In this episode we're joined by Michelle Novominski.

Michelle Novominski is a registered nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital, where she cares for patients on the cardiovascular telemetry unit and serves in a leadership role on her unit’s Night Collaborative Care Council. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Pace University and a recipient of the American Nurses Association’s Future Nurse Leader Award.

Michelle brings a broad clinical background from her student nursing experience in emergency and intensive care, and the pre-hospital setting as an EMT. Beyond the bedside, she has maintained a continued involvement in leadership, research, and mentorship, having served in executive roles with the National Student Nurses Association and currently as Vice President of Sigma Theta Tau’s Omega Delta Chapter. Known for her compassion, grit, and curiosity, Michelle is passionate about advancing nursing practice and lifting others up and paying forward the support that made her own growth possible.

It's a known truth that becoming a nurse doesn't happen all at once. Michelle offers an honest look at how leadership as a student, real-world learning, and early career challenges have influenced not just how she practices, but how she sees herself as a nurse. This episode is called, "The Quiet Moments that Shape a Nursing Career."

Michelle can be contacted on LinkedIn @MichelleNovominski or on Instagram @MichelleNovo_

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Scan the QR Code to sign up for Learn Updates:

We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this episode, we’re joined by Nyssa Hattaway, an emergency, transport nurse, educator, and former art major who brings creativity to the profession of nursing.

Nyssa began her nursing career in a Level 1 Trauma Center, growing into roles as a preceptor, charge nurse, and department educator before transitioning to flight nursing, where she’s served the south Atlanta area for over a decade. She’s a preceptor, a principal investigator on research focused on family presence, and a co-host of both her company’s educational podcast, AMPED, and the emergency nursing podcast The Q Word. Nyssa is also a frequent national speaker and serves on the Exam Construction Review Committee for the CFRN and CTRN exams.

Nyssa joins us to talk about compassion in high-stakes care and what it means to show up fully—whether that’s at the bedside, in research, or in finding your voice as a nurse. This episode is called "Be Colorful in a World of Beige: Compassion & Creativity in Nursing."

Nyssa can be contacted by email at theqwordpodcast@gmail.com and TheQwordpodcast.com

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Scan the QR Code to sign up for Learn Updates:

We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this episode, we’re joined by Brady Bielewicz, an advanced practice clinician serving in a blended Acute Care NP and CNS role.

Dr. Brady Bielewicz is a trauma ICU advanced practice nurse and Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. With nearly 15 years of hands-on critical care experience as both an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist, he brings a real-world perspective that resonates with bedside nurses and APRNs alike. His work centers on trauma education, developing confident advanced practice nurses, and shaping certification exams that truly reflect clinical practice

Brady brings a unique perspective on trauma care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the critical nursing assessments and interventions that truly impact patient outcomes. This episode is called "Be the Change When Seconds Matter: The Power of Nursing in Trauma Care."

Brady can be contacted on LinkedIn @BradyBielewicz

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Scan the QR Code to sign up for Learn Updates:

We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this episode, you’ll meet Jana Price, a nurse whose path through healthcare ultimately led her to a greater calling.

Jana Price is a dual board-certified trauma and emergency nurse with over a decade of experience across emergency and inpatient critical care. She brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, communication, and business leadership to her work, holding degrees in nursing, communications, and healthcare business. Jana currently serves as the Senior Clinical Director for a medical device company, where she continues to advocate for nurses beyond the bedside. Jana is deeply passionate about nursing justice, ending workplace violence, and advancing pay reform, and she’s also the host of a podcast with Nurse.org, the largest online nursing platform, where she helps create space for nurses to share their stories and elevate the issues that matter most to our profession.

Through deeply personal and professional experiences, Jana built a platform to advocate for nurses and confront the realities of today’s healthcare system. She speaks with honesty, courage, and clarity in this episode titled “A Life Chosen for Advocacy and Empowerment.”

