who it’s built for
A behind-the-scenes coaching conversation with a graduating client (that might just make you cry)
🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:
Being a great nurse doesn’t automatically prepare you to lead in complex systems.
You’re not behind—you just haven’t had the right support yet.
Leadership growth takes time, but you shouldn’t have to figure it out alone.
The best leaders build their systems before they burn out.
🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode:
Whether you're already in a formal role or you’re preparing to step into one, listen with an open mind to what kind of support you actually need—not just what you’ve been offered. Ask yourself: what would be different in your workday if you had a space to process, strategize, and grow?
🛠️ Practical Actions You Can Take:
Join the Waitlist for Nurse Leader HQ: Applications open June 2 at 8am PT—waitlist members get first access
Assess Your Leadership Support: Are you being mentored, or are you just managing?
📣 Special Announcements:📲 Call to Action:
Exactly How I Structure My Week (as a Corporate Nurse Leader + Entrepreneur)
Saison 2 · Épisode 20
lundi 19 mai 2025 • Durée 38:20
🎙 Episode Overview: How I Structure My Week as a Corporate Nurse Leader + Entrepreneur
If you are curious how I juggle a corporate leadership role and run Nursing the System, this episode is for you!
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and walking you through exactly how I structure my week—day by day, hour by hour. This is the behind-the-scenes of how I balance strategic leadership, client coaching, content creation, and actual human needs like sleep, fitness, and friendship.
Whether you’re in a high-capacity season yourself or just craving more intention in how you manage your energy and calendar, this episode is a deep dive into systems-thinking for your life.
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
My full weekly routine—from Monday meetings to weekend voice notes and podcasting
How I break down work by energy level and environment (and why that matters)
Why I’m intentionally not aiming for balance in 2025—and what I’m optimizing for instead
The 3 types of work nurse leaders must design for: Recurring, Reactive, and Strategic
How I protect space for long-term planning while still staying responsive
🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:
Systems thinking isn’t just for patient care—it works for time management, too.
If your calendar doesn’t reflect your goals, your weeks won’t produce the life you want.
Nurse leaders often spend too much time in reactive mode. Carve out time for strategic work on purpose.
Your week doesn’t have to be “balanced”—it has to be aligned with your season, values, and vision.
Calendaring is leadership. And you can design your calendar to work with your energy instead of against it.
How to Deal with Bullies at Work
Saison 2 · Épisode 19
lundi 12 mai 2025 • Durée 25:18
Episode Overview:
Today’s episode is personal and powerful. After a string of frustrating public encounters in my (usually peaceful!) Dutch city, I started thinking about bullies—and how very present they are in nursing and healthcare.
If you’ve ever been bullied, witnessed it, or had to manage someone who bullies others, this episode is for you.
We’re talking about:
Why bullies act the way they do
What bullying looks like in a professional setting
How to hold the line (without losing yourself)
Why rooting it out early matters—for the health of your team, culture, and leadership
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why bullying is a reflection of their wounds, not your worth
What workplace bullying looks like (hint: it’s not just “being mean”)
How a zero-tolerance approach protects your team from dysfunction and disrepair
What to say in the moment to shut it down with composure
How to lead through bullying—whether you’re the manager or a team member
🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:
Bullies thrive in silence. Speaking up is a service to your team.
You don’t need to “fix” a bully—but you do need to hold your dignity and the line.
You can feel empathy without excusing behavior.
Boundaries are leadership tools, not just personal preferences.
Culture is shaped by what we tolerate. If we don't stop bullying, it spreads.
🛠️ Reflection Prompts:
Where are you tolerating disrespect because it feels easier than confronting it?
📲 Stay Connected:
The Power of No: How to Make an Impact without Overcommitting
Saison 2 · Épisode 18
lundi 5 mai 2025 • Durée 27:36
Welcome back! This week we’re diving into something that high achievers (like me and probably you) struggle with: saying no. If you’ve ever found yourself overcommitted, running on empty, or constantly feeling like the "go-to person," this episode is for you.
We’re unpacking why we struggle to say no, how to filter what you say yes to, and why setting boundaries isn’t selfish—it’s strategic leadership. If you’ve been stuck in overcommitment mode, let’s shift into something more sustainable.
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
The cultural stories that make us feel like we have to say yes—and why they’re holding you back.
A 3-part filter to help you decide what’s worth your time, energy, and attention.
Why being overcommitted actually dilutes your impact (and how to stop it).
How to use the Value Add Spectrum to figure out what’s no longer serving you.
Real-life examples of how I’ve set (and held) boundaries—yes, even with the COO.
How boundaries help you shift from a reactive leader to a proactive one who leads with intention.
🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:
Saying no is not selfish—it’s a leadership skill that protects your capacity to lead well.
If everything’s important, nothing is. You have to filter and prioritize to show up fully.
Boundaries don’t just happen—you build the muscle by practicing (yes, even when it’s uncomfortable).
You are your best systems change asset—don’t dilute your power with misaligned yeses.
🛠️ The 3-Part Filter to Evaluate Commitments:
Mission Fit: Does this align with where you’re headed?
Can you do this well draining yourself or hurting your bigger goals?
💡 Try This: The Value Add Spectrum🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode:📣 Ready for More Support?📲 Stay Connected:
Losing yourself in Leadership
Saison 2 · Épisode 17
lundi 28 avril 2025 • Durée 20:37
Welcome back to the pod! Today’s episode is for nurse leaders who’ve ever felt like they’ve lost themselves in the demands of leadership. Whether you're burning out trying to fill every gap for your team, or you’ve drifted too far from the bedside and feel disconnected from why you started—this is for you.
