The Heartbeat Debrief

The Heartbeat Debrief

by Devin Grovala

Medicine Mental Health

Season 1

Ep. 19. Self Advocacy

In Episode 19 of Heartbeat Debrief, Devin sits down with Ashley, a NICU nurse practitioner and former bedside nurse, to talk about self-advocacy in healthcare. From speaking up about patient concerns to asking for help, education, breaks, boundaries, or accommodations, they explore why finding your voice at work can be so difficult — and why it matters. They discuss the influence of workplace culture, hierarchy, fear of judgment, and the pressure to be “easy to work with.” Ashley shares her experience moving from RN to nurse practitioner and the importance of creating relationships where nurses and providers feel safe asking questions, voicing concerns, and working toward solutions together. Key Topics Learning to recognize and communicate your needs at work. Advocating for yourself, your patients, and your team. Asking for help without feeling weak or incapable. How leaders can create a culture where people feel safe speaking up. Addressing concerns directly, respectfully, and without burning bridges. Why it is okay to leave an organization that no longer aligns with your values. Quote “You don’t owe that hospital system. You don’t owe that fire department. You don’t owe that ambulance company. You owe yourself everything.” Call to Action Share this episode with a healthcare worker who needs the reminder that speaking up, asking questions, and setting boundaries does not make them difficult — it makes them an advocate.

Ep. 18: Precepting: How to Teach Without Burning Out

Precepting is one of the most meaningful things we do in healthcare — and one of the most exhausting. In this episode of Heartbeat Debrief, Devin gets honest about the cognitive and emotional workload that comes with training new clinicians. Whether you are an EMS FTO, EMT or paramedic preceptor, bedside nurse, clinical instructor, charge nurse, or simply the person everyone assigns new hires to, you are doing more than teaching skills. You are safeguarding patients, coaching clinical judgment, building confidence, correcting course, and still managing your own assignment. This episode explores how to support new nurses, EMTs, paramedics, and experienced clinicians transitioning into a new role without becoming their rescuer. Devin breaks down how to create room for learners to think, use brief high-yield teaching moments, deliver feedback that is specific and useful, and set boundaries when precepting starts to become unsustainable. Feeling tired, frustrated, or burned out by precepting does not mean you are a bad teacher or that you do not care about the people you train. It may mean you are being asked to carry two demanding jobs at once — without enough support. In This Episode Why precepting is so mentally and emotionally demanding. The difference between being a learner’s rescuer and being their coach. How to decide when to let an orientee work through a problem and when to step in for patient safety. Why teaching clinical judgment matters more than simply checking off skills. Questions that help learners build prioritization, communication, escalation, and critical-thinking skills. How to use short, high-yield teachable moments during a busy shift or call. A simple debrief framework: What went well? What would you do differently? What is one thing to focus on next time? Why vague feedback like “be more confident” or “be more organized” does not help learners grow. How specific, timely feedback can protect confidence while still addressing performance concerns. The learner’s responsibility to prepare, ask questions, seek out policies, accept feedback, and take ownership of their growth. Why letting an orientee advance without adequate clinical judgment is not kindness to them, their future coworkers, or their patients. Permission for preceptors and FTOs to acknowledge when the system is asking too much. Key Takeaway The best preceptors are not the ones who make themselves indispensable. They are the ones who help new clinicians become safe, thoughtful, and confident enough to eventually work without someone standing over their shoulder. Quote “Give them room to think, give them a clear safety net, give them specific feedback, and give yourself permission to say when the system is asking too much.” Call to Action If you are precepting, training, or mentoring someone right now, share this episode with another clinician who needs the reminder: teaching is valuable work, but it should not require sacrificing yourself in the process. Subscribe to Heartbeat Debrief, leave a review, and check in on the preceptor, FTO, educator, or coworker who may be carrying more than anyone realizes.

