the ER edit
The unfiltered side of life behind the scrubs. Hosted by ER nurses and working moms. They share wild ER stories, real talk about nursing, and the chaos of balancing shifts, kids, and everyday life. Funny, honest, and relatable. Because sometimes the only way to survive work and motherhood is with caffeine and dark humor.
Episodes
Christa Pike Survived Lethal Injection. What Went Wrong? | The ER Edit Ep. 32
Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during Tennessee's September 30, 2026 execution attempt. We go through the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, the sentences that followed, and the questions the case raises about childhood trauma and the death penalty. Then we get into the ER nurse side of it: IV access, possible infiltration, execution protocols, and the ethical mess of caring for
Death, Trauma and the ER Cases That Stay With You | The ER Edit Ep. 31
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen?” is one of those questions ER nurses hear constantly, but the answer is usually a lot heavier than people expect.This week we’re talking about the cases healthcare workers cannot forget, including devastating family moments, pediatric codes, end of life care, ethical gray areas, unexpected deaths, freak accidents, and the strange way you can walk out of so
ER Nurses Dive Into Bizarre Medical Mysteries | The ER Edit Ep. 30
This week we’re getting into medical mysteries that sound completely made up but somehow aren’t. From anti NMDA receptor encephalitis and human hibernation to auto brewery syndrome, cannabinoid hyperemesis, bizarre neurological symptoms, MRI safety, and conditions medicine still does not completely understand, the human body keeps finding new ways to terrify us.We also get into the part ER nurses
The Nashville Hospital Medication Mixup Explained by Nurses | The ER Edit Ep. 29
Four joint replacement patients in Nashville received potassium phosphate instead of the intended spinal anesthetic, mepivacaine, and the investigation shows just how many opportunities there were for someone or something to catch the mistake. We break down the pharmacy workflow and medication safety failures, then bring back some of the wildest medication error stories we have heard before ending
Niels Högel and the Horrifying “Resuscitation Rambo” Case | The ER Edit Ep. 28
Niels Högel was an ICU nurse who deliberately created medical emergencies in patients and then jumped into their resuscitations, reportedly chasing the recognition that came with saving them. We break down the healthcare serial killer case, the staggering number of deaths surrounding his shifts, how another nurse finally caught him, the hospitals' response, and the uncomfortable question every
The Wildest Things Nurses Have Put in Patient Charts | The ER Edit Ep. 27
Nurses! You Need this book! pick up a copy of "Chart Like a Lawyer" here: https://amzn.to/4guzGvzWe are reading some of the wildest things nurses and doctors have actually put in patient charts, from unhinged triage notes and direct patient quotes to dictation disasters, copy and paste mistakes, questionable physician comments, and truly chaotic documentation. Then it gets a little too r
ER Nurses React to The Final Days of the Lindsay Clancy Trial | The ER Edit Ep. 26
Recorded as the Lindsay Clancy jury began deliberating, we break down the final days of the trial and the question at the center of everything: criminal responsibility. We get into the defense experts, the claimed command voice, postpartum psychosis, the prosecution rebuttal, the chaplain testimony, questions about the investigation, and closing arguments from both sides. We started this trial loo
The Craziest ER Stories We’ve Told So Far | The ER Edit Ep. 25
We’re revisiting some of the ER stories we still cannot believe actually happened. A toe in a sock, a full urinal to the body, nurse intuition that proved right, career ending mistakes that thankfully were not career ending, bizarre injuries, hospital hookups, and one Christmas Eve code we will never forget. Basically, nursing in all its chaotic, gross, funny, and occasionally terrifying glory.LIS
ER Nurses Break Down the Medical Evidence in the Lindsay Clancy Trial | The ER Edit Ep. 24
We’re breaking down the Lindsay Clancy trial through the lens we actually know: ER nursing, trauma care, and mental health. We get into the GCS of three, 82 degree core temperature, spinal cord injury, reported thyroid crush injury, medication history, witness testimony, postpartum psychosis, continuity of care, and the medical questions that kept stopping us in our tracks. This case is ultimately
Her Foot Fell Off in the ER: Wild Whisper Line Stories | The ER Edit Ep. 23
This week, the Whisper Line takes over the entire episode. We read your anonymous submissions cold, including a hospital parking lot affair, a necrotic foot that fell off inside a shoe, a baby nurse’s terrifying first code, pediatric emergencies, hospice confusion, preventable medical errors, unsafe staffing, and a clinical instructor who allegedly made two medication errors in one shift. Some sto
Michael Swango Was Linked to 60 Deaths. Was Lucy Letby Wrongfully Convicted? | The ER Edit Ep. 22
