Listen to Care: The “No Really, I’m Fine” Podcast
Staff care has always been a part of healthcare chaplaincy, but caring for medical professionals in our hospitals—and encouraging them to care for themselves—has become a higher priority since the pandemic. In their podcast No Really, I’m Fine, board-certified chaplains Aaron Metcalf and Mike Larson talk with healthcare workers in their Portland (Oregon) hospital about the stresses they face and how they cope emotionally with the daily demands of their jobs. The stories told in the (thus far) 30 episodes are authentic, heart-warming, and sometimes heart-wrenching accounts of real life in the trenches.
Chaplains Metcalf and Larson interview a range of healthcare professionals, including ICU and trauma nurses and doctors, an ECMO specialist, a 911 counselor, an ER social worker, a medical resident, a physical therapist, a speech pathologist, and a palliative care physician. As expected, Metcalf and Larson are thoughtful, empathic interviewers with an ability to go deep with their guests but also interject humor when appropriate.
The stories the guests tell are as varied as the people telling them. A pediatric nurse shares how he held the hand of his young female patient for eight hours to help her through a difficult time and how it brought meaning to his work. Another nurse discusses her practice of leaving her work behind her as she crosses a bridge over a river on her way home. Another nurse talks about her decision to leave the profession to care for herself. Still another nurse shares the trauma of being attacked by a patient and how she coped in the aftermath. In one episode, Larson and another chaplain interview Metcalf, who shares a raw account of depression and suicidal ideations from his past.
Episode after episode, I found this podcast insightful, educational, and helpful. Most of the guests discussed what their job entails; the demands, worries, and conundrums they face; and what they find meaningful in the work they do. In my daily chaplaincy work, I don’t have the time to spend talking with each staff member in detail about their work, and this podcast gave me an insight and appreciation for their work that I could not gather otherwise. The guests offer some creative ways of coping that I have shared with those I work with. I have also recommended the podcast to staff at my hospital.
The podcast has some slight audio issues (they use two mics for three people) that I found bothersome in the first season, but they appear to have fixed it in the second season. Although they joke each episode about the Pulitzer or Emmy that they are vying for, the show with a clever title has a little way to go to achieve that high status. Nevertheless, I found it an entertaining and beneficial resource.
No Really, I’m Fine is free and available wherever you get your podcasts.
