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100 - Claire Davies - The Art of Compassionate Witnessing
Season 1 · Episode 100
Friday, August 7, 2026 • Duration 01:46:31
In this, the 100th episode, I am joined by my wife, Claire Davies, a person who has quietly shaped Mastering Intensive Care from the very beginning.
Claire's career has evolved from bedside intensive care nursing to ICU liaison nursing, and now to spiritual care, where she works as both a practitioner and educator.
This is not a conversation about religion or faith. Rather, it explores what spiritual care can teach all clinicians about being fully present with another human being. Claire describes how Clinical Pastoral Education transformed the way she understands herself and others, introducing concepts such as compassionate witnessing, deep listening, role boundaries and authentic presence.
Together, we explore how patients and families experience intensive care, why healthcare professionals burn out, and how we might preserve our humanity while working in one of medicine's most demanding environments.
In this episode, we discuss:
Claire's journey from ICU nurse to spiritual care practitioner
The story behind "The Pause"
What Clinical Pastoral Education teaches that healthcare often doesn't
Compassionate witnessing versus trying to fix suffering
Why listening is harder than talking
How clinicians unintentionally shift conversations back to themselves
The importance of vulnerability in healthcare teams
What patients and families actually remember about intensive care
Understanding suffering without needing to solve it
Supporting dying patients and grieving families
Role boundaries and preventing burnout
The small moments that communicate humanity
Why curiosity is often more helpful than certaintyReflections on 100 episodes of Mastering Intensive Care
Although grounded in intensive care, this episode is ultimately about something much broader. What it means to accompany another human through uncertainty, suffering and loss.
I hope you enjoy listening to this thoughtful and deeply human conversation with Claire Davies.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
What Happened After Run Larapinta – Mastering Intensive Challenges Recap (Episode 10)
Season 1 · Episode 99
Thursday, March 5, 2026 • Duration 44:26
From finish-line highs to injury, doubt, and rebuilding.
Over two years ago, Run Larapinta ended in triumph. But the months that followed brought injury, uncertainty, and a slow road back to running.
In this episode, I reconnect with fellow intensivist Ed Litton to reflect on what really happened after we crossed the finish line.
The original Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta series, published over several months in 2023, followed our journey as we prepared for and completed the four-day, 120 km trail running stage race along the spectacular Larapinta Trail in Central Australia. It was a shared adventure and a memorable experience.
But the story didn't end there.
In this recap episode, Ed speaks honestly about the unexpected challenges that followed, including a hip injury that led to months off running, and the psychological impact of losing his confidence. It was a slow rehabilitation, and it taught him important lessons about the patience and humility an endurance runner must have.
It wasn't all roses for me, either, and I talk about the knee injury that temporarily derailed me, and threatened my identity.
This episode serves as a reflection on the Run Larapinta journey and a reminder that the most meaningful lessons from endurance challenges often come after the finish line.
98 - Forbes McGain - Every decision has a footprint
Season 1 · Episode 98
Sunday, December 21, 2025 • Duration 01:21:07
The guest on this episode is Dr Forbes McGain, who speaks about what sustainability really means in healthcare, and why it's inseparable from good medicine. Drawing on his clinical work, research, and experience during COVID-19, Forbes explores how everyday ICU decisions carry environmental consequences, how "less is more" can benefit both patients and the planet, and how sustainability can align with patient safety, staff wellbeing, and cost. The conversation moves from bedside practice to hospital systems and innovation, while also reflecting on communication, mentorship, and what it means to be a thoughtful, humane intensivist.
Forbes is an intensivist, anaesthetist, researcher, and one of the leading voices in sustainable healthcare in Australia. He works clinically at Western Health in Melbourne and is also an Associate Professor of Critical Care and the Associate Dean of Sustainable Healthcare at the University of Melbourne.
In this episode, Forbes speaks about:
How growing up on a farm shaped his connection to nature and medicine
His pathway through anaesthesia and intensive care, and why he still practises both
What sustainability really means in healthcare
Why every decision made on an ICU ward round has an environmental footprint
Thinking in life cycles rather than single-use devices
Practical examples of sustainable practice at the bedside
The principle of "less is more" in intensive care
Micro, meso, and macro approaches to creating change
The central role of nurses in the ICU
Hospital energy use and the case for fully electric hospitals
Innovation during COVID-19, including the McMonty isolation hood
What sustains him personally, and advice for trainees interested in systems change
I hope you enjoy listening to this inspiring conversation with Associate Professor Forbes McGain.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
97 - Nhi Nguyen - From refugee to purposeful leadership in Intensive Care
Season 1 · Episode 97
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 01:23:59
The guest on this episode is Dr Nhi Nguyen, who as a six-year-old escaped Vietnam by boat. Today, she is an intensivist, a healthcare leader, and a voice for purpose and compassion in medicine.
