How did I become such a pesky thorn? Meet Joanne Riley, RN, MHA, my mother, the original disruptor

My mother started nursing at age 20, and she was fired more than once for standing up to physicians who strayed from the path. She and I were often at odds during my formative years, during which she verifies what many already know about me: I was a pain in the ass for my teachers and preceptors over the years. I was curious and often demanded deeper reasoning behind the answers I was expected to give in my many years of education. When I was fired (twice…sort of) for blowing whistles after completing my training, she wasn’t surprised. She was concerned for me, but not because of my disruptive tendencies but rather as a consequence of her own ordeals as a health care professional who put her own job in jeopardy innumerable times over the course of her illustrious career. My mother is awesome, and if it weren’t for her, I would never have seen the medical profession for its virtues - or its inadequacies.

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In this beautiful conversation with my mother, the original disruptor by the same name, we cover:

• Is the corruption of informed consent and coercion in medicine a new thing? Not in the slightest.

• How might working in a pediatric ICU informed a woman’s fears around parenthood?

• My birth story (and my sister’s) and the challenges of giving birth without the support of a partner

• Corruption in clinical trials and the consequences of whistleblowing

• Her reflections on the COVID moment through the lens of her years of experience in every facet of healthcare

• How her influence and integrity as a health care professional ultimately influenced my own experience as a physician and general pain-in-the-ass
  

Notes for this episode are found on Substack

Work with Nathan:
Beloved Holistics | Born Free Method | Clear & Free | Twins-Breech

Medical Disclaimer: Born Free Method: The Podcast is an educational program. No information conveyed through this podcast should be construed as medical advice. These conversations are available to the public for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Music provided by RealMovieScores / Pond5