I’m walking you through why this happens and how to get back to yourself, without stepping away from your role. You’ll learn how to realign your personal priorities with your organization’s mission, so you can lead with clarity, purpose, and energy again.
We’ll get practical with two reflection questions you can use today, plus I’m sharing a sneak peek into something special I’ve got brewing for nurse leaders like you.
🔑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why so many nurse leaders feel like they’ve lost themselves in the role—and how to tell if you’re one of them
The difference between being dedicated and being depleted, and how to stop sacrificing your own needs for the team
How to reconnect with why you became a leader in the first place, even in a high-pressure environment
Two powerful questions to help you realign your personal goals with your leadership responsibilities
What it means to be a systems thinking leader—and how to show up for your team and yourself at the same time
🧠 Key Ideas to Take With You:
Leadership without self-connection leads to burnout. You matter in the equation too.
You can care deeply about your team and still have personal goals that fuel your work.
Aligning your organization’s mission with your own priorities will center you and help you lead sustainably.
Leadership isn’t about losing yourself—it’s about bringing your whole self to the role, .
🛠️ Two Reflection Questions to Reset Your Leadership:🎧 How to Get the Most Out of This Episode:📣 Something Big Is Coming…📲 Stay Connected:
Reflect on what kind of changemaker you want to be—not just what you want to fix
Identify one tiny process, frustration, or pattern you can explore more deeply
Don’t default into another degree or certification out of uncertainty—build real skills instead
✨ Map Your Impact is my actionable mini-course designed to help you identify where you sit in your organization's change ecosystem—and exactly what behaviors to focus on to build momentum.
🎧 As a podcast listener, use code MYI10OFF to get $10 off:
If you're ready for 12 weeks of strategic skill building, professional growth, and systems-level thinking, check out Changemaker Essentials. It’s my foundational program for nurses who want to lead change with clarity and confidence. Applications open again soon!
👉 What’s one small step you’re taking this week to get in the sandbox?
Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. It helps more nurses find this work and start their own changemaker journey.
Have an idea or question for a future episode? Send me a message—I love hearing from you.
If you’re stuck waiting for perfect conditions, could you try piloting instead?
Ask yourself: Am I listening to my gut—or trying to be liked?
Have you already invested in support? Are you actually using it?
Nurse Leader HQ is still coming—just not on the original timeline. We’re pushing the launch to December so we can build something even stronger. If you want to be the first to know when applications reopen, the link will be in the show notes soon.
Loved this reflection? Send it to a friend who needs to hear it.
Leave a quick review to help other nurse leaders find the show.
Want to read the original Instagram post I reflect on in this episode? Click here.
DM me your thoughts—I’m back online and I’ve missed chatting with you!
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Réduire
Share this episode with a coworker and talk about where you’ve both felt shut down
Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future mindset + leadership tools
Leave a review if this helped you—it really does help the show reach more nurse leaders
Block Time for Strategic Work: Start practicing what we teach inside NLHQ now—set aside calendar space for long-term thinking
Reflect: What would your future self thank you for learning now?
🚨 Nurse Leader HQ Applications Open June 2
This is a small, high-touch cohort (only 5–7 spots). If you're even considering applying, get on the waitlist now so you can review all the details and be ready when the link goes live.
A high-touch, small-cohort leadership program for nurse managers who are ready to lead with clarity, strategy, and confidence. Applications open June 2.
What’s one small boundary you can reinforce this week to flex that leadership muscle?
How can you be part of a culture where bullies lose their power?
💬 Sample Phrases to Use with Bullies:
“It seems like you’re having a rough day. I’m going to need you to handle that elsewhere.”
“I’m surprised you felt comfortable saying that out loud.”
“I understand you’re frustrated, but I will not allow you to speak to me like that.”
(These are calm. Direct. Non-negotiable.)
📣 Nurse Leaders—Heads Up:
My new program Nurse Leader Headquarters is opening for applications in June! This is a high-impact program designed to give nurse leaders the strategic tools, support, and confidence you should have gotten when you first stepped into your role.
Join the System Sunday email crew: For real talk, mindset shifts, and system-savvy strategy delivered weekly.
Capacity Check:
without
Fun Factor: Will this bring meaning, satisfaction, or joy to your life? (Not everything has to be a grind.)
Rate your current commitments from -10 to +10 based on how much value you actually bring.
Anything below a +5? Reevaluate.
Anything at 0 or negative? Let it go.
Use this episode as a gut check. What are you holding onto out of guilt, fear, or habit? Grab a notebook, list your current commitments, and run them through the filter. You’ll walk away with more clarity—and maybe fewer things on your plate.
New Program Alert: A leadership program for nurse leaders is coming soon. If you want to build boundaries, lead strategically, and stop drowning in everyone else’s priorities—join the interest list now to get first access.
DM Me: What’s something you’re saying no to this week? Let me know how this landed for you.
strategically and intentionally
What is the primary organizational priority that your team needs to focus on right now?
How does this organizational priority connect to a personal priority you have as a professional?
Start here. Get honest. Then build your leadership plan around BOTH.
This isn’t just something to listen to passively. Grab a notebook or open your notes app and answer those two questions. Come back to them weekly if you need to. When your goals and your organization’s goals are running parallel, you don’t lose yourself—you grow.
If this episode resonated with you, and you’ve been craving more support as a nurse leader, I’ve got something exciting on the horizon. A new program just for nurse leaders is in the works. If you want to be the first to hear about it (and get your first clue), join the super secret nurse leader waitlist.
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