As you might already know, the TED talk series discusses various ideas to people around the world. No matter what the topic truly is, hosts share their own personal experiences and stories that show how they became the person they are today. 

TED talks are usually short discussions that are under 18 minutes long, and they attempt to change attitudes and lives by sharing ideas. Here are the best TED talks that, we promise, will inspire and motivate you and other nurses.

In the Opioid Crisis, Here’s What it Takes to Save a Life by Jan Rader

As a fire chief and a nurse, Jan Rader has been saving lives throughout her career. In her powerful discussion, Rader describes her thoughts once the opioid epidemic hit her town. The opioid epidemic made her realize that she needed to learn a new approach in saving lives. She talks about her experience on the frontlines of the opioid crisis and her community’s approach to treating substance abuse.

Nurse Innovation: Saving the Future of Healthcare by Rebecca Love

As a nurse, you are part of nearly half of the healthcare workforce. You use almost every medical intervention to save the lives of patients on a daily basis. Yet, you and other nurses are rarely involved in the decisions that help design, construct, and market these healthcare products. That’s where Rebecca Love comes in. In her TED talk, Love discusses the importance of having nurses involved in the innovation of medical technologies and how excluding nurses in these processes is causing massive costs and high levels of burnout.

A Tribute to Nurses by Carolyn Jones

Over five years, Carolyn Jones has interviewed, photographed, and filmed a variety of nurses across the United States, visiting areas that are dealing with the nation’s biggest health issues. Jones offers personal stories that celebrate one of America’s everyday heroes in health care: the nurse.

How to Make Stress Your Friend by Kelly McGonigal

Do we really have to tell you that nursing is stressful? Well, it is, but Psychologist Kelly McGonigal has the best solution for reducing stress: using stress as a positive tool by reaching out to others. McGonigal discusses why stress might not be as bad as you think, and brings up the latest research that supports this claim.

Do You Ask Doctors Nursing Questions? By Carissa Enright

Do some patients have trouble differentiating the roles of doctors and nurses? Yes, they do, and it happens too often. Carissa Enright, an associate clinical professor at the Texas Women’s University, stresses the importance of empowering patients to ask the proper questions to their healthcare team. This veteran nurses tries to encourage nurses to find ways to touch their patients’ lives.

On Being Present, Not Perfect by Elaine Meyer

Establishing relationships with patients and family members is one of the most important parts of being a nurse. Elaine Meyer will tell you no different. Meyer shares her first experiences as a nurse, working clinicals and getting to know the healthcare system. With every story, she shows the importance of having genuine conversations with patients and families, establishing significant relationships that will never be forgotten.

Health Care Should Be a Team Sport by Eric Dishman

When Eric Dishman started to experience fainting spells in college, he was told that he only had 2-3 years to live after several tests and doctors. Now, he shares his sadly familiar, yet powerful, story and discusses why he advocates for healthcare to be coordinated like a team sport. There’s no boring moment in Dishman’s talk. If you already work in a coordinated team, this may be the TED talk for you.

A Doctor’s Touch by Abraham Verghese

Sometimes, the diagnosis is difficult to uncover. Physician, teacher, and author Abraham Verghese tells us the story of a 40-year-old patient who was in cardiac arrest and was resuscitated in the emergency room. After they took her to have a CT scan to see if they have any blood clots in her lungs, they, instead, found tumors on her breasts that had spread to other areas of her body. By starting off with this story, Dr. Verghese discusses why routine diagnostic tests should never be ignored and how patients should never be subjected to shortcut tests and treatments.

We hope you enjoy all of these TED talks!