The Nurse that Spoke Up: A Path to Patient Advocacy

A nurse walks into a med room and hears laughter about a “placebo” given to a symptomatic patient. What happens next is a real-time test of ethics: speak up and risk backlash, or stay silent and let a lie stand between a patient and their care. We bring you the full story from a new grad, Nyanaguer, who chose the chain of command, stayed anonymous, and watched a unit obsess over “who told” instead of what was done to the patient. It’s a candid look at power dynamics, moral courage, and why patient advocacy must include truth-telling at the bedside.

We dig into the anatomy of reporting: what to document, how to use the chain, and ways to reduce retaliation risk while keeping the focus on safety. Our guest shares what she heard, what she did, and what leaders did right during the investigation. We also explore empathy for “frequent” call-light patients and practical communication that lowers conflict: validate symptoms, set clear expectations, and treat every request as a window into fear, pain, or loneliness. Honesty is a clinical intervention; when trust improves, outcomes do too.

Then we shift from hospital corridors to a different kind of care setting. After two years at the bedside, she launched a licensed residential assisted living home in Arizona, translating nursing skills into leadership, operations, and family-centered care. We talk regulations, funding, hiring, and building a culture where staff feel safe to report issues early. If you’ve wondered how to pivot without losing your clinical identity, this is a roadmap: carry your advocacy forward and design a place where it thrives.

Subscribe for more human-centered nursing stories, share this with a colleague who needs a courage boost, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what’s one situation where you chose advocacy over comfort?

To submit your stories & comments, visit: https://simplenursing.com/podcast/

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:02

We got a coat brown. Welcome to Bedpan Banter. With me, Nurse Mike. Can I get a Bedpan over here? Welcome to Bedpan Banter, the official podcast of Simple Nursing, where we connect the human side of healthcare. We have a very special guest today and a huge patient advocate, Nurse Nenaguer. So thank you so much for uh watching our videos during nursing school. I know that you said you were a huge fan earlier, so we do appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Yeah, of course. Thank you again so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

You went pretty viral, I believe, uh, for being a patient advocate. And, you know, I think you got a lot of hate from it, or I'm not sure, and maybe in their comment sections. But can you describe to our viewer base and audience exactly what happened, how you stuck up for a patient?

Reporting Up The Chain Of Command

Fallout, Rumors, And Anonymity

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Yeah, of course. So allow me to kind of summarize what went on. So back when I was a new grad, I was working on an acute oncology floor. One evening when I was returning my meds for the shift, I was in the med room with two other nurses from day shift, um, which was Nurse Liz and then another day shift nurse. Um, then a night shift nurse, which in the story was Nurse Gabby, comes into the med room and she was giggling. Um, and little side note, nurse Gabby and Nurse Liz are friends. So when Nurse Gabby came into the room, she went right next to Nurse Liz and they were just cracking up and giggling. Uh, Nurse Liz had asked her what was funny, you know, what's going on, and she admitted to giving a patient a placebo. Um, so a little background, we had a patient on the unit who required PRN Benadryl very frequently. So apparently she rang the call light right at shift change, and she was having the symptoms that required her to have the PRN Benadryl. Um, and at that time, nurse Gabby was the nurse. She went in and pretended to give the patient the Benadryl, completely lied to the patient and said that she gave it to her. And that's when she came into the med room laughing about it. Um, they both thought it was hysterical, it was funny. She felt like she caught the patient in a lie. Um, of course, I didn't find that funny. I felt very uncomfortable at that time. So I left the med room. I had to return back to work the next day. So I just went home, then came back. When I came back to my shift, um, I went to management and I told them exactly what happened, what I heard, what Nurse Gabby said, and who was in the room with us. Um, I also made it very clear to management that I wanted to stay anonymous because Nurse Gabby was popular on the unit and I did not want to be retaliated against. I said I was a new grad, I was afraid, and I didn't know what was going to happen after this. I just wanted to remain anonymous and I just felt like I just wanted to do the right thing and report it. Um, they thanked me for reporting it. They did an investigation and they were pulling nurses all through that day shift. And by the time it was night shift, my manager stayed until shift change. And next thing you know, nurse Gabby wasn't allowed to clock in and she went home. I went home too, didn't ask any questions. Uh, but when I returned to work the next day, nurse Liz came up to me and she was like, OMG, um, nurse Gabby got fired. Did you hear about it? And I was acting like I was shocked, even though I was the nurse that reported it, but I did act like I was shocked. So it did cause a lot of um just talk within the unit because everybody was trying to find out who was the one that snitched. It was only me and one other nurse in the med room. Um, so they kept thinking it was the other nurse, but I kept advocating like, I don't think she would do that. So it did create a lot of drama on the unit to who fired this nurse, not necessarily them focusing on what actually happened and what the nurse did to get herself fired.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

So let me get this straight. They weren't really focusing on the morals at hand, right? It's like the uh the patient advocacy that the nurse actually lied to a patient, and that's what got her in trouble. They were more into the politics of nursing, is that right?

