In honor of Nurses Week, Dr. Renee Thompson takes a heartfelt detour from the usual Coffee Break episodes to deliver a special message to nurses everywhere. Renee reflects on why we chose nursing in the first place – not for convenience, but for compassion, courage, and heart. She shares powerful stories from her keynote, Celebrate Nurses: Human by Birth – Hero by Choice, including a beautiful reminder about finding the good – and beauty – in others, even on the hard days.
Tune in for a celebration of nursing, laughter about how nurses’ lives differ from other professions, encouragement to reconnect with your “why,” and inspiration to keep finding the beauty around you – and in yourself.
Dr. Renee Thompson is a sought-after speaker, author, consultant, and leading authority on creating healthy workforces by eliminating bullying and incivility. With more than 31 years as a clinical nurse, nurse educator, quality manager, and nurse executive, Dr. Thompson is a leading authority on workplace bullying and incivility and spends the majority of her time working with healthcare leaders who want to cultivate a healthy workforce.
Renee is the CEO and Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute and has been repeatedly published, interviewed, and awarded for her work to eradicate disruptive behaviors in healthcare. In 2020, the Joint Commission invited Renee to become a member of their Workplace Violence Technical Advisory Panel. She has been published in numerous nursing journals and is a frequently invited guests on radio, podcasts, webinars, and online social media platforms.
In 2016, Renee received the Nursing Excellence Award as a nurse entrepreneur to honor her work to eliminate workplace bullying. She received the first Outstanding Nursing Alumni for Excellence in Leadership Award and Distinguished Alumni recognition from her alma mater and was a finalist in the Healthcare Heroes Awards as a Healthcare Provider. Her blog has won numerous awards as a Top Nursing Blog “must-read” by the online nursing community, and her anti-bullying videos are viewed by healthcare organizations around the world. Renee is one of only 30 nurses in the world who have achieved the prestigious certified speaking professional designation.
In 2018, she was recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top Ten Voices in Healthcare for her contribution to the global online healthcare community. In 2022, she was identified as one of the top 5 Nurse Influencers on LinkedIn. Also, in 2022, Renee was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her work to eradicate disruptive behaviors in healthcare.
Renee has a Master’s degree in Nursing Education and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Pittsburgh.
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A leading authority on creating healthy work cultures by eliminating bullying and incivility in healthcare, with 31+ years of clinical and executive experience. One of only 30 nurses worldwide to earn the Certified Speaking Professional designation.