Welcome back to The Bossy Nurse Podcast, the show where we spotlight nurse creators, innovators, risk-takers, and the ideas that shape their success. In this episode, we share how a surge in emergencies (and not enough time to teach at the bedside) sparked an international education platform for nurses.
Today, Marsha Battee speaks with Sarah Lorenzini, MSN-ED, RN, CCRN, CEN, Rapid Response Nurse and Educator; Host of Rapid Response RN Podcast; and Founder of Rapid Response Academy.
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Key takeaways
- You can build a rapid response program from scratch when you back your “this is needed” instinct with data and leadership communication.
- Teaching doesn’t have to stop when the unit gets chaotic.
- High-stakes personal experience can sharpen clinical calm, especially when you’re committed to step-by-step thinking under pressure.
- You can protect patients and yourself while creating content by changing identifiers, knowing your hospital’s policy, and being intentional about what you share (or don’t share).
- A creator path doesn’t have to be a “get rich” story to be a life-changing one.
Show notes / what you’ll hear in this episode:
- Hear how Sarah’s early loss shaped her “go time” mindset, and how she learned to keep showing up whole by actually processing the hard emotions over time.
- Learn what Sarah shares about arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and her family’s FLNC genetic finding, plus why she now has an ICD/defibrillator and what that means in real life.
- Follow the moment Sarah decides to advocate for a dedicated rapid response team, how she approached leadership for FTE support, and what it looked like to build a new program from the ground up.
- Get the behind-the-scenes origin story of Rapid Response RN Podcast, including her closet-with-coats recording setup, a $15 mic, and why she thought she was only teaching her own coworkers at first.
- Hear what surprised Sarah about reach and impact, including nurses across the globe listening and emailing to say they used an episode to respond more confidently the very next day.
- Learn how Sarah stays HIPAA-appropriate while telling clinical stories, including changing identifiers (and when she shared more details only with a patient’s permission).
- Pick up practical content-creator guardrails for nurses, like reading your hospital social media policy, avoiding badges/logos, and being mindful about what you reveal about your workplace.
- Hear how Rapid Response Academy grew out of her desire for live interaction and deeper teaching, and how that shift helped her move to two 12s while keeping income steady overall.
Resources mentioned & Where to find Sarah online
- Sarah’s Podcast Rapid Response RN Podcast
- Sarah’s Website
- Rapid Response Academy
- Sarah’s YouTube Channel
- Sarah on Instagram
- Sarah on Facebook
- Sarah on TikTok
- Sarah on LinkedIn
Bio: Sarah Lorenzini, MSN-ED, RN, CCRN, CEN
Sarah Lorenzini is a passionate Rapid Response Nurse and educator who brings energy and expertise to the nursing community. As the host of the “Rapid Response RN Podcast,” she captivates listeners with gripping real-life emergency stories from her 20+ years in nursing, while breaking down complex concepts in pathophysiology and pharmacology and highlighting the crucial role of nurses in healthcare. Sarah’s nursing journey started in the Emergency Department at the ripe old age of 19, she has since worked in the Cardiovascular ICU, as a Nursing Professor, ER Unit Educator, and now as a Rapid Response Supervisor.
When she’s not saving lives or inspiring fellow nurses, Sarah is out adventuring with her husband and their five kids, crocheting an impressive collection of blankets and scarves (despite living in sunny Florida), and hosting lively gatherings for family and friends. Sarah is also a self-proclaimed extreme extrovert and people person, lover of being by the water, plant mom, chips and queso enthusiast, and boba tea connoisseur.
Timestamps
- 00:01:22 — Sarah shares being 9 years old and learning to “go step by step” in survival mode.
- 00:04:59 — Sarah explains arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and her mom’s sudden death.
- 00:06:30 — Genetic testing, FLNC, and why the first symptom can be cardiac arrest.
- 00:07:20 — Living with an ICD: “within six seconds I’ll be defibrillated.”
- 00:31:00 — COVID surges, rapid-response volume, and the push for a dedicated team.
- 00:35:03 — The “I want to teach but get called away” moment that sparks her podcast.
- 00:37:53 — HIPAA strategy: changing identifiers, and when she doesn’t share cases.
- 00:48:32 — Rapid Response Academy: live teaching, cohorts, and confidence-building.
