The nurses’ station — without the call lights.
A place for nurses to step away from the noise, pressure, and expectations of healthcare — and simply be human. Come as you are.
This month · October
- Tue Oct 13 · The Hope Cafe (burnout workshop) — 11am PST / 2pm EST
- Wed Oct 14 · Nurse Talk: BAT SHIT! — 4pm PST / 7pm EST
- Wed Oct 28 · Connection Call — 4pm PST / 7pm EST
Who VNS is for
VNS is for all nurses.
VNS was built by two bedside nurses who wanted to create a place where nurses from all specialties, backgrounds, and stages of their careers could connect. Wherever you are in your nursing career, there’s a place for you here.
We talk honestly about nursing, life outside of work, the challenges we face, and the things that make this career worth it. We laugh, learn from each other, and focus on what we can do next — not just what’s wrong.
If you’re a nurse looking for community, you’re welcome at VNS.
What happens at VNS
Real conversations. Real nurses.
It starts with our monthly newsletter. Then we meet as a community on Zoom. Throughout the month, we host virtual calls where nurses can talk, laugh, vent, learn, take action, and find solutions together. Some conversations are focused on a specific topic. Others are simply a chance to connect and see where the conversation goes.
We’re discussion-driven and we aren’t afraid to have some fun with it. Sometimes the topics get a little spicy — think night shift at the nurses’ station when no management is around. We talk about the things nurses are actually thinking about, including the stuff that isn’t appropriate to talk about at work.
And because honest conversations require trust, our live calls are never recorded.
Nurse Talk
A monthly virtual conversation around a specific topic, issue, or idea relevant to nursing and life. Expect discussion, different perspectives, laughter, and occasionally a little controversy.
Connection Call
No presentation. No real agenda. Just nurses getting together, catching up, and talking about whatever is happening in their lives.
Tuesdays at Two: The Hope Cafe
A dedicated virtual space to talk about burnout, resilience, sustainability, and the realities of being a human in healthcare. Come if you're curious. Come if you're burned out or not sure how you're feeling. Come to connect with fellow nurses, or to learn how to better support your colleagues.
The VNS Community
We're currently on Facebook, and we're working on developing a better online home for the VNS community — one where nurses can stay connected between virtual events, access resources and past content, and keep the conversation going even when they can't make it to a call. Stay tuned for details coming soon!
PRN Stuff
Guest speakers. Book discussions. Author Q&As. Meditations. Resources. Special events. Whatever we think nurses might find useful, interesting, or just plain fun.
There’s always something happening at VNS.
Why VNS exists
We love being nurses. Really.
We celebrate this career and the people who do it. We’re passionate about work-life balance and sustainability in a career that can tear you down if you don’t have a good foundation. We support building a life you love — so you don’t have to escape from it. And being part of a community is a big piece of that.
Yes, we talk about the hard parts — the challenges, the struggles, the shifts that stay with you. But we don’t stop there. VNS isn’t just a place to vent; it’s a place to figure out what comes next. We’re solution- and action-oriented, and we help each other navigate this challenging career — because no one should have to do it alone.
Past VNS monthly topics
Some are serious, some are funny, and most lead to thought-provoking conversations in our community.
Nurses helping nurses navigate this career. Because no one should have to do it alone.
Meet the co-founders
Two nurses. One idea. A lot of caffeine.
VNS started the way most good things do — a couple of nurses talking about what they wished existed. Get to know the humans behind the station.
Julia Joseph
Co-founder
Julia became a nurse in 2015, after losing her mom to pancreatic cancer — a deep personal loss that, built on a lifelong passion for helping people, she channeled into nursing. Since then she's worked in Med-Surg, as a Charge Nurse, Preceptor, in Intensive Care Units, as Rapid Response, and now is a Critical Care Travel Nurse. She's also a Certified Nurse Coach specializing in life coaching, helping clients navigate personal and professional transitions — and passionate about building a life you don't need to escape from (she's still practicing that too btw). A girl from the west coast who felt pulled to the mountains of Montana — her home base — she spends her time off hiking, reading, doing yoga, exploring with her dog Timber, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.
Victor Padilla
Co-founder
Victor Padilla became a nurse in 2022 — a path he never planned until working as a CNA showed him how much he loved caring for people in a direct, hands-on way. Once he decided nursing was it, there was no Plan B: through setbacks that could've derailed him, he kept going. Most of his career has been in cardiac telemetry, where he's grown into leading as Charge Nurse, Preceptor for new grads, and is a Board-Certified Cardiovascular Nurse — with travel nursing next on his list! He's a Certified Meditation, Stress and Resilience Coach for Nurses, and a leader of VNS, guides the community's monthly meditations — his favorite way to combine nursing and mindfulness. Off shift, you'll find him with the people he loves, creating content, working out, and bringing one of the million ideas in his head to life — or doing absolutely nothing, happily basking in the fact that he's OFF shift!
Why support VNS?
Built by nurses, for nurses.
The Virtual Nurses Station is a volunteer-led community. We created VNS because we believe nurses deserve a place to connect with other nurses — and there is nothing else like VNS out there.
VNS is funded by the people who believe in what we’re building. Donations help us cover the very unglamorous — but very real — costs of keeping a community like this running by helping cover operational costs.
Every contribution helps us keep the virtual lights on at VNS.
If you believe nurses deserve support, connection, and a place to be human, we’d love to have your support.
Support VNSHow it works
It’s simpler than a shift handoff.
- 1Sign up — Add your email. Start receiving our updates!
- 2Stay in the loop — We’ll send our monthly newsletter with the monthly calendar, virtual event notifications, resources, and all things VNS.
- 3Show up — Join us for a virtual event, jump into the conversation, and connect with other nurses.
- 4Come back whenever you can — There’s no pressure to make every event. Nursing schedules are chaotic—we get it. Come when you can, stay connected, and be part of the community in whatever way works for you. And stay tuned for our new platform, which will make all things VNS more accessible—including our library of past VNS offerings.
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