A Nurse First
Episodes
Rise to influence
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After three attempts at nursing school and nearly walking away from nursing altogether, how did Jonathan Llamas become one of LinkedIn’s Voices of t...
Fields of knowing
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roxana Chicas is turning personal history into powerful advocacy. As the first Latina on her research team, her journey weaves lived experience with s...
Endless June
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Riley Horner’s life froze on 11 June 2019, after a concussion left her memory resetting every two hours. She defied the odds through resilience and ...
Bent rules
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A three-hour bus ride, a two-hour walk, and a last-minute chance to take the nursing exam changed everything for Tameka Duncan-Baker. This pivotal mom...
Mission: Heal
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regina Yuen took a leap of faith when she accepted her first mission with Doctors Without Borders, stepping into the unknown in South Sudan. Faced wit...
From the start
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For Lucas M. Davis, serving as Sigma’s new CEO means honoring a century-long legacy while paving a transformative path forward. His steadfast belief...
Embrace the unexpected
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The beauty of embracing uncertainty lies in the potential for serendipitous discoveries. Each step Ronald Hickman took, whether through mentorship con...
P.U.R.P.L.E.
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Witnessing a fellow caregiver succumb to the very issues she worked to treat as a psychiatric nurse was a profound wake-up call for Sheryl Garriques-L...
What you keep
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The thrill of her first nursing paycheck seemed like the promise of financial freedom but quickly led Renee Carter down a path of hard lessons and sur...
The storm
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jamla Rizek's journey into disaster preparedness began with a pivotal deployment during Hurricane Sandy that solidified her desire to contribute ...
Stay the course
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When faced with adversity and inequality, Patricia Coleman-Burns had the choice to accept the status quo or take a stand and work toward change. In he...
Audacity to believe
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Starting a business can be daunting, but with the right mindset and belief in yourself, anything is possible. That's Farah Laurent's take, a...
There for everything
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lindy Finch has wanted to help people her entire life. When it was her family who needed the help, the kindness, reassurance, and empathy shown by St....
Create space
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From creating a groundbreaking peer mentoring program to navigating leadership roles with strategic focus, Benita Chatmon's story is a testament ...
A hunch
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jyu-Lin Chen began her nursing career with a passion for working with children, which led her to a pediatric ICU. Her curiosity and commitment to evid...
Footmark
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Out of 800 applicants, Jitana Benton-Lee was one of 30 selected to participate in a digital innovation boot camp, a collaboration between the American...
The wind phone
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Allison Young’s diverse background in East Asian studies, the role she played translating Japanese news bulletins after the 2011 tsunami, and her do...
10 years
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Higinio Fernández-Sánchez's story begins in Tyler, Texas, where he migrated with his family from Mexico at a young age. Determined to pursue hi...
BONUS EPISODE | A career grounded in service
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode of A Nurse First, Sigma president Sandra C. Garmon Bibb shares her incredible career journey and the many firsts she has experie...
Helper of mankind
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sigma's new president Sandra C. Garmon Bibb always knew she wanted to be a nurse. Finding out at a young age that her name meant "helper of ...
Living your truth
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Foster believes authenticity in healthcare goes beyond personal identity; it is about embodying professionalism, empathy, and dedication to pati...
Out of determination
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facing challenges and limited funding, Jerry John Nutor's determination and passion for improving healthcare led him to create the Africa Interdi...
The missing element
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In nursing, it's not just about being clinically smart, but also emotionally intelligent. The COVID-19 pandemic robbed countless nursing students...
Standing in the gap
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To address the mental health crisis head-on, Greg Jones opened the first mental health peer respite center in the Pacific Northwest. His theory is thi...
Built from the ground up
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony Silva dropped out of high school to help his mother pay bills and worked various jobs, including being a medical assistant, before finding a m...
Third season
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Catch up on seasons 1 and 2 while we take a break to work on season 3. See you back here in August 2023!Connect with Sigma: Tweet us at @SigmaNursing...
Symphony of self-care
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the pandemic, Terri Ann Parnell pivoted her career to launch TAP Wellness Coaching, a program designed to specifically address the unique chall...
The sendoff
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Admittedly, Imelda Reyes' path to nursing followed a non-traditional route, joining the Navy and starting in healthcare finance. Now a nurse prac...
Cannabis care
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Linda Casale spent 25+ years as a psychiatric mental health nurse serving the Veteran's Association. She witnessed the struggles veterans faced, ...
Undergraduate, no more
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout her life, Mar'yana Fisher has turned to poetry to express her feelings creatively and fearlessly. Before leaving Ukraine and immigrati...
Dream with the stars
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Suárez-Baquero is the person he is today because of his abuela. She inspired his dream to work in women's health, and modeling her courag...
Small keys
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cora O'Leary's research study on the challenges faced by nurses caring solo for children with complex healthcare needs led to recommendation...
Grow roots
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though still very much a new member of Gamma Tau at-Large Chapter, Trish Eusala went all in, volunteering to lead as the chapter's Community Outr...
Own it
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Aron King shares that he is an assistant nurse manager, he knows questions are coming. Only 7% of nurses are Black and male so he gets, "How...
