Nursing Intuition: Jenn Johnson on Trusting Your Gut, Surviving Burnout & Finding Purpose

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: The Amazing Authorities Podcast

Episode: Nursing Intuition: Jenn Johnson on Trusting Your Gut, Surviving Burnout & Finding Purpose
Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Jenn Johnson, ER Nurse, Author of Nursing Intuition
Date: August 28, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Mitch Carson sits down with ER nurse and author Jenn Johnson to explore the power of intuition in nursing, the impact of burnout during the COVID pandemic, and how to find meaning and resilience in a demanding healthcare career. Jenn shares personal stories from her nursing journey, discusses her new book Nursing Intuition, and provides actionable insights for trusting your gut, processing grief, and integrating science with holistic practices.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origins of “Nursing Intuition”

• Jenn’s motivation:
  • The book was born out of the emotional toll from working as an ER nurse during COVID. Jenn began writing to leave stories for her young children, initially focusing on uplifting moments but soon confronting the “deep dark, never discussed things” from her career.

    “I chose to continue to go into work day in, day out… my kids were four and five and a half… I thought, okay, well, if something happens to me... how do you explain to kids that mom chose to continue to go to work?” (Jenn, 02:11-03:03)

  • Realization about intuition: After hearing a podcast on intuition at work, Jenn recognized that intuition ran through every story she wrote—whether she trusted it, ignored it, or was believed—and found significant scientific backing for intuition in nursing (03:58–05:22).

Powerful Personal Story: Intuition and Loss During Clinical Training

• First major experience of intuition:
  • Jenn recounts a formative moment as a student nurse during a scheduled C-section where both mother and baby coded. Jenn, at the head of the bed, felt something was “off” as the mother began to “see God” and talk about family memories before passing.

    “She starts talking about seeing God and talking to him and being at the cabin in the woods… I hear the anesthetist kind of over top my head. He’s yelling something and the alarms are dinging and I can’t figure out what’s going on.” (Jenn, 06:13–06:38)

  • She stayed in contact with the family for years, obtaining permission to share the story in her book.

    “I was, I was meant for this. It's hard, but I was definitely meant for this.” (Jenn, 09:34–09:41)

Processing Grief and the Silence Around Nurse Trauma

• Addressing the lack of support:
  • Nurse culture rarely addresses deep emotional processing:

    “We need to start talking about grief and how to process it. Because it took me years to process it. And a global pandemic.” (Jenn, 10:08–10:38)

Understanding & Educating on Intuition

• Definition and everyday relevance:
  • Intuition as the “gut feeling” everyone knows; it manifests in many forms, from “creep factor” in social situations to subtle warnings at work.

    “Everybody in the world knows that sensation that you know something's off… it's all a matter of just, are you giving it any space to actually listen to it and give it a little bit of validation?” (Jenn, 10:48–11:20)

• Advice for using intuition:
  • Recognize your biases, especially in high-stress or diverse environments (15:37–16:34).
  • We often override gut feelings due to workplace pressures or simply being too busy:

    “We're busy and going from one place to the next. We don’t have the time to give it just two seconds of recognition that it’s even happening.” (Jenn, 14:27–15:13)

Intuition and Relationships

• Personal example:
  • Jenn met her husband after a month of chatting; her "gut" told her it was right. After 14 years, her intuition still says “yes” despite everyday annoyances.

    Mitch: “Does your gut tell you today that he’s still the one?”
    Jenn: “Yeah… Every now and again… it’s like, oh, you’re just more annoyed than anything else… But when it comes down to it, it’s like, no, that’s, that’s it.” (13:11–13:41)

Scientific Foundation for Intuition

• Research-backed:
  • Jenn cites 32 references in her book, all within the last 5 years, on intuition in nursing (14:08–14:18).
  • “Some people would say that there’s a brain in your gut.”

