Not many shows can boast of hitting the remarkable milestone of 500 episodes. The Simpsons, Law & Order, NCIS, Family Guy, and Grey’s Anatomy are a few that come to mind, and now Keith Carlson

, affectionately known as “Nurse Keith” in nursing circles, is about to join the ranks of the 500 Club! As the podcast host of The Nurse Keith Show, he has entertained and informed listeners and become a trusted voice in the nursing community.

To commemorate this significant achievement, Nurse Keith is teaming up with Springer Publishing—the parent company of Daily Nurse and Minority Nurse—to feature one of our esteemed nursing authors on his show each month and the first podcast airs January 21. Get ready to dive into insightful discussions about the latest in nursing literature and celebrate with us as we take you behind the scenes of a day in the life of a nurse podcaster. Stay tuned for all the details and catch the milestone 500th episode of The Nurse Keith Show on December 20.

We asked Nurse Keith about his work as a nurse podcaster, his membership in the 500 Club, and his new partnership with Springer Publishing. What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.

Congratulations on reaching your 500th episode! How does it feel to hit this incredible milestone, and what do you think has been the most rewarding aspect of your podcasting journey so far?

Thank you so much. The most rewarding aspect of podcasting has been meeting the many wonderful people I’ve featured and interviewed over the years and receiving positive reflections and feedback from listeners worldwide. It’s gratifying that my podcast has reached so many people.

What did you do in your nursing role before you picked up a mic and became a nursing podcaster? 

I have been a nurse since 1996. I’ve worked primarily on community health, home health, hospice, public health, and travel medicine, and I was the Director of Nursing for a home health agency.

What inspired you to start this podcast, and how has your vision evolved since the first episode?

In 2012, two partners and I launched RNFM Radio, one of the very first nursing podcasts on the internet. We saw the potential of the podcast revolution and decided to be early adopters and get nursing on the podcast map as soon as possible.

RNFM was an interview show, so when I launched my podcast as a spinoff show, I wanted to contrast it with RNFM. So, I made it a monologue with just me talking about nursing careers and career development. When RNFM Radio sunsetted at around 250 episodes, I realized that The Nurse Keith Show could step in and fill the gap by featuring interviews of nurse leaders and influencers, so I slowly transitioned to a 100% interview format.

I enjoy highlighting the nursing profession, inspiring nurses in their career journeys, conducting interviews, and meeting incredible people doing great work in the world. In essence, the original vision of RNFM Radio has carried through to this day in terms of The Nurse Keith Show.

Every journey has its ups and downs. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a podcaster, and how have you overcome them?

One of the greatest challenges is that sponsorships for little shows like mine have largely dried up as the podcast world has become more crowded. I listen to many popular podcasts, and those big, successful shows with large audiences eat up all of the podcast sponsorship and advertising dollars. Many podcasts have as many as half a dozen sponsors per episode.

In the end, the show can’t generate much direct revenue other than the few listeners who choose to support it through Patreon by giving $2-$5 per month as a token of their appreciation of the show’s mission and my hard work creating the podcast.

Looking back at your episodes, is there a particular guest or topic that stands out as especially memorable or impactful? Why does it resonate with you?

There are so many after 500 episodes, so choosing one or two is very difficult. I can say that when a conversation between myself and a guest enters the inspiring space of being authentic, genuine, honest, and self-disclosing, this is where podcasting magic can happen. Talking about mental health, the entrepreneurship journey, bullying and incivility, career transition, and other challenges nurses face can be eye-opening. When we hit upon universal themes that touch many people’s lives, the conversations can go straight from the brain to the heart. Those are the episodes that really hit home.

How do you engage with your listeners, and what have you learned from their feedback over the years?

I engage with listeners through social media, mainly on LinkedIn. I also engage with listeners who get to know me through the show, like what they hear, and decide to contact me for career coaching. It’s gratifying to know that the show is a source of solace and inspiration for many.

As a nurse, how do you incorporate your firsthand experiences into your podcast, and what messages do you hope to convey to your audience about the nursing profession?