Second season
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We hope you've enjoyed the past 10 episodes! We'll be back with more in February 2023.Connect with Sigma: Tweet us at @SigmaNursing Follow...
At a crossroads
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Sherman knew that helping her best friend with her end-of-life care would change her. She expected grief, in all its forms, but what she didn&...
Community kindness
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Facing down a certification exam day, Shanan Thode wrestled with self-doubt, fear, and dread. Needing some words of encouragement, she posted on The C...
Finding home
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Losing both her parents at age 7 left Kathleen Eviza facing an uncertain future with her five siblings. Knowing her strong will and determination woul...
A founding friend
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this special Founders Day episode, a chance encounter at a biennial convention leads to an unexpectedly deep friendship between Nancy Thompson and ...
Mile Marker 87
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It should have been a normal trip home up the 15 from the veteran hospital in Las Vegas. Maria VanHart was in vacation mode, excited to road trip to I...
Only one
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
First nursing class: only four Black students. Entire nursing school: only one Black professor. Jamil Norman had big dreams, but they started to feel ...
Opened doors
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up in the Philippines, Paul Biluan’s family was tight, religious, and in Paul’s words, dysfunctional. Despite wishing otherwise, his paren...
Flood gates
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ariella Teater thought she’d buried herself far enough under her grief until a phone call with her dad opened the door to the painful memories of pa...
Narrow perceptions
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
She thought her colleagues would be supportive as she neared the end of her master's program. Instead, Amanda Shilo was blindsided with questions...
Vulnerable place
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When chest pain interrupts her vacation, former emergency room nurse Diane Sieg finds herself in an ER bed rather than beside it. She's scared, a...
A new direction
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You may have noticed our podcast has taken a bit of a hiatus the past year. Taking this break gave us an opportunity to look at the podcast world with...
SigmaCast Episode 18 | Using Social Media for Scholarship
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss how Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW, CWE, uses social media to bring together a large interdisciplinary research team to answe...
SigmaCast Episode 17 | Research from Around the World: Improving Healthcare in Partnership with Children and Families
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the body of nursing research with Linda S. Franck, PhD, RN, FRCPCH, FAAN, a Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of F...
SigmaCast Episode 16 | Research from Around the World: Substance Use Disorder in the US
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss the body of nursing research with Peggy Compton, PhD, RN, FAAN, a Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame inducte...
SigmaCast Episode 15 | Research from Around the World: HIV/AIDS in Africa and the US
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss the body of nursing research from Jason E. Farley, PhD, MPH, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, AACRN, a Sigma International Nurse Resear...
SigmaCast Episode 14 | Research from Around the World: Immigrant Health between Africa and Canada
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss the research of Dr. Bukola (Oladunni) Salami, Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame inductee (July 2020) and ...
SigmaCast Episode 13 | Research from Around the World: Nursing Informatics and Digital Health Transforming Healthcare
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss the body of nursing research with Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, a Sigma International Nurse Researche...
SigmaCast Episode 12 | Managing in a Stressful Profession
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of SigmaCast we discuss research related to the Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing article “Evaluating the outcomes of a Web‐Bas...
SigmaCast Episode 11 | Nurse Suicide & Prevention
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses research related to the Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing articles “A Longitudinal Analysis of Nurse Suicide in the United...
SigmaCast Episode 10 | Nursing: Calling for a Shared Vision
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss the need for professional identity and brand recognition in nursing when working with the public and other healthcare profe...
SigmaCast Episode 9 | Clinician Burnout
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we will be discussing clinician burnout, how it has impacted the profession, and what leaders and front-line staff can do to mitigate it....
SigmaCast Episode 8 | Mental Health of Future Healthcare Providers
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode we will be discussing research related to the Worldviews on Evidence Based Nursing article "Prevalence and Correlates of Depression,...
SigmaCast Episode 7 | Resiliency in Healthcare
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss research related to the Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing article “Authentic Connections Groups: A Pilot Test of an I...
SigmaCast Episode 6 | Mental Health Interventions for Healthcare Providers
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we will be discussing research related to the Worldviews on Evidence Based Nursing article “The MINDBODYSTRONG Intervention for New ...
SigmaCast Episode 5 | Educating in the Virtual Environment: Mentoring Leads to Success During COVID-19
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will discuss how to convert a face to face course into an online/virtual course during COVID-19. Connect with Sigma: Tweet us at...
SigmaCast Episode 4 | Predatory Journals and Conferences
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode will discuss how to avoid publishing in predatory journals and at predatory conferences. Avoiding predatory journals is relatively easy y...
SigmaCast Episode 3 | Doctoral Education in Nursing
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the discussions center around the need for doctoral education and the several types of terminal degrees often seen in nursing.Connect...
SigmaCast Episode 2 | Bullying and Incivility in Nursing
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the discussions center around creating awareness of bullying and incivility and ways to create a safe and healthy working environment...
SigmaCast Episode 1 | Preprints in Nursing Scholarship
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Here is the first episode of our very own podcast!To kick this off, we're talking all things preprints in nursing scholarship: What are they? Wha...