    Jenn: “100%. It’s just a matter of giving it the time of day. You’re going to get little pings and some are going to be stronger than others.” (14:27–15:13)

• Checklist for using intuition:
  • Listen to your “pings”
  • Review personal biases
  • Imagine the consequences if you do or don’t act on your gut feeling

Gut Feelings, Success, and Decision-Making

• On trusting your gut in life and business:

  “If I follow my gut and don’t go into that room or don’t sign that deal… what’s the worst that could happen?... even though I’m getting that twinge, maybe I’ll just be extra cautious.” (Jenn, 15:37–16:51)

Holistic Health: West, East, and the Mind-Body Connection

• Blending traditions:

  “The West is there for a reason. The East is there for a very good reason. We just need to blend… Everything needs to work in tandem.” (Jenn, 18:49–19:06)

• Naturopathic medicine:

  “Be aware, right, that the placebo effect is 100% a real thing. But if the placebo effect and a naturopath are still getting you relief, what’s the harm?” (Jenn, 19:14–19:26)

• Emotions and illness:
  • Undealt emotions can manifest physically; Jenn cites broken heart syndrome (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy) as a real medical phenomenon.

    “Un. Dealt with emotions can manifest physically. 100%.” (Jenn, 19:36–20:13)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the emotional toll of COVID-era nursing:

  “Sleep deprived, anxious, depressed—the whole gamut of emotions as many of us, if not all, faced during that time...” (Jenn, 02:23–02:33)

• On intuition:

  “Are you giving it any space to actually listen to it and give it a little bit of validation?” (Jenn, 11:13–11:20)

• On permission and honoring patient stories:

  “He was just so thankful that somebody had remembered her and their story and that it was going to continue on.” (Jenn, 09:28–09:34)

• On generational differences:

  “I’m an elder millennial. So I'm on the cusp. I remember a time without Internet… and then having the internet.” (Jenn, 17:29–17:54)

• On the placebo effect and integrative medicine:

  “If the placebo effect and a naturopath are still getting you relief, what’s the harm?” (Jenn, 19:14–19:26)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:11–05:22]: Origin story of Nursing Intuition and discovering the science behind intuition in nursing
• [06:13–09:34]: Jenn’s formative clinical story: tragic mother and baby scenario, how intuition guided her
• [10:08–10:38]: Processing grief and why nurses need to talk
• [10:48–12:13]: Defining intuition and its everyday applications
• [13:11–13:41]: Jenn’s approach to marriage and relationships through intuition
• [14:08–15:13]: Research foundations; bridging intuition with science
• [15:37–16:51]: Framework for applying gut feelings in professional and personal contexts
• [18:49–19:26]: Holistic health philosophy: blending East, West, and naturopathy
• [19:36–20:13]: The connection between emotions and physical illness

---

Where to Find Jenn Johnson & Her Book

• Book: Nursing Intuition: How to Trust Your Gut, Save Your Sanity, and Survive Your Career
  • Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo
• Connect:
  • LinkedIn: Jennifer Johnson, BSD, CNRN
  • TikTok/Instagram: @eldermillennialernurse.jen
  • Website: https://nursegenjenn.ca

---

Tone and Style

Uplifting, candid, and practical. Jenn brings raw honesty about trauma and intuition, balanced with actionable science and empathy. Mitch’s questions are direct, supportive, and occasionally humorous, keeping the tone open, hopeful, and deeply human.

---

For nurses, healthcare professionals, or anyone seeking to thrive in high-stress roles, this episode pulls back the curtain on the power of nursing intuition—and offers essential lessons on resilience, self-trust, and finding purpose despite the hardest days.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Amazing Authorities podcast, where game changers, visionaries and category leaders share how they built their brands, platforms and global influence. Your host is Mitch Carson, international speaker, media strategist, and creator of the Instant Authority system. If you're ready to learn from those who've done it and want to become the go to expert in your space, you're in the right place.

[B]

Jen Johnson is in the house. Welcome, Jen.