I have shared quite a bit about my personal journey, including burnout, depression, and feeling lost at various points in my career, and many of my guests do the same. I like my audience to see some of their journeys reflected back to them from what they hear, and I hope that hearing that many of us experience the same challenges brings some sense of relief and not being alone in the world. I think we all suffer, and knowing we’re in good company is very helpful.

What advice would you offer for nurses or healthcare professionals looking to start their own podcasts? What key elements should they focus on?

Well, they should be very clear about their intentions for starting a podcast and be fully aware that most podcasts make no money for their hosts and often cost more than they bring in if they earn anything. Aspiring nurse podcasts should also get to know the nursing podcasts that are out there and other healthcare-related shows and try to create something unique that audiences will enjoy and appreciate. It’s a very crowded space now, so one can’t expect thousands or tens of thousands of downloads any time soon; it has to grow slowly, and one must be patient. There’s a phenomenon called “podfading,” where an enthusiastic new podcaster will come out of the gate excited, release 3, 4, 5, or even 10 or 15 episodes, and then fade away, disappearing forever. This happens more than you might think, so if you’re going to make the commitment to launch a show, you need to stick with it for at least 50 episodes to know where you are and where you’re going; otherwise, you’re doing both yourself and your audience a disservice.

With 500 episodes under your belt, what are your hopes and plans for the podcast’s future? Are there any exciting projects or topics you’re looking forward to exploring?

I’m excited to partner with Springer Publishing and feature some of their authors on the show, so we’ll see where that collaboration goes over time. After so many episodes coming out week after week for so many years, we may at some point pull back to publishing every other week, but there are no firm plans to change anything.

The healthcare field can be demanding. How do you maintain your own well-being while managing your podcast, and what tips can you share with fellow nurses?

I look to my wife and loved ones for emotional support, and I try to balance my needs with the demands of podcasting, coaching, freelance writing, and working a regular nursing job several days per week. Life can be complicated, and we need downtime, rest, and loving people around us in order to cope with a world that sometimes feels harsh and abrasive. Surround yourself with support and love, and that’s half the battle right there.

What role do you believe podcasts play in fostering a sense of community among nurses and healthcare professionals? 

Podcasts connect people, help nurses get exposed to others’ ways of being and thinking, and shrink the global nursing community, allowing more of us to connect and get to know one another. When we feel connected to others, the world feels smaller and friendlier.

How has hosting this podcast changed you personally and professionally? Have there been any surprising lessons learned along the way?

It has shown me that I have the skills to conduct meaningful interviews, something I wasn’t aware of being capable of. It has also shown me that embracing new technology and learning how to leverage it is within my grasp, so perhaps I won’t be afraid in the future when there’s something new to learn that feels daunting. I’ve also seen that being honest and authentic in a public space may feel scary, but it makes for a deeper connection with the audience and the overall mission of the show.

How do you plan to celebrate this significant milestone with your listeners? Will there be any special episodes or events in the works?

On episode 500, my guest will be Dan Kendall, the amazing CEO and Founder of The Health Podcast Network, a fantastic network of podcasts related to health and healthcare that I have been a member of since close to the network’s launch. In this episode, Dan turns the tables and interviews me, allowing me to reflect on my life and career and how I got to where I am now. I’m grateful for Dan’s support and his willingness to interview me on my show, which was a memorable experience.

What legacy do you hope to leave through your podcast, and how do you envision it influencing future generations of nurses?

I hope to leave a legacy of hope for nurses to know that they’re not alone and that others share in their struggles and successes. I also hope that others will know they can embrace new challenges (like launching a podcast) and see various roles and paths for nurses to travel. I’d be thrilled that even one nurse felt their dreams were possible after hearing something of themselves somehow reflected on The Nurse Keith Show.

Talk about your new endeavor with Springer Publishing and what you look forward to achieving with this partnership.

Partnering with Springer is an opportunity to reach new listeners and feature authors who might otherwise not necessarily have the chance to be interviewed on a friendly, welcoming nursing podcast. I also hope to continue to elevate the nursing profession to new heights in the 21st century by communicating to our wider nursing community that there are so many wonderful and talented nurses out there doing great work in the world and the possibilities for professional growth and development are endless.

The post Day in the Life: Nurse Podcaster  first appeared on Daily Nurse.