It can be hard to find and feed new interests when you hardly have time to feed, well, yourself.
Totally mobile and positively brimming with variety, podcasts are a perfect pastime for ultra-busy nurses. Whether you’re tuning in just to tune out, catch up, laugh a little or learn a lot, you can be sure there’s something out there for you.
Since we realize that staying in the know is easier said than done, we created a top-10 list to help you navigate the ever-expanding world of podcasts.
Browse on!
Great for: The curious.
Tune in: On your way to work for 60 minutes, twice a month.
What it’s all about: Telling the true-life story of Americans from every pocket of the nation, each episode of This American Life is set to a specific theme. The stories, narrated in first-person by the interviewees, extract the exceptional from the everyday, ranging from topics such as gang culture and high-security prisons to families in which children have been switched at birth.
However popular, we should warn you—This American Life has been known to make more than one listener emotional.
Similar podcasts:
Great for: Those who appreciate a sharp wit.
Tune in: When you’re desperately in need of a laugh for 30 to 40 minutes, weekly.
What it’s all about: A podcast catered to the modern woman, Stuff Mom Never Told You strikes a balance between shock value and thoughtful (sometimes punchy) reporting. If you want nothing more than to tune into a lengthy discussion regarding a possible cure for RBF (aka, the resting b*tch face), then this is the podcast for you.
Similar podcasts:
Great for: The perpetual scholar.
Tune in: During your lunch hour, for 15 to 20 minutes.
What it’s all about: Since most of us don’t have the time to sit down with a 900-pager documenting the history of morals, Philosophy Bites has kindly stepped in to do the heavy lifting for us, packaging all those fascinating but complex ideas into short, “bite-size” episodes.
Equally addictive but less philosophical? RadioLab, a podcast presented by two reporters who seek candid answers to questions like “What is it really like to be blind?”
Similar podcasts:
Great for: The bookworm/Netflix binger
Tune in: When you’re in need of a bedtime story to lull you to sleep. Presented twice monthly.
What it’s all about: Part comedy, part mystery and all-around entertaining, each episode is part of an ongoing series documenting all strange happenings within the fictional town of Night Vale. We’re told the vibe is something to the effect of “NPR meets The Mothman Prophecies,” which is to say we’re officially intrigued.
Similar podcasts:
5. LikeHacker
Great for: Nurses seeking “easy” and “efficient.”
Tune in: On your morning walk.
What it’s all about: Good-to-know tips, bright ideas, DIY inspiration…you get the point. If there’s an easier way to go about doing something, you’re bound to find it here.
Great for: Nurses in need of a personal trainer.
Tune in: When you’re ready to sweat it out.
What it’s all about: Personal trainers aren’t just costly—they don’t always mesh well with a downright funky schedule. Here, you can find exercise routines, nutritional advice, weight loss tips and daily inspiration courtesy of an on-demand trainer.
Similar podcasts:
7. NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour
Great for: Nurses who can’t get enough of music, film, television and books.
Tune in: When you’re at the market to safely bypass all those absurdly priced magazines.
What it’s all about: Each roundtable-style episode features a lively cast of characters discussing books, movies, music, television and all things “now.”
Similar podcasts:
8. The New Yorker: The Political Scene
Great for: Staying informed.
Tune in: Over your morning coffee.
What it’s all about: If there’s one person you want whispering in your ear when the conversation turns political, it’s The New Yorker‘s executive editor, Dorothy Wickenden.
Similar podcasts:
Great for: The music lover.
Tune in: When you’re ready to relax.
What it’s all about: We like their description best: “Our aim is to expose you all to deep and beautifully strange music that will help you in the every day. You are on your way to work on the subway or bus, waiting at an airport or just standing looking at the most inspiring view… These are the moments in life that you attach to music, that help you remember them many years later. We like to call it “Music for Strange Moments.”
Similar podcasts:
Great for: You know—obvious reasons.
Tune in: When you start to feel like you can’t breathe.
What it’s all about: Developed by UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, this podcast offers tools and instruction for exercises such as meditation, yoga and tai chi to help foster mind-body awareness, reduce stress and promote mindfulness in daily life.
Have a favorite podcast you simply have to share? Please do in the comments section below!
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