[C]

Oh my gosh, Mitch, thank you so much for having me.

[B]

Yeah, well, I'm, I'm looking forward to our conversation. We chatted a little bit before we went into record mode just to break the ice, and the ice has been broken and we jumped right in. With your background being an ER nurse, emergency room nurse, you have some stories. You shared a brief one that I hadn't heard that's still making my knees quiver just a moment ago. And you know, but your topic is intuition as a nurse and maybe if we have time, you can share one of those bold topics, for lack of a better descriptor, 100%.

[C]

Are we PG 13? Are we R rated? How far we can go?

[B]

Let's keep it PG13 for now, but we can go. You know, I, I, well, when I say when I think are for me content of R is highly sexual and I don't think we're going to go there and, or, or violence, I think is where it goes, those two things. So, yeah, yeah, I don't think we're going to go down those paths on this call. I, I don't think I ever have an interview. But we can certainly go on to what humans do that will evoke the emotion and the laughter we're both experiencing at the moment when you ask about our content. We can delve into that later. But let's get right into. Tell us about your book because I love interviewing authors. Why don't you show the group your book and tell us about it. Nursing intuition.

[C]

Okay. Nursing intuition. How to trust your gut, save your Sandy and survive. Your career was born out of COVID So Covid happened and I broke 100%, shouldn't have been nursing, completely out of my mind, sleep deprived, anxious, depressed. The whole gamut of emotions as many of us, if not all, faced during that time. So when the attorneys came around because everybody was offering services and gifts and this kind of thing, the attorneys came around, at least in Ontario, and said, hey, we'd like to offer our services, we'd like to do everybody's wills for free. And at the time, you couldn't help but think, oh, I'm not expected to survive this Gotcha. If I wasn't already in a bit of a spiral, that really kicked it into overdrive. And so I got to thinking. I chose to continue to go into work day in, day out. Everybody had the option of not going in. And, you know, thinking about it, my kids were four and five and a half when everything started. And I thought, okay, well, if something happens to me, if I'm intubated or I die or whatever else, how do you explain to kids that mom chose to continue to go to work? So I went into it and I thought, well, why don't I write down my good stories for them? You know, those times that I really helped and I was where I was supposed to be and all these kind of things, you know, had been about 14 years at that point. So started writing down the good stories, had a good couple ones, and without me realizing, I slid very quickly into the deep dark, Never discussed things that I'd seen and done through the years also. And after about six weeks of nonstop writing, I kind of took a step back and went, what am I going to do with this? I don't know if I want my kids to hear any of these stories now, but there's got to be something to this. And was listening to a pot or so Llewellyn, who's a metaphysical publisher in the States, was having online book fairs and the authors would come on and talk about their books. And the one that I happened to catch was intuition at work. I thought, intuition at work. I use my intuition every day at work. And it was just such this light switch moment going, I need to go back and look at those stories. And sure enough, every single story had some sort of element of intuition as to, did I trust my gut? Did I not? Did I say something? Did I not? And was I believed or was I not? And so I kind of thought, all right, well, what are the chances that there's actually science behind this, you know, peer reviewed evidence based within the last five years, the whole kit and caboodle. And sure enough, there's not just a ton of information on intuition, but specifically intuition in nursing. And so I thought, well, I think I was led down this path for a reason. So if somebody's going to be the one to ring the bell and kind of put this forward, let it be me. And that's what's been the push for all of this since. So it's kind of been me going on podcasts and teaching and sharing my horrific stories and just kind of letting the conversation be open to being able to teach intuition to new nurses.

[B]

Wow. Well, that's a lot. And I have to ask, because I know the viewers are going to be as curious as me. What are one of the stories in there that might make us smile, laugh, giggle, or think? Wow. Could push under the R category.

