Refuse to Say “I’m Just a Nurse”: Advocacy and Career Agency

Course Overview 
This intermediate-level course examines how nurses can counter inaccurate public narratives, communicate professionally during workplace conflict, and use nursing expertise across evolving career paths. Drawing on Kelley Johnson’s advocacy experience and reflections on early-practice nursing, the course connects professional identity with patient safety, team trust, direct communication, boundaries, and career sustainability.

Listen, Learn, and Earn CE Hours with this podcast course. Available on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast apps. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:

• Analyze how media portrayals, professional language, and public assumptions can shape perceptions of nursing practice and professional identity.
• Evaluate a public or workplace communication scenario and select an advocacy response that advances accurate, respectful representation of nursing without escalating conflict.
• Apply direct, patient-centered communication strategies to address an interpersonal concern with a colleague and preserve team trust.
• Develop a feasible career-sustainability plan that links a nurse’s values, practice interests, and well-being needs to at least two potential professional pathways.
• Justify the use of consultation and question-asking in an unfamiliar clinical situation as a patient-safety and trust-building practice.

About the Author/Presenter 
Kelley Johnson, RN, FNP, is a nurse, family nurse practitioner, speaker, and nursing advocate. Her public advocacy has focused on accurate representation of nursing, professional respect, and the value nurses bring to patient care. Her clinical and professional experience includes ICU nursing, family nurse practitioner preparation and practice, public speaking, media work, and healthcare-related communications.

Audience/Accreditations and Approvals 
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE 
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details): 
Nursing

If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us