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Correct, yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Now, there was a full investigation that happened afterwards, right? And I remember in your in your story online, they were asking your coworkers and almost like a kind of who done it idea. Um, was your identity kept uh kept safe and secure and secret?

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yes. So thankfully, um my managers did not say anything. Um they took the situation very seriously. Um, and they remained it, my identity was remained anonymous. And it was kind of awkward on the unit because again, a lot of my friends on the unit were trying to find out who it was because they got pulled to. So it was a lot of talk on, oh, what did management tell you? You know, kind of trying to figure out who the unit snitch was. And so I kind of felt like I was playing both parts to, I don't know who it is, but even though I knew exactly who it was because it was me. So it was very awkward at times for sure.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Did you ever feel like you were or worry that you would uh face retaliation from any higher-ups or any other um any coworkers?

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Um, so I didn't necessarily think that I was going to face retaliation from management because of how they took the situation and how serious they took the situation. I was more concerned about my coworkers because they were more concerned about who told, who told rather than the situation that happened. So I was just so afraid that they were going to find out. That's why I kind of felt like on the unit, I was playing both parts to where I was like, oh, um, I I don't know what's going on. But when people were to talk to me about it, I still was kind of in the conversations, but not necessarily. Just trying to take the heat off of me, but not put it on anybody else.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Fair. And that's exactly what you should do. Um, did you move on from that unit? Uh do you work there now or was that years ago?

SPEAKER_00 5:42

No, so that was years ago, and that's why I didn't want to share my story until years went by. I definitely wanted to talk about it because I think it's something that should be talked about, patient advocacy. Um, and it's a good story to tell for other nursing students. Um, but I waited a while um until I told the story, so then I wouldn't get retallied against. Um, and it was kind of a time until things happened.

Social Media Reactions And Lessons

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Now, did anyone address you uh or come after you or hit you up after the video went viral?

SPEAKER_00 6:09

No, so nobody hit me up after the video went viral. Um, but I do have a close friend of mine who worked on the unit, and right before I dropped the, because I knew he was gonna see it. So right before I dropped the video, I was like, hey, I want to let you know something that you know you don't know because him and I are super close and we worked on the unit, and I said, Um, I'm gonna drop the story. I want to let you know. Remember this story that happened with Nurse Gabby? Well, I was the one that reported, and he was so shocked because he was he actually got pulled. He wasn't even there, but he got pulled to be talked about. And he was like, I remember everybody was trying to figure out who it was. And he was like, Oh, wow, you played it so well because nobody thought it was you. So we did talk about it after. Um, but other than that, nobody has reached out to me from the unit. Um, besides, I think there was a comment from somebody that I worked with, and she verified, like, oh, I remember this situation. It was so sad. But other than that, yeah, I haven't had anybody else reach out to me.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Now, working with administration and showing that, you know, you raised the red flag and they actually did something about it. Uh, would you ever consider working in administration to bridge that gap between practicing nurses and really what they should do as patient advocates?

Practical Advocacy Tips For Nurses

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Yes and no. Though I do have a lot of background in administration and management, I decided to use my experience to start my own healthcare business. So I do own a residential assisted living facility and I am very big on being an advocate for my residents and um tell educating my staff on how to speak up, how to report, and not being afraid to go towards, you know, the my management or me if they need to report anything.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

I love that. Like, how long have you been doing that for?

SPEAKER_00 7:45

I've been doing this for about a year and a half now.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Wow, no way. That's really cool. Yeah. Yeah, we can dive into a lot of that, but um, I'm I'm kind of interested in really what happened on social media. Did you get any retaliation in terms of the comments section? Because I know the comment section can be crazy.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Um, so for the most part, I've had a lot of nurses reach out to me that unfortunately they were in a situation similar, or they were in situations where they felt like they should have reported, but they were scared of retaliation. So a lot of it were people being like, this does happen in healthcare, or this has happened around me. And unfortunately, I was not the nurse that spoke up. And so they I got a lot of feedback in regards of, I wish I would have said something at that time, and um, I'm glad that you did. And like, I think I got a lot of positive support in regards of everything. Um, I did have a little bit of negative support saying that I should have talked to nurse Gabby before reporting her. But again, I don't think that's right. We are taught in nursing school to go up the chain of command. So it was most so that where people are saying, well, you should have told Nurse Gabby before. But again, in my opinion, I should not have done that. I think I did things the way that I I was taught to in nursing school.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

I think you did everything correct, to be honest. Um, for those nurses that are watching that may that might be scared to speak up and advocate, do you have any tips or advice for them uh to build the confidence to do it?