[C]

I mean, there are a couple of patient stories where they. They passed and that kind of thing. But probably the very first chance that I got to figure out that I was using intuition was there was a mother who was having a scheduled C section. And, you know, I'm the student. I'm in my last year of nursing school. They've put me at the head of the bed to kind of hold the spot until dad can come in. And so we're kind of talking back and forth while everything's happening, and all of a sudden she starts talking about seeing God and talking to him and being at the cabin in the woods, which I guess was what, their cabin, and all of these things. And I'm going, who. What in the world is happening here? And I hear the anesthetist kind of over top my head. He's yelling something and the alarms are dinging and I can't figure out what's going on. So turns out when they finished, when they put the took baby out, she. Her vitals kind of started to change and she wasn't doing so well. They put on the dressing and she coded so her heart stopped. And it was the very first code blue I'd ever been a part of. So of course they put to the corner of the room and said, just call the code blue and we'll. We'll do everything we can. Thankfully, mum was revived and shipped off to a different hospital. But before she'd lost consciousness, she had looked back and called out to the baby, who I didn't realize at the time also was being resuscitated. And it wasn't until baby cried and she said, you know the name of the baby, which I don't know if she talked about with the husband or not, but all of this happened so quickly. And so she was transferred out to a secondary hospital. And, you know, you're the new nurse saying, oh, everything's going to be fine. It's all right. Don't worry about it. And we learn later that day that she did die, but baby was still okay. And it was just one of those things where I'm like, but I told her she'd be okay. And leaning into that. And so they had sent me home And I'd kind of taken the night to think about. I said, well, I was the last one to hear her talk. I was the last one to hear her talk about all these really random things and the God angle and she heard the baby cry and she called out the baby's name and all this kind of stuff. Woke up in the middle of the night, wrote everything I could remember down. And then the next day, went back in and found the family in the NICU and said, what's the nicu? Oh, neonatal Intensive Care Unit. So where the fresh babies are kept, you know, if they're too young, if they're premature, they have breathing issues, they're kind of kept over and it's a specialized unit. So went up there to find the family and gave everything to dad and explained to him what had happened because he never got to come in. So he never got to talk to her again. But it was that moment that it was like, there's more to this than what I really think is going on. And I've actually kept in touch with the family. And so Babe is, I think, turning 18 this year. Yeah. And dad had. Had. I'd sent him the book prior to actually publishing, just to say, like, hey, you know, if you want me to. If. Is the story okay to come in? I've changed some things, but, like, is the story okay? If you want it out of the book, I'll take it out of the book. If you want me to quash the whole book, I will quash the whole book in an instant. And thankfully, he was just so thankful that somebody had remembered her and their story and that it was going to continue on. So it's ended up being one of those moments where you kind of look back and go, no, I was, I was meant for this. It's hard, but I was definitely meant for this.

[B]

So that was a year. You were still a greenhorn nurse at that point?

[C]

I wasn't even graduated. I was still a student.

[B]

Oh my gosh. And how did you deal with death? I mean, you were a young woman at that time. Well. And inexperienced with that. How did that affect you?

[C]

She's stuck around. I mean, I still feel like she's kind of always a part of me and what's going on. But it's one of those things where this is where we do need to start talking about and bringing these things forward because nurses don't talk other than, you know, two minute generalities, usually with other, other nurses. So we need to start talking about grief and how to Process it. Because it took me years to process it. And a global pandemic.

[B]

Sure, sure, sure. Well, let me. So you wrote this book and it's about intuition. Tell us more about what that means to you.

[C]

Yeah, just trusting your gut. So I. Everybody in the world knows that sensation that, you know something's off or it doesn't feel right, you know, are you explaining it? Like, is it a gut feeling? Is it just an idea that pops into your head? Are you getting the sensation that you're in the wrong spot, wrong place, wrong time? There's lots of different ways to feel it. It's all a matter of just. Are you giving it any space to actually listen to it and give it a little bit of validation? Us as females, anybody 12 and older knows this feeling intimately. You walk into a crowded bar, you see a guy across the room, and it's just an immediate. Nope.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

No. Context has never talked to you. It's just an immediate. Absolutely not. I don't know what that guy's deal is, creep factor, whatever, but it turns into, you know, if your life's in danger, you're going to listen to that instinctually. But. But take that into the workplace or somewhere else where it's a little bit more. It's not life or death. So you. You tend not to. You tend to just shove it aside and you're like, I just might not be feeling well. I don't think that that's really true. I'm going to push through and. And then things happen, and if you don't know to learn from it, you kind of end up just repeating the pattern.

