In this episode of Peri & Pause - The Podcast, the second in the “Meet the Nurse Practitioner” series, the host interviews nurse practitioner Nancy Chen about her path from studying exercise physiology at Meredith College to working as a personal trainer, then becoming a nurse and moving into critical care, urgent care during the pandemic, and traditional primary care. Nancy explains how limited appointment times and “moral injury” pushed her toward specializing in perimenopause and midlife women’s health, after seeing patients struggle with symptoms, chronic disease changes, and feeling dismissed due to gaps in training. She emphasizes the importance of education, validation, realistic expectations, individualized treatment, and helping women feel heard and hopeful, including reviewing complex medication and supplement “cocktails” and supporting women through the fluctuating “moving target” of perimenopause.

00:00 Meet Nancy Chen

00:53 Exercise Physiology Roots

01:24 From Trainer to Nurse

01:52 Critical Care Wake Up

03:11 NP Path and Pandemic

04:22 Primary Care Time Crunch

05:58 Midlife Symptoms Puzzle

07:32 Personal Perimenopause Realization

09:42 Hormones and the Care Gap

15:23 What Patients Need First

16:22 Follow-Up Wins

16:59 Building the Foundation

20:59 Grace in Perimenopause

24:08 Finding Your Care Team

24:33 Medication Cocktail Reset

25:35 Message to Midlife Women

27:17 Thanks and Disclaimer