Empathy Over Task Lists

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Um, yes, I do. So in regards of so in regards to nursing advocacy, of course it's the act of ensuring patients are safe, cared for, and heard. However, it's not just about advocating for patients, it's also advocating for yourself too. Whether it's an unsafe assignment or you don't agree with things that are going on in your shift, remember your voice does matter. And though retaliation and bullying is something that does happen, it does not mean that's always going to be the outcome. Like in my situation, yes, that was a fear of mine, but that didn't happen. So always speak up and just try to do the right thing because you never know what the outcome is going to be. You might get good feedback from it.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Do you think there needs to be more focus on advocacy, courage, or even boundaries from preceptors or even educators, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Yes, I do. Because I don't think that that's spoken about enough. Um, again, these things do happen in nursing, unfortunately. As you can see in the comments, a lot of people are sharing their stories and the things that happen on their unit. So I think if we start to share more of our stories, then people are going to get the courage to try to speak up.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Yeah, I think the the biggest push is is awareness and maybe stories behind you know what we're supposed to be doing as nurses. Because I think you know, when you're in the hospital setting, everyone always focuses on the physicality of patient safety, you know, with their infection or you know, um bed ulcers or even medication errors and things like that. Um, instead of, you know, actual patient advocacy. If they see something, a lot of a lot of nurses don't say something. And right. I think that's the biggest takeaway here. If you see something, you gotta say something, you know.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Because I mean, at the end of the day, nurses are the only thing, usually, um, between, you know, great outcomes or very poor outcomes. And the uh the integrity and the moral integrity of lying is definitely something that should be um uh escalated. So as a new grad, you're thrown into a lot of new uh scenarios. And let's just say they called the uh call light multiple times. How do you know whether to escalate versus handle it yourself?

SPEAKER_00 11:11

I'm sorry, in regards if there is a call light going off multiple times?

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Yeah, if like let's just say you had a patient who's being ignored uh and they called multiple times, what would you do in that situation? Would you escalate it? Would you handle it yourself? Would how would you do it?

From Bedside To Assisted Living Owner

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Um so if if they were being ignored, I would try to handle it myself because a lot of the times, and um I did mention, so I do want to say that in um my story, I did say that I relate more to the patient than I do to my coworkers. And that's because before I was a nurse, I was a patient first. And that's very important because when you're in these situations, there are things that, you know, you might not have empathy towards because you don't know what that patient is feeling towards. They're not trying to be, you know, they're not trying to be a hard patient most of the time. They're not trying to be demanding. And you sometimes we have to remember that these people are at the most vulnerable times in their lives. Because I remember when I was a patient, that was the most vulnerable time in my life. I was not myself. I might have been rude, I might have been very ugly, but I was going through a lot emotionally, mentally, and physically. So as nurses, we just have to remember that that they are going through a lot and it's not has nothing to do with us. So I would always just say, always ask yourself, how would you feel if you were that family member? Like sometimes just talk to the patient. How would you feel? Like as a patient, there's a lot that you're going, you're thinking about when you're sitting in that room. And so, as a nurse, just see how how can we help the patient better? What can we do to be, you know, a better nurse or advocate for the patient more because they do need our help, you know, at the end of the day. And as ugly as they can be at times, but they don't mean to be, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

So that would be the biggest thing that in your story, you talked about this a lot, where that in particular patient um was it was a chronic patient, and they were there on the units uh for a while, and there were certain staff members that they they trusted, other ones that they didn't want to work with. And I think that's the biggest disconnect for new grads and and and and even veteran nurses is that you know you get so focused on the physicality that you lack the empathy. You don't put yourself in the patient's shoes and you forget that that person is actually a human. That one's that's someone's mom or daughter or cousin or sister. That's the biggest thing that we miss. And it's it's great to hear stories like this to really help ground us. So we have a lot of uh nurses that that work bedside um that listen to this podcast, and you are doing something that is outside of the world of the hospital setting. Uh, can you touch on that? Like where you got started, what inspired you for that, and even where it's located?