[B]

Well, let me ask this. With your husband, was it an immediate? Yes.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. All right.

[C]

To be fair, I had talked to him for a solid month, like every day for a solid month before actually meeting him in person. It was just a one off. Shit. Yeah. Just a one off shot where he had seen a picture of me and he reached out over Facebook and we had a mutual friend in common and it just was it. And, you know, through, you know, oh, gosh, 14 years of marriage at this point. There are moments where you're like, I'm out. This is. No, well, no.

[B]

No marriage is perfect.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. There's. There's always growing pains and learning and. And struggles and strife. So it's been interesting watching him grow and then watching me grow, too.

[B]

Well, you've had 14 years of. So does your gut tell you today that he's still the one?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Every now and again. Every now and again. It's like, oh, like I, you're just more annoyed than anything else. It's the little things, you know, leaving stuff out or niggly things that you're just like, oh, can you not like you're an adult? You got four years on me. Why aren't you cleaning up after yourself? But when it comes down to it, it's like, no, that's, that's it.

[B]

Okay, he's the father of your kids and, and all that. Now do you.

[C]

All the things.

[B]

Yeah, all the things. Your kids are, are quite young. You had mentioned that. So they're not tapping into their intuition. But how does the. How do you manage? You wrote this book on intuition, so I presume also with your education background, you better back the facts. And have you done some research on this topic?

[C]

Oh, yeah, I think I've got 32 references on intuition.

[B]

Okay, that's pretty thorough.

[C]

And within the last five years, what.

[B]

Have you come up with as a, let's say a checklist or a roadmap to follow when it comes to that? Because some people would say that there's a brain in your gut.

[C]

Yeah, 100%. It's just a matter of giving it the time of day. You're going to get little pings and some are going to be stronger than others. Again, if your life is in danger, if there's more danger associated with it, you're going to get a bigger ping than kind of just, I think I might be in the wrong spot. Or am I forgetting something? Or I just don't know about this person. Things aren't jiving. But if you can listen to it, I mean, truly, that's half the problem is that we just stuck on our phones and we're busy and going from one place to the next. We don't have the time to give it just two seconds of recognition that it's even happening, let alone then actually sitting there and deciding that, no, I'm going to go forward with this feeling and I'm going to go from that.

[B]

How can people follow their gut to success? Let's make it a big. Well, you mentioned relationships. You just know, okay, there's a creep factor. Knowing and dating. Should people trust that? Or do you think they're. They have to get more data to make a decision?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, you always have to watch your biases. Like, it's the same thing as using intuition nursing. Like, am I, am I worried about my safety at work because of the presence of somebody that just because they're really tall or, or they're from a certain ethnic background or because I've had certain scenarios maybe with that exact person previously. Like, you always need to watch your biases and just be aware of them, which again, is really hard when you're trying to be introspective and going, okay, well, I watched Cops growing up, so maybe that's really kind of tainting how I'm seeing the world as a 40 year old female. But take your biases into account. But you can always ask yourself, if I follow my gut and don't go into that room or don't sign that deal or don't deal with that person, what's the worst that could happen? Well, if it's your boss, okay, well, you know, I may get fired or I may seem insubordinate, so I'll interact with them, but I'm just. Even though I'm getting that twinge, maybe I'll just be extra cautious and just take a little bit of extra caution with the scenario instead of avoiding it entirely. If that's. There's no other option.

[B]

Okay, and where can people find your book, Jen?

