The Melanin Initiative's Podcast

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 
🎙️ Are you ready to stop spending your days off recovering from work and start building a nursing career you don't need to escape from? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to see what burnout really costs you, look past the "stay or quit" trap, and map out your next move, including nursing in another country.

🔥 In This Episode: We're breaking down nurse burnout in three parts: the problem, the mindset, and the solution. If your days off feel like recovery days, if you spend money on takeout, shopping, or spa days just to feel okay by Monday, or if you've asked yourself whether something is wrong with you because you can't keep up, this episode is for you. 
You'll learn how to put a number on recovery spending, why nurses are patients too, and why quitting nursing is not your only way out. You'll also learn what global health work looks like for nurses, how to do it ethically, and the exact order of steps to transfer your license and work as a nurse abroad, even with a partner and kids.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A simple way to measure the cost of burnout: track one week of recovery spending, multiply by 52, and ask "what does this job cost me?" 
✅ A clear list of options between "stay and burn out" and "leave nursing," from a new setting or telehealth to global health, leadership, a business, or working abroad 
✅ The Thursday 4 PM test: picture your life 5 years from now, then use a daily filter to say yes, delegate, automate, or eliminate 
✅ The order of steps to move abroad as a nurse: one country, license transfer, job search, visa, then housing, banking, and taxes 
✅ How to spot ethical global health work: relationships first, teaching nurses who teach other nurses, and organizations whose values match yours 

💡 You deserve a career that doesn't cost you your health. Don't miss out on these insights, hit play now and step into a more empowered version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/jZpxWrJtPzM
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

You're Invited: 
Subscribe for updates. Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

Check out our Healthcare Careers Playlist!  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gEmMXD5N0SRXyBDPTggJwc1gPRIY4oI 


Resources Mentioned: 
Global Nurse Pathways: https://www.globalnursepath.com 
Related TMI episode on vicarious trauma for clinicians, with Kirby Williams: https://youtu.be/8aN7zfnRSCo 
Related TMI episode on imposter syndrome and building a business, with Justin Love, PA-C: https://youtu.be/yeUmIyH58_8 
Related TMI episode, Dr. Anyi Atabong: From ER Nurse to Healthcare Entrepreneur: https://youtu.be/2gwJvViOZeE 

Connect with Kelsey Renning, DNP: 
Email: [email protected] 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsrenn/ 
Website: https://www.globalnursepath.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseyglobalnurse/

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 
📧 Questions or show ideas: [email protected]

Disclaimer: 
This show is for educational purposes only. The opinions expressed are our own and are not a representation of any of our affiliations. 
If you think you might be having a medical emergency, seek medical attention from your healthcare provider or call 911. 
For a mental health emergency, call 988 or text 741741.


Chapters:
00:00 Why Bedside Nurses Burn Out So Fast
00:20 Case Study: The $45,000 Cost of Nurse Burnout
02:03 Meet Kelsey Renning, DNP: Pediatric NP in Global Health
07:07 Imposter Syndrome and Finding Mentors in Nursing
12:59 Nurse Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, and Retail Therapy
17:26 Breast Cancer at 28: A Nurse's Turning Point
28:02 Why Nurses Feel They Must Quit or Burn Out
37:56 Global Nurse Pathways: Helping US Nurses Work Abroad
40:30 What Is Global Health Work? NGOs and Low-Resource Care
52:36 How to Move Abroad as a Nurse: License, Jobs, Visa

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 

🎙️ Are you ready to stop guessing about eczema and take charge of your skin, or your child's skin, with a plan you understand? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to understand what your eczema cream does, care for dry and sensitive skin every day, and walk into your next appointment ready to advocate.