Dr Nhi Nguyen is the Clinical Director of Intensive Care NSW and served as the state's ICU Clinical Advisor during the COVID-19 response. She is closely involved in the Single Digital Patient Record program and is the clinical lead for the Nepean Hospital Redevelopment. Nhi serves on the Boards of the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District and the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM).
In this conversation, Nhi shares her remarkable journey - from refugee beginnings to senior leadership in Australian intensive care. She reflects on her family's escape, her early determination not to stand out, and the irony that she now holds these major roles with NSW Health, the CICM and a major hospital redevelopment.
Nhi speaks about the mentors who opened doors, the pivotal choices that shaped her career, and the clarity she has found in defining her purpose. She also recalls her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she helped coordinate intensive care responses across New South Wales under extraordinary pressure.
What shines through is not only Nhi's capability, but her humanity — her focus on compassion, cultural identity, and lifting up those whose potential might otherwise go unseen.
Nhi's is a story of courage, resilience, and humility. And a reminder of what it truly means to be an intensivist.
Thank you for listening.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
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Relevant links
96 - Rob Mac Sweeney - The man behind Critical Care Reviews
Season 1 · Episode 96
Saturday, June 7, 2025 • Duration 01:09:25
The guest on this episode is Professor Rob Mac Sweeney, who founded and leads the hugely valuable organisation Critical Care Reviews.
Rob isa Consultant Intensivist at the Royal Victoria Hospital and an Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Rob founded Critical Care Reviews back in 2008 and this has grown to now be holding two meetings a year where the largest trials in critical care are presented, critiqued and analysed. Critical Care Reviews also has a comprehensive website, a podcast and publishes a newsletter and a paper of the day, amongst other things, as a way of disseminating the most up to date science in critical care.
If you are fascinated about the story of the man behind Critical Care Reviews, you'll love listening to this.
In this episode, Rob talks about:
How Critical Care Reviews began as a simple website
His anxiety when he sent the first newsletter
How the website and newsletter developed into a scientific meeting
The attraction of trialists with their RCTs to the growing Critical Care Reviews meeting
The multi-media output of Critical Care Reviews
The importance of a consistent reading habit with the medical literature
The significance of high-quality production values for the Critical Care Reviews meeting
His passion of sharing science to improve patient care
How study investigators gain a slot at a Critical Care Reviews meeting
What he requests from study investigators submitting a study
The magical quality of significant study results being presented for the first time
How Critical Care Reviews expanded to hold a meeting in Melbourne
How he translates evidence into clinical practice
What's unique about his ward round
His thoughts on the teaching and sharing of non-clinical skills
95 - Rinaldo Bellomo - A Tribute
Season 1 · Episode 95
Friday, May 16, 2025 • Duration 01:20:53
This episode is a rebroadcast of Episode 3 (from 2017) featuring the late Professor Rinaldo Bellomo, who unexpectedly died in May 2025.
There is also a personal tribute from me.
Andrew Davies
94 - Michael Clifford - A paediatric intensivist willing to talk about his mental health
Season 1 · Episode 94
Friday, March 21, 2025 • Duration 01:38:21
In this episode, you'll hear from a wise and thoughtful paediatric intensivist.
Michael Clifford is a Paediatric Intensivist and Anaesthetist from the Royal Children's Hospital and Monash Childrens Hospital, Melbourne. Mike has recently finished his term as a CICM Examiner for both the Paediatric Fellowship and the CICM Primary exams. He is a keen teacher with a passion for the basic sciences and how they can inform our clinical practise. He sees every ward round as an opportunity for teaching the primary syllabus - and reminding non-paediatricians of the wonders of breast milk. He is a regular on the Paediatrica Intensiva podcast and has also appeared on Swapnil Pawar's ICU Primary prepcast. More recently he has become an open advocate of discsussions around neurodivergence and mental health in doctors in anaesthesia and critical care.