[C]

So it's on Amazon, it's in Barnes and Nobles and Indigo. You can find me on LinkedIn if you want to chat there. I'm actually probably Most active on LinkedIn. Jennifer Johnson, BSD, CNRN. You can find me on TikTok and Instagram as any elder millennial. ER nurse. Dot Jen. J E N N and my website is Nurse Gen J E N N CA.

[B]

I'm cracking up. You said an elder Gen. Gen. What is your gen?

[C]

I'm an elder millennial. So I'm on the millennial. I'm on the cusp. I remember a time without Internet. I remember a time of fax machines. I remember when mobile phones were just coming in. But then I also remember growing up with a computer room, so.

[B]

Geez.

[C]

You know, my, my childhood was half and half of not having the Internet and then having the Internet.

[B]

That is so funny. In elder Gen Z, I can't. Or millennial. Older Millennial. I'm a baby boomer. I was born in 1960, so it's. Yeah, I know that's ancient. I'm probably the age of your.

[C]

It's not. We've already talked about this. You look F. Fantastic for 65. I would, I wouldn't have pegged you at 65.

[B]

Well, you've got bonus points. I, I would send you, you and your husband a, a, a coupon for a nice dinner, but we're a little far apart. But thank you for that. Yeah. I mean, flattery can get you coupons. So I.

[C]

Listen, if I'm lucky and I get my ducks in a row, I may be able to go back to Vegas to, To go to the health conference again this year. If I'm lucky.

[B]

Oh, that's cool.

[C]

What?

[B]

Sorry, Are you a big fan of Western medicine, Eastern medicine or something in between?

[C]

Holistic.

[B]

Holistic.

[C]

The West. The west is there for a reason. The east is there for a very good reason. We just need to blend, you know, it's yin and yang. Everything needs to work in tandem with each other because that way you can get the absolute best result.

[B]

Okay. And naturopathic medicine, quackery or no.

[C]

Love it.

[B]

Okay, okay.

[C]

Be aware. Be aware, right, that the placebo effect is 100% a real thing. But if the placebo effect and a naturopath are still getting you relief, what's the harm?

[B]

That's true. That's true. Does the mind. This is way out of the box question. Does the mind factor into illness?

[C]

Oh, 1,000%. Okay. The. The emotions. I personally firmly believe that un. Dealt with emotions can manifest physically. 100%. So takotsubo cardiomyopathy is the, the broken heart disease. So if your spouse dies, there is a phenomenon where the other spouse will die potentially within a year of what they call broken heart. All of a sudden their heart will fail because of the grief. Wow.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

It's 100% real thing.

[B]

And I think my heart grew when I got divorced. You know, it was a relief, not a pain.

[C]

To each their own. We all have our own journeys. Like everybody's going to do their own thing. And as long as you're happy and you're safe and you're not hurting anybody else, you do you.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, everybody's got their story. I think sometimes it's worth it to move out of a relationship that is not working. To do that versus, you know, being a widower or a widower there.

[C]

Well, yeah.

[B]

Jen, you've been a great guest. Always smiling. I love the energy, the positivity. And you've shared some great value. So they hold your book up once again so people can recognize it, know where to go. It's on Amazon. Nursing intuition. I love the heart. I love the design. Yeah, they did a very good job. Whoever designed it, they.

[C]

They did. I highly recommend for even being self published. You know, there are, there are really good people on upwork and freelancer and that kind of thing. That won't cost you an arm and a leg. And are and are right there to help you. So highly recommend.

[B]

Okay, well great. You've been a great guest. Thanks for coming on and I wish you the greatest of success.

[C]

Thanks so much.

[A]

Thanks for tuning in to the Amazing Authorities podcast. If today's episode inspired you, take a moment to subscribe, rate and leave a review. It helps more experts like you rise to the top for behind the scenes access and free resources to boost your authority. Head to Mitch Carson. Until next time, stay Amazing.