Guided by 20-year experienced ICU nurse Brooke Wallace and powered by AI — here's your study buddy from the classroom to the bedside.
Think Like A Nurse is your go-to podcast for nursing students, NCLEX test-takers, and new graduate nurses who want to survive nursing school, thrive in clinicals, and step confidently into practice.
Powered by AI and real-world nursing experience, each episode features conversational insights based on common questions and challenges faced by student and new graduate nurses. The discussions are designed to feel like listening in on a supportive study session — connecting evidence-based strategies, encouragement, and clinical wisdom in a relatable way.
Whether you're tackling pharmacology, preparing for clinicals, or learning to manage your first 12-hour shift, this podcast helps you grow in confidence, knowledge, and resilience — from student nurse to strong nurse.
Inspired by the most common FAQs from nursing students and new grads, this podcast answers the real questions future nurses are asking: How do I survive pharmacology? How do I talk to patients with confidence? What should I expect on my first 12-hour shift?
Created by seasoned ICU nurse Brooke Wallace, RN, BSN, CCRN, CPTC, each episode delivers practical study tips, NCLEX prep strategies, and real-world clinical pearls alongside honest conversations about the challenges of nursing school and early practice.
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Guided by 20-year experienced ICU nurse Brooke Wallace and powered by AI — here's your study buddy from the classroom to the bedside.
Think Like A Nurse is your go-to podcast for nursing students, NCLEX test-takers, and new graduate nurses who want to survive nursing school, thrive in clinicals, and step confidently into practice.
Powered by AI and real-world nursing experience, each episode features conversational insights based on common questions and challenges faced by student and new graduate nurses. The discussions are designed to feel like listening in on a supportive study session — connecting evidence-based strategies, encouragement, and clinical wisdom in a relatable way.
Whether you're tackling pharmacology, preparing for clinicals, or learning to manage your first 12-hour shift, this podcast helps you grow in confidence, knowledge, and resilience — from student nurse to strong nurse.
Inspired by the most common FAQs from nursing students and new grads, this podcast answers the real questions future nurses are asking: How do I survive pharmacology? How do I talk to patients with confidence? What should I expect on my first 12-hour shift?
Created by seasoned ICU nurse Brooke Wallace, RN, BSN, CCRN, CPTC, each episode delivers practical study tips, NCLEX prep strategies, and real-world clinical pearls alongside honest conversations about the challenges of nursing school and early practice.
In this high-yield episode, we take you straight into the heart of NCLEX pharmacology—the Dirty 60 prototype drugs and the red-flag safety scenarios that appear again and again on the exam. Instead of drowning in endless medication lists, you’ll learn how to recognize the life-threatening patterns the NCLEX actually tests: respiratory depression from opioids, bleeding risks with anticoagulants, angioedema from ACE inhibitors, ototoxicity with aminoglycosides, digoxin toxicity, magnesium overdose, and more.
Brooke breaks down the nine essential antidotes every student must memorize, the priority nursing actions tied to each high-alert drug class, and the deadly IV-push rules the NCLEX loves to trap students with. You’ll also get a step-by-step, 8-week study plan designed to raise your pharmacology score into the safe zone and build real clinical judgment.
This episode is all about clarity, confidence, and protecting your patient. Master the Dirty Sixty, know the red flags cold, and you’ll transform NCLEX pharmacology from a source of fear into one of your strongest categories.
This episode breaks down one of the most heavily tested NCLEX domains: fluids, electrolytes, shock states, and acid–base interpretation. We walk you through the “critical triangle” of physiological adaptation — fluid volume, lethal electrolytes, and acid–base balance — and explains how to use hemodynamics, lab patterns, and sequence-based clinical reasoning to make safe decisions in high-stakes situations.
Listeners learn the difference between absolute volume loss vs dehydration, early vs late signs of overload, and how to read shock profiles using cardiac output, SVR, and filling pressures. The episode also gives step-by-step emergency algorithms for hyperkalemia, sodium emergencies, calcium/magnesium pearls, and a complete ABG decoding method using ROME and Winter’s formula.
This is a fast, high-yield, exam-critical episode built to convert memorization into true clinical judgment.
In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, Nurse Brooke dives deep into the critical skill of spotting warning signs and making life-saving decisions. With a focus on proactive risk management, we explore how nurses can quickly identify subtle changes in a patient’s condition, enabling them to act before a crisis escalates. From recognizing early signs of shock to using clinical judgment for acute care situations, this episode is packed with practical insights for NCLEX success and patient safety.
In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, hosted by Brooke Wallace, a 20-year ICU nurse and clinical instructor, we dive into essential pharmacology and procedural safety for nurses. Whether you’re preparing for the NCLEX or navigating the busy floor as a new nurse, mastering the core rules is vital. From the foundational "10 Rights" of medication administration to specialized life support protocols, this episode covers critical nursing responsibilities, common medication pitfalls, and high-alert drugs that require extra vigilance. Tune in for practical tips on medication documentation, recognizing drug interactions, performing safe injections, and managing high-risk therapies like TPN and blood products.