In our conversation, Michael talks about:
How he became a paediatric intensivist and why he loves it
The essential differences between managing children and adults
His thoughts on interacting with the parents of sick children
How his ward rounds have changed
His mental health experience in recent times
Remembering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
What he's observed with mental health awareness
Modern adaptations to sick leave in doctors
How he looks after his health
The benefits of no longer drinking alcohol
What brings him joy, particularly at work
The value of a human-oriented approach to ICU care
What older intensivists might do
Career advice for trainees and fellows
Thank you for listening to Dr Michael Clifford.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
93 - Jeram Hyde - Teaching non-technical skills
Season 1 · Episode 93
Thursday, December 12, 2024 • Duration 01:15:17
My guest in this episode is Dr Jeram Hyde, an intensivist in Newcastle with a special interest in teaching non-technical skills.
Jeram is the force behind an annual Trainee Education Day, run by the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, and which I attended this year. Jeram has been building this meeting over recent years from a single ICU's annual meeting to educate their trainees on non-clinical topics like work-life balance, communication and civility to one that is now sponsored by the CICM and attracts people from all over the state of New South Wales.
Apart from working as an intensivist, Jeram holds masters degrees in business and human resource management. In his free time he enjoys paragliding and rock climbing.
We recorded this interview whilst I was in Newcastle and we talked about the philosophy of the Education Day, the benefits of teaching these non-technical skills, and how the meeting has grown. Jeram also talked about the fear that prompted his choice to become an ICU doctor, what he values in fostering team culture, and what he looks for when conducting interviews for ICU trainee roles.
Thank you for listening to my conversation with Dr Jeram Hyde.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
92 - Emily Amos - From burnout to educating doctors on mindfulness and wellbeing
Season 1 · Episode 92
Friday, October 11, 2024 • Duration 01:18:02
My guest in this episode is Dr Emily Amos, a general practitioner and a passionate educator on mindfulness in Melbourne.
Emily might not be an intensivist but she is a doctor with a powerful burnout story that led to her becoming an enthusiastic guide and teacher about mindfulness and self care. Emily has roles as a GP, a surgical assistant, a lactation consultant, a yoga teacher, a university tutor and a registered mindfulness meditation teacher. Her business, Whole Hearted Medicine, runs mindfulness & self care retreats for doctors. These immersive, CPD approved retreats offer doctors the chance to learn skills in mindfulness, meditation and self compassion away from both work and family pressures. Emily also blogs, speaks, podcasts, runs workshops, and offers several courses through her website www.dremilyamos.com.
Emily provides excellent perspectives on burnout, wellbeing, mindfulness, stress management, life balance and psychological safety. On this episode, Emily openly shares her vivid recollection of the day her life fell apart, what she discovered about herself during her recovery, and, most importantly, how this fuelled her subsequent drive to guide and support people, including doctors, through mindfulness-based self care.
Thank you for listening to Dr Emily Amos.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
Emily Amos website with links to courses, podcast, blog and other useful material
91 - Peter Brindley - Clinical leadership, podcasting and identifying when patients are dying
Season 1 · Episode 91
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 • Duration 01:23:05
My guest in this episode is Dr Peter Brindley, an intensivist in Edmonton, Canada.
Peter is a tenured full Professor of Critical Care Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Medical Ethics, with over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, over 30 book chapters, and over 100 other articles, including regular opinion pieces for the British Medical Journal. He has written one book and co-hosts a podcast (The Critical Care Commute). He has presented to audiences in 15 countries during appoximately 650 invited presentations, 50 plenaries and 10 named lectures. He is convinced happiness comes from finding meaning and showing gratitude. He is proudest of two feral kids, neither of whom give a hoot about his work-related achievements.
Peter was previously featured in episode 15 as well as in the Persevering Through A Pandemic series from 2021. These episodes are well worth listening to. Given he was in Australia for the Annual Scientific Meeting of the CICM, I thought I had to have him on the show again.
In this episode, Peter talks about why he's a doctor and why he stays working where he does, before touching on a variety of topics including clinical leadership, imposter syndrome, the differing skills of the people making up our teams, efficiency, understanding when patients are dying, podcasting, wellbeing and parting advice.
Thank you for listening to Dr Peter Brindley.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
How he uses running to manage his wellbeing (often in the dark)
And, some closing advice
Please enjoy listening to Rob Mac Sweeeney.
Andrew Davies
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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.