We go deep into two healthcare true crime cases that raise completely different questions about trust, evidence, and the systems surrounding patient care. First, Caitlin breaks down Michael Swango, the physician linked to as many as 60 deaths who repeatedly returned to medicine through forged records and new identities. Then Karlie revisits the Lucy Letby conviction from a nurse’s perspective, inc
A Toddler Was Declared Dead and Found Alive in the Morgue | The ER Edit Ep. 21
An 18 month old boy was pronounced dead after a drowning and reportedly found breathing in the hospital morgue nearly five and a half hours later. We break down what pediatric codes, agonal breathing, time of death decisions, morgue procedures, and nurse advocacy actually look like in the ER, while also confronting the grief, anger, pool safety concerns, and unanswered questions surrounding this c
Nurse Intuition Is Real | The ER Edit Ep. 20
Nurse intuition is real, and this week we are talking about the gut feeling nurses get when something is wrong before the numbers catch up. We get into rapid responses, triage, patient advocacy, home health stories, pediatric cardiac ICU, charting, shift superstitions, and the moments that teach you to trust yourself at the bedside.LISTEN, WATCH, FOLLOW, AND SEND US YOUR STORIEShttps://theeredit.c
Do Nurses Really Eat Their Young? | The ER Edit Ep. 19
Do nurses really eat their young? This week we are talking about nurse bullying, new grad anxiety, preceptors, ER orientation, and the difference between being challenged because someone wants you to grow and being humiliated because someone wants to feel powerful. We get into real stories, ER culture, burnout, toxic workplace dynamics, and why asking questions should never make a nurse feel unsaf
ER Nurses React to Taylor Parker and Maternal Instinct | The ER Edit Ep. 18
We’re breaking down the Taylor Parker case and Maternal Instinct from the ER nurse side of the story. We talk fake pregnancy, the hospital exam that changed everything, HIPAA, Code Pink, body cam footage, nurse intuition, and the awful reality of trying to do your job while a true crime case is unfolding in real time.LISTEN, WATCH, FOLLOW, AND SEND US YOUR STORIEShttps://theeredit.comFind The ER E
The Medical Malpractice Lawsuits That Terrify Nurses | The ER Edit Ep. 17
This week, we’re talking medical malpractice lawsuits, nurse depositions, charting, and the legal fear that lives in the back of every nurse’s brain.Caitlin Armstrong and Karlie Tooley go through reported malpractice cases involving misdiagnosis, surgical complications, pediatric emergencies, medication questions, and hospital systems trying to protect themselves. Then we bring it back to the floo
ER Nurses React to Medical Murder Cases | The ER Edit Ep. 16
This week, we are getting into medical true crime and the cases that make nurses ask a thousand follow up questions. Caitlin Armstrong and Karlie Tooley talk through Lucy Letby, Charles Cullen, Harold Shipman, a German nurse who triggered cardiac arrests to look heroic, and Linda Hazzard, all through the lens of ER nurses who cannot stop thinking about access, medications, charting, leadership, an
ER Nurses React to Sex Injuries That Sent People to the ER | The ER Edit Ep. 15
This week on The ER Edit, Caitlin and Karlie talk about the sex injuries that end up in the emergency room, from cock rings and foreign objects to retained tampons, penile fractures, priapism, and the ER stories patients are usually way too embarrassed to explain.It is chaotic, uncomfortable, very nurse coded, and somehow still practical. If there is one message underneath all the horror and laugh
Hospital Superstitions ER Nurses Actually Believe | The ER Edit Ep. 14
This episode is all about the hospital superstitions and spooky ER stories nurses swear are real. We talk full moons, never saying quiet, deaths and traumas coming in threes, haunted hospital rooms, weird call lights, near death experiences, and the nurse gut feelings that make you stop and pay attention.It gets funny, creepy, and a little heavy in the way only ER conversations can. Caitlin Armstr
ER Nurses Debunk the Biggest Emergency Room Myths | The ER Edit Ep. 13
This week we are breaking down the ER myths that make nurses twitch: ambulances do not automatically get you seen first, chest pain does not always mean a bed, normal labs do not always tell the whole story, and the waiting room is absolutely not the DMV.Caitlin and Karlie walk through triage, EMS wall time, imaging expectations, pain protocols, fevers, head injuries, and the nurse anxiety that co
A Nurse Was Killed Walking to Her Car | The ER Edit Ep. 12
This episode is heavy. We talk about the death of Ada Doss, a nurse who was killed walking to her car after work, and the bigger conversation it brings up about nurse safety, hospital security, workplace violence, and the way healthcare workers are expected to keep showing up after terrifying things happen.We also get into the behind the scenes reality of ER codes, caring for one of your own, DNRs
ER Nurses React to Medication Errors Live at NurseCon 2026 | The ER Edit Ep. 11