This episode breaks down one of the most underestimated sections of the NCLEX: Basic Care and Comfort, worth a solid 6–12% of your exam. Brooke Wallace, a 20-year ICU nurse, walks you through the essential skills that protect patient dignity, prevent secondary complications, and anchor safe clinical practice every shift.
You’ll learn mobility safety, assistive device sizing, crutch and stair rules, immobility complications, aspiration prevention, end-of-life comfort care, nutrition and elimination priorities, skin integrity protection, and the subtle clinical decisions that separate novice thinking from true nurse judgment.
By the end, you'll understand why "basic" care is anything but basic—and how mastering these fundamentals boosts both your patient outcomes and your NCLEX score.
Psychosocial questions may only be 6–12% of the NCLEX—but they’re some of the most high-stakes questions you’ll see. In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, Brooke Wallace breaks down abuse and neglect, restraints, alcohol withdrawal vs. opioid withdrawal, suicide risk, therapeutic communication, cultural humility, cognition, and end-of-life care. Learn how to spot red flags, prioritize safety, and answer psychosocial NCLEX questions with confidence.
Think you know safety and infection control? Think again. In this episode we break down the Top Safety Traps on the NCLEX—and how to avoid them. From charting mistakes and restraint rules to PPE doffing errors and fall prevention mnemonics, you’ll learn how to think like a nurse, not just memorize. Perfect for nursing students preparing for the NCLEX or new grads who want to build real-world confidence and protect their license.
This episode is a fast, high-yield tour through how real nurses prioritize care, especially under pressure. We break down the “why behind the what” so listeners can stop memorizing random facts and actually understand how to make the safest, fastest decision — exactly what the NCLEX tests.
You learn how to distinguish normal versus concerning findings in older adults, when physical danger always beats psychosocial needs, and why environmental safety changes come before anything else. We walk through classic NCLEX traps like climbing over bed rails, sky-high blood pressure during a psychosocial complaint, and postpartum bleeding.
You’ll hear the exact priority order for postpartum assessment (fundus → bleeding → pain → ambulation), the correct abdominal exam sequence (inspect → listen → percuss → palpate), and what developmental milestones really mean across childhood.
We also hit essential screening rules, when to give the Tdap vaccine, who qualifies for low-dose CT scans, how to size a blood pressure cuff correctly, what slows capillary refill, and what tasks UAPs can and cannot take over.
This episode drills the core principle: connect every nursing action to the underlying rationale. That’s what transforms you from task-doer to someone who truly thinks like a nurse — and that’s exactly what helps you pass the NCLEX with confidence.
In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, we break down the most urgent, high-stakes assessment findings every nursing student must recognize instantly. These are the red flags that signal a rapidly deteriorating client—and the ones you must master to think critically, intervene early, and pass the NCLEX with confidence.
We walk through the four levels of prevention so you can understand not just when to act, but why. You’ll learn the correct physical assessment sequence (and the crucial abdominal exception), how to interpret dangerous respiratory sounds like stridor, and how to spot a tension pneumothorax using tracheal deviation and unilateral absent breath sounds. We also break down postpartum hemorrhage priorities step-by-step, newborn hypoglycemia signs you can’t miss, bowel sound patterns that signal obstruction, and the most important screening timelines across the lifespan.
This episode ties together high-yield frameworks—developmental stages, maternal immunizations, fall-risk strategies, Beers Criteria, ABCD screenings, and motivational interviewing tools—so you can connect textbook learning to real-world clinical judgment. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to look for, what it means, and the fast priorities that save lives.
This episode covers the highest-value real estate on your NCLEX exam—Safety and Infection Control, which makes up a full 10–16% of your score. Too many students overlook it because it feels like “common sense,” but this section is packed with hidden rules, documentation traps, and points that can separate pass from fail.
Join us as we break down the essential safety moves every nurse must master—from incident reports and fall prevention to RACE, PASS, PPE order, and restraint limits.
You’ll learn how to:
Recognize and avoid the most common NCLEX safety pitfalls
Apply real-world infection control principles (without memorizing endless lists)
Protect your patients—and your license—with systems-level thinking
Lock in guaranteed points with mnemonics you’ll actually remember
If you’re serious about maximizing your score, this episode gives you the edge on one of the most heavily weighted sections of the exam.
Listen now, take notes, and claim that 16%.
Think it can’t happen to you? Think again. In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, we break down the five biggest legal and ethical traps that cost nurses their licenses every year — and how to steer clear of them.
From honoring DNRs and understanding advance directives, to delegation mistakes, HIPAA slip-ups, and what not to chart after an error, you’ll learn the real-world decisions that separate safe practice from career-ending mistakes.
This is your guide to protecting yourself, your patients, and your profession — with the critical thinking framework every nurse needs to stay legally safe and clinically sharp.
🎙️ Episode Summary
Think you know nursing law and ethics? Think again. In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, we break down the Top 10 NCLEX traps in legal and ethical nursing—and how to avoid them. Learn exactly where students lose points on management-of-care questions, from confusing advance directives to mishandling delegation or informed consent. You’ll walk away knowing how to protect your license, your patients, and your confidence on exam day.