Why She Built A Residential Care Home

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yeah, of course. So um I had worked bedside about two years before I decided that I wanted to leave bedside and do something for myself. I had all of these skills and I knew I wanted to stay in the medical field and I wanted to stay as a nurse. Um, and I wanted to, again, use these skills for something else. So about a year and a half ago, I opened a residential assisted living facility here in Arizona, in which I I honestly it's I think it's the best, the best thing that I've done for myself in regards to it, because I'm still able to do everything that I want to as a nurse, um, and then still have that time freedom. I still am able to advocate for my residence. I'm still able to do everything except for now I'm, you know, the owner. Um, so that's kind of how I got into it. Um, so basically, what a residential assisted living facility is is it it's it's exactly what it is. It is a home that provides um assistance to the geriatric population or to people who cannot take care of themselves. And we provide ADLs, um, um, meals, activities, and they stay with us full time. Um, and again, I get hospice clients, I get a lot of different residents, and um, yeah, I provide them a home and things like that. And that's what I have been doing for the past year and a half, and that's kind of how I got out of bedside. I still am there PRN as a neonatal ICU nurse because I love the babies. I don't see myself ever leaving, but um, yeah, that's what I decided to do full-time and I I love it, honestly. I think that nurses are the best for this kind of um job and position.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

That's very brave. I I I know of a lot of bedside nurses that talk about doing other things, and you actually did it. So if there's any listeners that are interested in doing that, uh how do you suggest they would get started?

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Yeah, so I actually have a separate page um that's apart from my personal page, that's Nyanaguer underscore RN. And that's all everything residential assisted living. I consult on there. I post a lot of videos on how people can get started. Yeah, so I have a page dedicated to that. So if you have any questions on there, go follow me on that other page. I have lots of resources. I have a link on my bio to tell you all about it and how to get started in all states.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

What what inspired you to actually start your own home? Because I know that might take a lot of work. Um, you know, you have to research it, maybe a lot of capital to start. Um can you touch on those?

Final Reflections And Follow Us

SPEAKER_00 16:05

Yeah, of course. So um, what actually inspired me to get started is because so I um and actually am from Africa and I'm a first generation and I'm the eldest daughter in my family. And with a lot of that, I have a lot of responsibility to take care of my family, to provide a lot. So I have a lot on my back. And when I had become a nurse, that was something that was, you know, such a big deal in my family as a first generation, but it wasn't enough to again take care of my family. And I didn't also have the time freedom that I wanted to to be there for my family because working, even though we only work three, 12 hour shifts as a nurse, when I get home from work, I would be so tired and just I just wouldn't be myself. I, you know, I just couldn't, I was burnt out, severely burnt out. So I started looking into other things that nurses can do. And that's when I was like, well, I am interested in the administration world, but I didn't want to still work bedside or in a hospital. I wanted to do something for myself and say, you know, this is mine and, you know, I can bring back to my family. So that's when I started doing all the research. Um, I got my administration license and I just, you know, did everything I needed to do. I looked into how I can get more funding to start my home. I really, really wanted to do this. And again, one thing about me is because of where I come from and my story of why I became a nurse, I have so much motivation in my life. I have so much to do more. I'm one of those where I just don't ever want to give up. I always keep going. I'm somebody who just doesn't give up, you know? And so I was like, I'm just gonna go all in. I went part-time at my work and I was like, this is something that I really want to do. And next thing you know, I opened and I've been going and I've been successful since. So that's kind of how I got into it.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Honestly, that's the beauty of nursing. It's so versatile. And I always tell students you can do so much with your nursing degree. And I I love that. You were a bedside, you worked at the neonates, now you have your own home where you're helping uh patients. So thank you so much for sharing with us. Um, what is your personal handle and what do you want uh our listeners to follow?

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Yes, so it depends. If you want to just follow my journey um in regards to residential assisted living, it's Nyana Guer underscore RN. Again, that's all residential assisted living, nothing personal. Um, but if you want to follow my personal journey or just, you know, like to see me hike sometimes, then follow my personal page at just Nana Gware.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

We're gonna make sure to put your handles in the description below. Um, but thank you so much for sharing your story and inspiring us uh to really even think outside of bedside, but also reminding us about the empathy that we should have as nurses and to always advocate for our patients. So thank you so much for being on the show. And as always, make sure to like, share, and subscribe. And remember, don't let the bedpans bite.