Welcome to The Bossy Nurse Podcast, a show about nurse creators, innovators, risk-takers, and the ideas that shape their success.
In this episode, Marsha Battee speaks with Renee Thompson, DNP, RN, FAONL, FAAN, CSP®– CEO and Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute. They discuss how Dr. Thompson went from speaking about nurse bullying and incivility to building an institute that helps healthcare leaders create healthier, more respectful work cultures.
Key takeaways
- Dr. Renee Thompson’s work grows from a clear realization: healthcare is already hard enough without coworkers making it harder.
- Speaking opens the door for Dr. Thompson, but consulting helps her see long-term outcomes inside healthcare teams.
- Nurses who want to speak professionally need to understand the business behind speaking, not just the speech itself.
- Bullying is not just a conflict or a hard conversation. Dr. Thompson explains that true bullying includes a target, harm, and repeated behavior over time.
Show notes / what you’ll hear in this episode:
- Hear how Dr. Thompson’s early love of school, science, biology, and psychology shapes her lifelong interest in human behavior.
- Learn why she originally planned to become an OB-GYN before life circumstances led her to nursing.
- Follow her path from cardiac nursing to home care, managed care, leadership, education, and corporate roles.
- Understand the moment she decides “enough was enough” after hearing nurses repeatedly describe how badly they were treated by coworkers.
- Hear how one workplace conversation pushes her toward entrepreneurship and leads her to start building a speaking business.
- Learn how Dr. Thompson grows from keynote speaking into workshops, online education, consulting, and eventually the Healthy Workforce Institute.
- Get Dr. Thompson’s advice for nurses who want to speak professionally, including when to charge, when to speak complimentary, and why “pay to play” opportunities can be a red flag.
- Hear why consulting feels harder than keynotes, but also more meaningful because it creates measurable change for healthcare leaders and teams.
- Learn how Dr. Thompson builds her team slowly and why kindness, respect, and culture fit matter inside her own organization.
- Explore how writing books supports her credibility as a speaker and how her upcoming work is connected to “slaying the giant of cruelty.”
Resources mentioned
- Healthy Workforce Institute — Dr. Thompson’s organization focused on helping healthcare leaders address bullying, incivility, and disruptive behaviors.
- Healthy Workforce Academy — online education connected to Dr. Thompson’s work in healthy workplace culture.
- National Speakers Association — Dr. Thompson recommends this organization for nurses who want to learn the business of professional speaking.
- “Do No Harm” Applies to Nurses Too! — one of Dr. Thompson’s books on nurse bullying and incivility.
- Enough! Eradicate Bullying & Incivility in Healthcare: Strategies for Front Line Leaders — Dr. Thompson discusses revising this book and how it continues to reach healthcare leaders.
- Previous podcast episode with Dr. Renee Thompson from the Marsha Marsha Marsha Podcast.
- Connect with Dr. Renee Thompson on LinkedIn.
Guest Bio
Renee Thompson, DNP, RN, FAONL, FAAN, CSP®
As an international speaker and consultant Dr. Renee Thompson tackles the professional challenges facing healthcare leaders today. With 30 years as a clinical nurse, nurse educator, and nurse executive, Dr. Thompson is an internationally recognized expert on creating a healthy workforce by eradicating workplace bullying & incivility. She is in demand as a keynote speaker, hosts an award-winning blog, and is the author of several popular books on bullying and professional development.
Dr. Thompson works with healthcare organizations to cultivate a professional workforce by addressing bullying, and incivility. She has authored several books including, “Do No Harm” Applies to Nurses Too! and Enough! Eradicate Bullying & Incivility in Healthcare: Strategies for Front Line Leaders. Dr. Thompson is one of only 26 nurses in the world who have achieved the prestigious certified speaking professional designation and in 2018 was recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top Ten Voices in Healthcare for her contribution to their global online healthcare community
Timestamps
- 00:00:00 — Dr. Thompson opens with the reality of consulting and supporting nurse leaders through difficult workplace situations.
- 00:01:22 — Renee shares how much she loved school and why learning remains one of her core values.
- 00:04:27 — Renee explains how she moves from pre-med to nursing after becoming a mother.
- 00:06:14 — Renee talks about falling in love with cardiac nursing and later recognizing the repeated patterns of bullying and incivility in healthcare.
- 00:10:51 — Renee shares the story behind leaving a job she loved and building her speaking business.
- 00:15:19 — Renee explains what bullying is and what it is not.
- 00:20:14 — Renee gives practical advice for nurses who want to start speaking professionally.
- 00:28:56 — Renee explains what consulting looks like and why it is some of the hardest, most meaningful work she has done.
- 00:35:48 — Renee discusses writing books, self-publishing, and using books to support credibility as a speaker.