Jana can be contacted on LinkedIn @JanaPrice or by email at janaprice@upturnnursing.com

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Scan the QR Code to sign up for Learn Updates:

We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this podcast episode we want to introduce you to our BCEN friend, Kristi Bonny.

Kristi Bonny brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare, beginning her career as a firefighter/paramedic before transitioning into nursing. Her diverse background spans roles in the ICU, Emergency Department, Quality Management, and Trauma Services. Currently serving as a Trauma Clinician at an ACS-verified Level II Trauma Center, Kristi specializes in Performance Improvement—blending her love of data and process refinement with hands-on clinical care. Known for her balance of analytical insight and frontline expertise, Kristi embodies the best of both the “nerdy nurse” and the dedicated clinician.

What began with a spark to follow in her mother’s nursing footsteps has evolved into a remarkable career dedicated to improving trauma care. Recently honored as the 2025 Distinguished TCRN Award winner, it’s easy to see why her passion and expertise stand out. This episode is called “Beyond the harbor: courage, compassion, and continuous improvement in trauma care.”

Kristi can be contacted on LinkedIn @KristiBonny or by email at KristiBonny@texashealth.org

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this podcast episode we want to introduce you to our BCEN friend, Carly Johnson.

Carly Johnson fell in love with the complexity of emergency medicine while still in nursing school, working as a tech. After graduation, she found her calling in a pediatric emergency room residency—and never looked back. Today, she’s a night shift bedside nurse at one of the busiest pediatric level one trauma centers in the country, where she continues to learn, grow, and take on new challenges every day. With seven years in her current role, Carly now also shares her expertise by teaching other nurses about trauma and critical care within her department.

What started as curiosity during nursing school became a lifelong calling for Carly. Now a seasoned pediatric emergency nurse, she’s helping the next generation of nurses navigate trauma and critical care with confidence. This episode is called, "Becoming a safe place in a world woefully in need."

Carly can be contacted on LinkedIn @CarlyJohnson

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this podcast episode we want to introduce you to our BCEN friend, Carol Tulley.

Dr. Carol Tulley has been an emergency nurse for over 30 years, starting out at the Cook County Trauma Unit in Chicago and now serving as the Trauma Coordinator at a Level II trauma center in the western suburbs. Throughout her career she’s worn many hats—staff nurse, educator, and leader—but trauma has always been her true passion. She teaches and directs the Trauma Nurse Core Course, holds several specialty certifications-including the TCRN, and has shared her expertise through presentations and posters at conferences across the country.

From the halls of Cook County hospital to her role as a trauma coordinator and educator, Carol’s nursing career is all about leading, teaching, and creating a lasting impact. She will share advice on how to create momentum and build open roads of communication. This episode is called, "Creating a legacy of greenlights in trauma care."

Carol can be contacted at Facebook @CarolJaffeTulley and Instagram @C_tulley and LinkedIn @CarolTulley

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io

In this podcast episode we want to introduce you to our BCEN friend, Adam Vilander.

Adam Vilander is a master’s-prepared nurse educator with over a decade of frontline experience in emergency and critical care settings. He currently serves as the Emergency and Trauma Nursing Specialist for Samaritan Health Services, a five-hospital system in Oregon, where he leads clinical education, trauma initiatives, and quality improvement efforts. In addition to his leadership role, Adam works as a flight nurse, delivering advanced prehospital care and transport for critically ill and injured patients. His expertise spans trauma resuscitation, rural and remote emergency care, and high-acuity operations. Passionate about evidence-based practice and nurse development, Adam is dedicated to advancing care delivery and improving outcomes in complex, high-pressure environments.

Adam’s career spans prehospital care, the ER, critical care, and flight nursing—and through it all, he’s chased his goals with determination while navigating some of the hardest experiences nursing can bring. His story is packed with lessons, perspective, and inspiration, so buckle up. This episode is called, “Don't let your dreams just be dreams.”

Adam can be contacted through email at avilander@samhealth.org or on LinkedIn @AdamVilander

BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more.

Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io