Ep. 17 When the Call Hits Close to Home

In this episode, Devin sits down with Cody — Assistant Fire Chief of Sugar Creek Fire & Rescue and a flight paramedic for the Cleveland Clinic's Critical Care Transport Team — to talk about what it means to serve a small community where every call hits close to home. Cody opens with a powerful analogy: after a traumatic incident, your brain is like an airport receiving too many planes — nothing can move, and you feel locked up. The answer isn't to stop living; it's to move those planes out a little at a time and let normalcy bring you back. They get into the reality of rural EMS — running calls on people you know, delivering babies across the street, and driving past the scenes of the ones that didn't go right. Cody shares the story of a trauma arrest that turned out to be a coworker's brother, and the full-circle moment when a local business switched its blood drives to support the department that saved one of their own. They also explore what real support looks like — from a small department's flexibility to send you home after a bad call and still pay you, to the structured peer support teams at a large institution like Cleveland Clinic — and why a bare-minimum EAP isn't enough. Plus, the "family orientation" idea for supporting first responders' loved ones, managing personal triggers, and a powerful story about delivering a death notification to a family he'd known his whole life. Key Topics Covered: "brain as an airport" analogy for processing trauma What it's like to serve a small, rural community Why 100% buy-in changes how you practice The full-circle story of community blood drive support Peer support vs. bare-minimum EAPs Taking care of your people — the little things that matter Managing personal triggers and supporting families About the Guest: Cody is the Assistant Fire Chief at Sugar Creek Fire & Rescue and a flight paramedic for the Cleveland Clinic's Critical Care Transport Team. With 15 years as a paramedic and 8 as as a flight paramedic, he's worked private EMS, military contract work at Andrews Air Force Base, paramedic for the Washington Nationals, volunteer firefighter and more — always serving the communities he calls home.

Ep. 16 -The System That Demands Competence but Won’t Train It

In this episode, Devin shares a powerful takeaway from teaching an NRP class: healthcare education should make people feel supported enough to ask questions, make mistakes safely, and actually learn. From high-pressure simulations and “death by PowerPoint” to rushed orientations, unit educators, FTO's and others in the education world are overwhelmed by compliance checklists, and the lack of funding for certifications, conferences, skills labs, and continuing education. This episode explores the gap between what healthcare systems demand from clinicians and what they provide to help them succeed. Because competency is not clicking “acknowledge” on a module. It is hands-on practice, critical thinking, asking questions, learning from mistakes, and having the opportunity to grow before a real patient is depending on you. In this episode: Creating welcoming, judgment-free learning environments Why simulation should be a safe place to make mistakes The value of hands-on scenarios over passive learning Gaps in hospital-based education and skills maintenance Why night shift is often left out of meaningful training Funding access to certifications, conferences, cadaver labs, and advanced simulation Why education is patient safety

Ep. 15 How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Quitting

In this episode of The Heartbeat Debrief, Devin gets real about mutual respect, teaching, culture, and what it takes to keep going when you feel like quitting. From toxic break rooms to the importance of asking questions, protecting your spark, and remembering your why, this episode is a blunt reminder that culture, boundaries, and patient outcomes all matter. Devin also talks about the difference between burnout and being in the wrong role, and why sometimes the most honest thing you can do is recognize when it’s time for a change. Whether you stay, shift settings, or leave bedside altogether, the goal is to find a version of healthcare that lets you keep showing up without losing yourself. In this episode, we cover: Mutual respect in the workplace Why teaching and asking questions matter How to protect your spark and your why Burnout, boundaries, and work-life balance Knowing when it may be time to move on Listener challenge: Write your “I do this because…” sentence, identify one thing that drains you and one thing that refills you, and make one small change this week to protect your energy.

Ep. 14 From the Veteran Nurse to the Early Career Nurse

In this episode of Heartbeat Debrief, Devin sits down with nurse mentor Bree to talk about the lessons that come with experience, the mistakes that shape us, and the advice early-career nurses need most. Bree shares her journey through nursing, from mom-baby and veteran care to the NICU, and reflects on how much she has learned not just from mentors, but also from the newer nurses she has taught along the way. Together, they discuss the importance of owning mistakes, speaking up, learning your own style, and creating a culture where questions are encouraged instead of punished. The conversation also explores how healthcare culture has changed, why burnout and staffing pressures affect new nurses so quickly, and what keeps experienced nurses coming back: their “why,” their patients, and the people beside them. Key Topics Lessons learned through years of nursing experience. How newer nurses can still teach and challenge experienced clinicians. Why owning mistakes matters in patient safety and professional growth. The reality of nurse-to-nurse culture and “eating our young”. How staffing pressure and burnout shape early careers. Why finding your “why” keeps nurses grounded and fulfilled. Guest Bio Bree is a NICU nurse with 10 years of nursing experience. Her background includes mom-baby nursing, work at the VA, and teaching and mentoring new nurses in the NICU. Notable Quote “The newer nurses can bring just as much value into an experience as an older experienced nurse” ECHO FAST Team https://www.echoflightcrew.org/fast 1-833-AIR-FAST fast@echoflightcrew.org

