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 Megan McDowell, DNP, MSN, RN-BC, CNE, about the unexpected turn that led her into critical care, the teaching moments that moved her toward nursing education, why nurses need better preparation to recognize and respond to human trafficking, and how an everyday clinical-management challenge became Track My Clinical.
Key takeaways
- A nontraditional path can still lead to the right calling. Megan’s journey from dance and psychology to an associate-degree nursing program, critical care, and academia shows how persistence and hands-on learning can shape a career.
- Support helps new nurses stay grounded. Megan describes mentorship, peer debriefing, and practical education as essential during demanding early-career experiences.
- Human trafficking education needs to run through the nursing curriculum. Megan calls for trauma-informed, survivor-informed preparation that helps clinicians screen safely, respond without judgment, and connect patients with appropriate resources.
- Nurse-led innovation begins with a real workflow problem. Track My Clinical grows from the scheduling, communication, attendance, evaluation, and reporting challenges Megan experiences as an educator.
Show notes / what you’ll hear
- Explore Megan’s early interests in dance, psychology, and business and hear how those experiences continue to influence her creativity and problem-solving.
- Hear why Megan leaves a traditional university setting for a hands-on nursing program and how she learns to value her nonlinear path.
- Learn why peer debriefing, honest support, and meaningful self-care matter after difficult shifts and emotionally intense patient care.
- Trace the patient encounter and DNP work that push Megan to examine gaps in human trafficking awareness and education.
- Challenge common assumptions about human trafficking as Megan explains that exploitation can involve sex or labor and affect people across ages and genders.
- Discover how Track My Clinical brings clinical-management tasks into one platform, including scheduling, attendance, skills tracking, evaluations, clinical assignments, and reporting, while future automation may give educators even more time back.
Resources mentioned
- Track My Clinical — The nurse-led clinical-management platform discussed in the episode.
- “Nursing students’ knowledge of and exposure to human trafficking content in undergraduate curricula” — Research referenced during the discussion of trafficking education.
- Rapid Appraisal for Trafficking, or RAFT — An adult trafficking screening tool discussed in the episode.
- Quick Youth Indicators for Trafficking, or QYIT — A youth-focused trafficking screening tool discussed in the episode.
- National Human Trafficking Hotline — A national support and referral resource.
- KeithRN — A nursing education resource Megan mentions during the conversation.
- The AACN Essentials — The competency framework referenced during the Track My Clinical discussion.
- Substack — The platform used for the live episode recording.
- Sliding Doors — The Gwyneth Paltrow film referenced while discussing decisions that can change the direction of a life.
- Sound of Freedom — The film Megan mentions while discussing growing public awareness of human trafficking.
Where to find Megan online
Guest Bio: Megan McDowell, DNP, MSN, RN-BC, CNE
Dr. Megan McDowell is a nurse educator, entrepreneur, and Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) with more than 23 years of experience spanning critical care, cardiology, and nursing education. She serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Brenau University and is the co-founder of Track My Clinical, a nurse-led technology company helping nursing programs simplify clinical management and support student success.
Dr. McDowell earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Brenau University after completing her MSN in Nursing Education and BSN at Northern Illinois University. Her work bridges academia, innovation, and advocacy, with a focus on equipping educators with practical solutions to today’s challenges.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. McDowell is a passionate advocate for human trafficking awareness and education. She serves on the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Human Trafficking Task Force, is an active member of HEAL Trafficking, and works alongside nursing leaders and state legislators to advance initiatives that prepare healthcare professionals to recognize and respond to human trafficking.
Her work has been recognized nationally through publications, conference presentations, and honors including Illinois’ 40 Under 40 Emerging Nurse Leaders. Whether she’s teaching future nurses, developing technology, or advocating for policy change, Dr. McDowell is committed to advancing the nursing profession and improving outcomes for patients, students, and communities.
Timestamps
- 00:01:33 — Megan introduces her work across critical care, nursing education, human trafficking advocacy, and nurse-led technology.
- 00:06:02 — A temporary ICU unit-secretary job changes her career direction.
- 00:14:11 — Megan begins adult critical care as a new graduate.
- 00:18:15 — Teaching clinical concepts opens the door to nursing education.
- 00:22:32 — DNP work and a missed clinical opportunity lead to human trafficking advocacy.
- 00:33:00 — Megan explains screening tools and the need for a safe, nonjudgmental environment.
- 00:37:30 — Track My Clinical grows from a real clinical-management problem.
- 00:48:13 — Megan shares the company’s next steps and ideas for practical AI support.
