September | 2025 | Acute Conversations

Show Notes

In this episode of Acute Conversations, we welcome Dr. Nicole Neveau, PT, DPT, NCS — Director of Rehabilitation Services at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital and our newest co-host.

Nicole shares her path into acute care, from unfolding paper charts as a new grad to leading a team of more than 100 therapists. She reflects on lessons learned in trauma and neuro ICUs, the importance of mentorship, and why she sees therapists as consultants who guide recovery through evidence, collaboration, and patient stories.

Alongside host Dr. Leo Arguelles, Nicole also previews the upcoming 2026 Bridge the Gap Conference in Chicago and what it means for connecting research with practice.

Today’s Guests:

Nicole Neveau, PT, DPT, NCS

📧 ngunder1@gmail.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Nicole Neveau

Guest Quotes:

14:35 “ In acute care, it’s about the story. Of where that patient is right now and about that risk adjustment of what? As a physical therapist, I need to dose intervention to maximize their recovery without increasing their risk of harm at the point where they are the most critically ill.”

28:28 “ We have to be more precise about how we apply our services and, and be a consulting service… it also means that as clinicians we’re making decisions that frontline are making decisions with their caseload every day. Yeah. It’s not a simple, here’s your list of six people that you’re gonna go see. Don’t stop until you see all of ’em. Mm-hmm. It’s much more like, what do your people on this list need to maximize their recovery to help with their discharge planning and how are you going to let your day unfold?”

Rapid Responses:

What snack best represents you?

“Oh, just all the time. I don’t even know that there needs to be one. I am a snacker. I love Chips or cookies or you know what, I, I love coffee, so I drink a lot of coffee, so that might be, I, if I had to pick one snack forever, it would be Coffee with a lot of cream and sugar in it.”

You know you work in acute care when…

“ when you have scratched your patient’s back for the first time and they just start melting and saying, oh my gosh, no one’s done. You know, I’ve been on my back in this bed. So that’s, it’s it. The little things, it build thing. You build a relationship.”

Links:

https://www.aptaacutecare.org/page/bridgethegap

🎧 Connect with Our Hosts

Leo Arguelles (pronounced LEE-O R-GWELL-IS)

📧 largue2@uic.edu

🐦 Twitter: @LeoArguellesPT

Nicole Neveau, PT, DPT, NCS

📧 ngunder1@gmail.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Nicole Neveau

Danny Young, PT, DPT, PhD

📧 daniel.young@unlv.edu

🐦 X: @DLYoungDPTPhD

🌐 Bluesky: @dlyoungdptphd.bsky.social

🎧 Listen now on Spotify | Apple Podcasts

(Or wherever you get your podcasts)

#AcuteCare #PhysicalTherapy #ClinicalEducation #HealthcareLeadership

Interested in being a future guest?

APTA Acute Care:

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https://www.aptaacutecare.org/page/AspireandAchieveMentorshipProgram

Twitter @AcuteCareAPTA

Facebook APTA Acute Care

Instagram @AcademyAcutePT

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2026 Elections

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Show Notes

What inspires someone to change the course of their career — and, ultimately, their profession? In this episode of Acute Conversations, we introduce our newest co-host, Dr. Daniel (Danny) Young, PT, DPT, PhD. Danny shares the moment a chance encounter sparked his passion for physical therapy, his early experiences pioneering ICU mobility at Creighton, and his transition into academia at UNLV.

Alongside host Dr. Leo Arguelles, Danny reflects on the role of mentorship, the challenge of building confidence in new clinicians, and why generating stronger evidence is essential for advancing acute care practice. From personal stories to research insights, Danny brings both candor and vision to his new role on the podcast team.

Today’s Guests:

Danny Young, PT, DPT, PhD

📧 daniel.young@unlv.edu

🐦 X: @DLYoungDPTPhD

🌐 Bluesky: @dlyoungdptphd.bsky.social

Guest Quotes:

11:28: “…the lack of confidence is a reflection most often of just some. Some humility that the students have. And so I try to reassure students that it’s a good thing that they feel a little bit hesitant and unsure of themselves. That it’s a recognition of the things that they don’t know. So I, I just first want to acknowledge that not feeling confident is okay. Yeah. And is actually something that’s probably reflects some good attributes.”

15:40: “ One of the things that fairly quickly started to really bother me was the debates that I would have with nurses or physicians… I’ve received such opposition for so many patients about early intervention. That I, I went and did a literature search, you know, because I didn’t get any training in school about early intervention. Like I said, it wasn’t a common part of practice then. Right. And. So I do a literature search and I find nothing, there was no evidence. Now there was evidence that bedrest was bad, right? Right. So we had evidence that staying in bed was a problem. What we didn’t have was evidence that it was safe or helpful to start mobilizing those people earlier. And most of the physicians and nurses at that time just assumed that there’s no way around the negative effects of bedrest for these people who are really sick. There’s no evidence to inform these decisions that I have to make every day. And that’s gotta change. And. Why am I not the person to try and answer those questions?”

35:26: “ I think we’ve got to have better evidence and I’m. I’m committed to trying to help to create it.”

Rapid Responses:

What’s your most favorite way to exercise, Danny?

“ I commute by bike. I spend between two and two and a half hours every day riding a bike to and from the campus here.And I love mountain biking as well. So commuting is, is how I get most of my fitness. But I, every time I can get out on the dirt trails, I do that too.”

You know you work in acute care when…

You wear different clothes home than you wore when you went in. You have to change during the day.

🎧 Connect with Our Hosts

Leo Arguelles (pronounced LEE-O R-GWELL-IS)

📧 largue2@uic.edu

🐦 Twitter: @LeoArguellesPT

Nicole Neveau, PT, DPT, NCS

📧 ngunder1@gmail.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Nicole Neveau

Danny Young, PT, DPT, PhD

📧 daniel.young@unlv.edu

🐦 X: @DLYoungDPTPhD