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Walking into HR can feel like stepping into the unknown. For many nurses, it is a place of fear, frustration, and unanswered questions. What does HR really do? How much power do they actually have? And how can nurses really get what they need in those conversations?

In this episode of The Ritual Nurse Podcast, Riva sits down with her friend Brynnen, an HR professional who shares what it looks like from the other side of the door. Together, they break down myths, explore when to bring issues forward, and talk about how to navigate the power dynamics that can leave nurses feeling powerless. This episode is the real life highlights of how the skills in our last episode are so vital to protecting your peace and protecting your space.

Brynnen is not only an experienced HR professional but also a BookTok and Bookstagram favorite, known for her thoughtful reviews and online presence at @librarybrynn. She is just beginning to bring her voice to TikTok, and this conversation shows exactly why her perspective resonates. She's real, honest, funny, and doesn't BS.

This conversation goes deeper than policy. Brynnen brings honesty, humanity, and insight into how HR works, what nurses should know before filing a complaint, and how to walk into meetings with confidence and clarity. To close, she leads our Coffee, Crystals, and Divination segment with a live card pull, blending professional truth with ritual wisdom.

If you have HR questions... go smash that fan mail link at the top of the show notes and send em in!!! It's totally anonymous, and you can include (or not bestie) whatever details you feel like. Brynnen will be back for a part two later in the season and would love to answer questions on our socials and in her next episode!

In this episode you will learn:

• What HR can and cannot do in response to complaints
• When it is appropriate to involve HR and what documentation to bring
• How to protect yourself in HR conversations with clarity and boundaries
• Why understanding HR’s pressures makes the process less intimidating

Resources and Links

• Blog post with full references: The Culture Cure
• Shop Ritual Nurse tools and downloads: TCTH.org
• Connect with Riva and The Code Team: hello@ritualnurse.com
• Connect with Brynnen: @librarybrynn (all the BookTok/Bookstagram goodness)
  
  

Support the show

Hey! Make sure you subscribe to stay connected. Love a nurse? Who doesn't! Share with all the nurses you know. The more we reach, the more we help. We feel like no one deserves center stage focus more than nurses and our mission is to reach the millions of superstars out there. We'd love to hear your stories, your adventures, your wins, and especially your needs and questions! Email us at hello@ritualnurse (dot) com. Also, you can send us fan mail! Use the link at the beginning of the show notes. Resources, classes, blogs, and podcast info can be found on our home site at TCTH.org. The Ritual Nurse Podcast is part of The Code Team educational platform.

Love your FAYCES!

TXT us your feedback!! <3 your fayce!

Nursing culture has a dark side: bullying, incivility, and lateral violence. In this episode of The Ritual Nurse, Riva dives straight into the heart of toxic workplace culture and its devastating impact on nurses’ mental health, resilience, and retention. This conversation isn’t about “having thicker skin” It’s about calling out the mean girl culture that’s been allowed to fester for too long. WE'RE DONE.

Riva introduces three powerful tools from the RISE curriculum that form the Culture Cure Toolkit:

• PEACE – a step-by-step communication skill for resolving conflict without escalating.
• CALM – a de-escalation skill to center yourself and move with intention.
• ROLE CLARITY – a grounding skill that anchors you back into your professional boundaries and keeps toxic systems from draining you dry.

Together, these skills create armor, grounding, and a clear voice for nurses navigating hostile environments. Paired with evidence-based research, this episode dismantles toxic stereotypes and empowers nurses with practical strategies for survival and growth.

In the Coffee, Crystals, & Divination segment, we explore fall rituals, savor black coffee simplicity, discover Garnet as the crystal of the week, and receive guidance from the Ace of Swords and the Lovers.

This is your toolkit for saying goodbye to incivility and hello to thriving in your practice. The mean girl culture is out. Advocacy and resilience are in. #nursefirst

Support the show

Hey! Make sure you subscribe to stay connected. Love a nurse? Who doesn't! Share with all the nurses you know. The more we reach, the more we help. We feel like no one deserves center stage focus more than nurses and our mission is to reach the millions of superstars out there. We'd love to hear your stories, your adventures, your wins, and especially your needs and questions! Email us at hello@ritualnurse (dot) com. Also, you can send us fan mail! Use the link at the beginning of the show notes. Resources, classes, blogs, and podcast info can be found on our home site at TCTH.org. The Ritual Nurse Podcast is part of The Code Team educational platform.

Love your FAYCES!

TXT us your feedback!! <3 your fayce!

Two of my closest friends and healthcare veterans join me to explore how our decade-long friendship has kept us sane through chaos, unending workloads, and the pandemic's darkest days.

• Why healthcare friendships are survival gear; self care lifelines OUTSIDE of work
• How our friendship began with an unexpected spider encounter and a well-placed slap
• Weathering the pandemic in different healthcare roles while maintaining our connections
• The isolating effects on healthcare professionals during COVID and how our friendship helped us cope
• Using the CALM skill (Center, Assess, Level, Maintain) for effective healthcare communication
• Sharing ridiculous hospital stories including the infamous "decomp plus" patient encounter
• Finding balance through shared interests outside healthcare like gaming and nerd culture
• Crystal prescriptions for emotional balance: Morganite, Howlite, and Turquoise
• Tarot guidance on authenticity, patience and managing healthcare transitions

Tag your anchor crew this week. Send them this episode and tell them why they're your people. If you don't have one yet, maybe this is your sign to start building that circle.

Hey! Make sure you subscribe to stay connected. Love a nurse? Who doesn't! Share with all the nurses you know. The more we reach, the more we help. We feel like no one deserves center stage focus more than nurses and our mission is to reach the millions of superstars out there. We'd love to hear your stories, your adventures, your wins, and especially your needs and questions! Email us at hello@ritualnurse (dot) com. Also, you can send us fan mail! Use the link at the beginning of the show notes. Resources, classes, blogs, and podcast info can be found on our home site at TCTH.org. The Ritual Nurse Podcast is part of The Code Team educational platform.

Love your FAYCES!