We recorded live at NurseCon 2026, and this episode went exactly where you would expect: medication errors, ER nurse chaos, wild audience stories, burnout, nurse ratios, and one very unfortunate cruise laxative situation.We react to shocking med error stories, including insulin mistaken for Lasix, Lantus pushed IV, mannitol into a lumbar drain, cough syrup through an IV, and the kinds of medical s
ER Nurses React to the Craziest Lab Values Ever | The ER Edit Ep. 10
In this episode of The ER Edit, we react to the craziest lab values and vital signs nurses have seen, including wild blood pressures, glucose numbers, sodium levels, troponins, ethanol levels, DKA, alcohol withdrawal, rhabdo, and BNPs that made us question reality.We also get into the ER moments that stick with us, from patients saying they are going to die to an emotional Christmas Eve STEMI stor
ER Nurses Play Would You Survive the ER? | The ER Edit Ep. 9
This week on The ER Edit, Caitlin Armstrong and Karlie Tooley are playing Would You Survive the ER? We are talking wild triage moments, homeboy transport, PPE surprises, decon showers, scabies versus bedbugs, skin snow, a nursing school toe story we truly were not ready for, and the ER cases that make you realize anything can walk through the door.If you are an ER nurse, nursing student, new grad,
Nursing Stereotypes That Are Way Too Accurate | The ER Edit Ep. 8
In this episode, we are talking about the nursing stereotypes that are way too accurate. We get into the personalities every hospital seems to have, from the OG nurse and the Gen Z nurse to the know it all nurse, male nurse stereotypes, and the ER nurse who thrives in chaos.We also break down specialty stereotypes for psych, NICU, peds, PICU, flight, ICU, PACU, and ER nurses, and have way too much
When Nursing Becomes Your Identity | The ER Edit Ep. 7
In this episode, we talk about what happens when nursing becomes more than a career and starts becoming part of your identity. From nursing school to years in the ER, we share how the job can shape our minds, our relationships, and the way we carry stress long after a shift ends.We also open up about how motherhood changed the way we experience nursing, trauma, anxiety, and work life balance. This
ER Nurses React to the Craziest Things Stuck in Butts | The ER Edit Ep. 6
We are reacting to some of the wildest ER stories involving objects stuck in the rectum, from cue balls and shampoo bottles to Maglites, broken toys, and curling wand tips. We break down what actually happens in the emergency room, when sedation or surgery is needed, why some patients wait too long to get help, and how quickly these cases can turn serious with bowel perforation, sepsis, and other
ER Nurses React to Unhinged Doctor Quotes | The ER Edit Ep. 5
In Episode 5 of The ER Edit, we react to a thread of the wildest doctor responses healthcare workers have ever heard.We read the funniest, darkest, most unfiltered things MDs have said, then tell some of our own stories about difficult doctors, ridiculous interactions, and the specialty stereotypes that feel a little too accurate. From ER docs and neurosurgeons to cardiology, GI, trauma, peds, and
Nursing School Did NOT Prepare Us for This | The ER Edit Ep. 4
In Episode 4 of The ER Edit, we talk about the things we wish we knew before becoming nurses.From feeling completely unprepared as new grads to realizing how much you actually learn on the job, we break down what nursing school teaches you and what it doesn’t. We also talk about student debt, ADN vs BSN, calling doctors for the first time, and the mental load that comes with working in healthcare.
I Got Covered in a Patient’s Pee… And Had to Keep Working | The ER Edit Ep. 3
In Episode 3 of The ER Edit, we talk about something that doesn’t get talked about enough: violence against nurses.We react to a recent news story about a nurse being strangled at work and share our own experiences with workplace violence in the ER. From being assaulted by patients to the pressure of continuing your shift like nothing happened, we break down what this actually looks like in real l
ER Nurses React to Horrific Medication Errors | The ER Edit Ep. 2
In Episode 2 of The ER Edit, we react to some of the most horrifying medication errors we’ve seen shared by nurses and healthcare workers.From insulin overdoses to dangerous IV medication mistakes, we walk through what went wrong and explain why these errors can be so serious in the hospital. We also share the first medication mistakes we made early in our nursing careers and talk about the pressu
Why Everyone Is Obsessed With Nurses | The ER Edit Ep. 1
Why is everyone so obsessed with nurses?In the first episode of The ER Edit, ER nurses Caitlin Armstrong and Karlie Tooley introduce the podcast and talk about the fascination people have with nurses, the stereotypes surrounding the profession, and what life in the emergency department is really like.They share their experiences as ER nurses and moms, discuss how social media helped spark the idea
Welcome to the ER Edit!
The unfiltered side of life behind the scrubs. Hosted by ER nurses and working moms. We share wild ER stories, real talk about nursing, and the chaos of balancing shifts, kids, and everyday life.Funny, honest, and relatable. Because sometimes the only way to survive work and motherhood is with caffeine and dark humor.— — — — — — — — — —LISTEN TO THE ER EDITSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A