In this high-yield Think Like a Nurse episode, we break down NCLEX (and critical care) pharmacology every nurse must know — from distinguishing hypertensive urgency vs. emergency to mastering IV drips, beta-blocker sequencing in aortic dissection, and anticoagulation protocols. You’ll also cover pediatric cardiac drug safety, thrombolytic contraindications, and rapid-fire NCLEX priority scenarios.
Perfect for nursing students, new ICU nurses, and NCLEX prep.
In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, Brooke Wallace and her co-host break down the intimidating world of EKG interpretation into a clear, step-by-step process. Using Brooke’s 20 years of ICU experience, they show how to systematically analyze rhythm strips using six key checkpoints: rate, rhythm, P wave, PR interval, QRS complex, and overall interpretation.
Listeners learn how to identify life-threatening rhythms like V-tack and V-fib, understand which ones are shockable, and remember key mnemonics like “V-fib = Defib” and “Pulse before paddles.” The conversation emphasizes real-world clinical priorities — from stroke prevention in AFib to pacing for complete heart block — teaching nurses to think beyond memorization and respond with confidence in emergencies.
This episode of Think Like a Nurse, created by Brooke Wallace, a 20-year ICU nurse, organ transplant coordinator, clinical instructor, and published author, walks listeners through a high-yield rapid review of cardiac pathophysiology for the NCLEX. Instead of drowning in textbook detail, the conversation focuses on the most testable conditions: acute coronary syndromes, heart failure and cardiogenic shock, and pericarditis and infective endocarditis.
You’ll learn how to recognize myocardial infarction vs angina, differentiate stable, unstable, and Prinzmetal angina, compare left-sided and right-sided heart failure, identify the signs of cardiogenic shock, and spot classic findings of pericarditis and infective endocarditis. The hosts repeatedly pull out NCLEX priorities, such as “time is muscle,” treating unstable angina like an MI, using daily weights as the best noninvasive fluid status monitor, and remembering critical medication rules and contraindications that protect patients from harm.
In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, we will walk you step by step through a full cardiac assessment, from room setup to bedside prioritization. You’ll connect what you hear in your stethoscope and see in your assessment with what’s happening inside the heart—electrical, pump, and perfusion.
Perfect for nursing students, new grads, and NCLEX prep, this conversation breaks down vital signs, heart sounds, murmurs, jugular venous distention, peripheral pulses, edema, and key cardiac meds like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and loop diuretics. You’ll also practice thinking like a nurse by walking through clinical patterns that scream shock, acute heart failure, or arterial occlusion so you know exactly who to see first and what to do next.
Arterial Blood Gases don’t have to feel like secret code. In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, created by Brooke Wallace (20-year ICU nurse, transplant coordinator, and clinical instructor), we break down ABG interpretation in plain English. Find out not just what the numbers mean, but why we even care!
Learn how to connect pH, CO₂, and bicarb values to what’s actually happening at the bedside — from opioid overdoses and COPD to panic attacks, DKA, and vomiting.
Understand the “why,” not just the numbers — and start thinking like a nurse.
Visit ThinkLikeANurse.org for study resources and NCLEX-style practice questions.
ABGs stop being a “secret code” when you read them in order: pH → CO2 → bicarb.
In this Think Like a Nurse episode, Brooke Wallace walks you through the 4-step method, ROME, and Tic-Tac-Toe, then connects each imbalance to causes, bedside cues, and priority actions. Perfect for med-surg, ICU, and NCLEX prep.
Understanding oxygen and CO₂ exchange is the key to everything from cardiac care to acid–base balance. In this episode of Think Like a Nurse, Brooke Wallace breaks down anatomy, assessment, and critical clinical cues every nurse must know to master the respiratory system.
Guided by 20-year experienced ICU nurse Brooke Wallace and powered by AI — here's your study buddy from the classroom to the bedside.
Think Like A Nurse is your go-to podcast for nursing students, NCLEX test-takers, and new graduate nurses who want to survive nursing school, thrive in clinicals, and step confidently into practice.
Powered by AI and real-world nursing experience, each episode features conversational insights based on common questions and challenges faced by student and new graduate nurses. The discussions are designed to feel like listening in on a supportive study session — connecting evidence-based strategies, encouragement, and clinical wisdom in a relatable way.
Whether you're tackling pharmacology, preparing for clinicals, or learning to manage your first 12-hour shift, this podcast helps you grow in confidence, knowledge, and resilience — from student nurse to strong nurse.
Inspired by the most common FAQs from nursing students and new grads, this podcast answers the real questions future nurses are asking: How do I survive pharmacology? How do I talk to patients with confidence? What should I expect on my first 12-hour shift?
Created by seasoned ICU nurse Brooke Wallace, RN, BSN, CCRN, CPTC, each episode delivers practical study tips, NCLEX prep strategies, and real-world clinical pearls alongside honest conversations about the challenges of nursing school and early practice.