Ep. 13 - Work-Life Balance

In this episode of Heartbeat Debrief, Devin sits down with Devon Dean Snow to talk honestly about work-life balance in healthcare and why it is so hard to maintain. Devon shares how her career has evolved from EMT work to nursing and now to leadership in festival medicine, all while trying to protect her mental health, relationships, and personal time. They discuss how COVID changed the pace and pressure of healthcare, why guilt makes it hard to say no, and how burnout creeps in when work starts taking over everything else. Devon also opens up about the tools that help her stay grounded, including travel, yoga, reading, friendships, and setting firmer boundaries. Key Topics The meaning of work-life balance in healthcare. How COVID changed burnout and staffing culture. Why guilt makes it hard for healthcare workers to set boundaries. Moving from survival mode to intentional self-care. How travel, yoga, and relationships help create balance. Why new clinicians need to hear honest conversations about burnout. Guest Bio Devon works for Prevent Medical Solutions and serves as Director of Clinical Operations and Staffing. She began her career as an EMT in 2015, later became an ER nurse, and has built a career in festival medicine while still working part-time in the hospital. Notable Quote “You have to protect yourself from this job, because it can take everything from you if you let it”

Ep. 12 The Paramedic Who Became a Nurse

In this episode of Heartbeat Debrief, Devin sits down with Zane Atencio, an educator and flight clinician in Texas, to talk through one of the biggest crossroads in EMS: whether to pursue nursing school. Zane shares his path from EMT to paramedic, then to RN, and explains how each step expanded his knowledge, flexibility, and career options. They discuss the reality of working in EMS, the strength of crew culture, and how mentorship and preceptors can shape a career. Zane also breaks down the differences he’s seen between the paramedic and nursing roles, including scope, liability, education, and pay. Key Topics Finding your path in EMS. How mentorship and preceptors can change your career direction. Why nursing school became an option for a flight clinician. Pay, scope, and mobility in EMS versus nursing. The adjustment from truck-based care to bedside nursing. Why advanced education can open more doors in healthcare.

Ep. 11 Crisis Management

In this episode of The Heartbeat Debrief, Devin breaks down one of the most important skills in healthcare: crisis management. From the bedside to the ambulance to the ICU, crisis can show up in many forms, and learning how to stay calm when things get chaotic is key to responding well. Devin shares practical strategies for handling high-pressure moments, including tactical breathing, pausing to assess the situation, communicating clearly with your team, and using closed-loop communication instead of “thin air commands.” He also talks about the importance of tone, teamwork, and knowing when to step back and let the right person speak with patients or families. The episode also touches on the reality of burnout and the need for self-care, because you cannot pour from an empty cup. Whether you’re a new grad, a seasoned clinician, or someone navigating a stressful shift, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone, and that strong teams, clear communication, and taking care of yourself all matter when crisis hits.

Ep. 10 - The Role of Humor in Healthcare

In this episode of The Heartbeat Debrief, Devin is joined by a guest clinician to talk about humor in healthcare—what it is, why we use it, and where the line is. In this episode, we cover: Why humor becomes a coping mechanism in high-stress environments The difference between good humor, dark humor, and crossing the line How laughter helps build connection with patients and coworkers Knowing your audience and reading the room When humor helps… and when it can do harm Why “laughing after the call” doesn’t make you a bad provider The role of humor in preventing burnout and protecting your mental health Key takeaway: Humor isn’t the problem—lack of awareness is. When used with intention, it can be one of the most powerful tools we have.

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