🔥 In This Episode: We're breaking down eczema in three parts: the problem, the solution, and the money. Steroid creams calm a flare, but eczema has no cure right now, and the goal is remission. You'll learn why long-term steroid cream use can thin the skin, why stopping a cream on your own after long use can backfire, and how a daily moisturizing habit supports your treatment plan. 
Parents and caregivers will learn how to track triggers and keep a skin journal to share with the provider. If you own a small business, you'll learn how free training and procurement events open doors to hospital and government contracts.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A clear picture of what steroid creams can and can't do, and the questions to ask your provider before your next refill 
✅ The "moisture window": moisturize within 2 to 3 minutes of a shower or bath, every day, plus how to spot triggers like stress, heat, sweat, and pollen 
✅ Why eczema looks different on brown and Black skin, when to ask for a dermatology referral, and how to read a label for "fragrance" and essential oils 
✅ For entrepreneurs: what a capability statement is, how a procurement event works, and where to find free help through SBDCs and Women's Business Centers 

💡 You deserve information you can use to manage your health and advocate for your family. Don't miss out on these insights, hit play now and step into a more informed version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/BzBK77s-YCU 
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

--

You're Invited: Subscribe for updates. Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

-

Check out our Playlists! 

Dermatology: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gEmMXD5N0Sn_Qht96982q5zBgGOQewK 

Kid's Health: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gEmMXD5N0TH7DVwUtz6oFuiyU2CSPx1 



Resources Mentioned: 
Related TMI episode, Why Your Child's Eczema Won't Go Away (And What to Do): https://youtu.be/_MZdvMWbjEE 
SBA Local Assistance (find your SBA office, SBDC, or Women's Business Center): https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance 
SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB and EDWOSB) Federal Contract Program, free certification: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/women-owned-small-business-federal-contract-program

Connect with Robbin Turner, M.Ed.: 
Email: [email protected] 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbin-turner-m-ed-431462175/ 
Website: https://violetbody.net 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/violetbodyme 
Facebook: https://facebook.com/violetbodyme 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VioletBotanicalSkincareLLC

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 
📧 Questions or show ideas: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This show is for educational purposes only. The opinions expressed are our own and are not a representation of any of our affiliations. If you think you might be having a medical emergency, seek medical attention from your healthcare provider or call 911. For a mental health emergency, call 988 or text 741741.

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 

🎙️ Are you ready to stop carrying nurse burnout like a personal failure and start owning your work, your health, and your money? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to reclaim your joy in nursing, know what your skills are worth, and make smart financial decisions before you pay for another credential.

🔥 In This Episode: We're breaking down what nursing school left out: well-being, ownership, and money. You'll learn why burnout is a workplace issue and what to do when work drains you, how nurses and NPs move from doing the work to owning it, and how to check whether a credential will pay you back before you spend $20,000 on it. Patients and caregivers will also learn why prevention goes beyond screenings.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A clear way to tell when burnout comes from the system you work in, plus first steps you can take tonight: care for yourself, step away and reflect, and take inventory of what's working 
✅ A new mindset about your career: ask "How much are my services worth?" and see how nurses move from doing the work to owning it 
✅ Practical money moves: check a credential's return before you pay $12,000 to $20,000, use free SBA courses and mentoring, form an LLC, work with a CPA, and get your credit and savings ready to buy in 
✅ For patients and families: daily habits and questions for your next visit that support prevention, plus a reminder that chest pain or shortness of breath means calling 911 

💡 You deserve a nursing career that protects your health, your purpose, and your income. Don't miss out on these insights, hit play now and step into a more informed version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/qHxb9Sirm3w Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

You're Invited: Subscribe for updates. Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

Check out our Nursing Education Playlist!  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gEmMXD5N0SHUoK7EQS7mZmUoddFQvR7 

Resources Mentioned: 
World Health Organization, burn-out as an "occupational phenomenon" in ICD-11: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases 
Integrative Nursing: A Whole Health Perspective, 3rd edition: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/integrative-nursing-9780197764947 
U.S. Small Business Administration Learning Platform (free business courses): https://www.sba.gov/sba-learning-platform 
SCORE (free business mentoring): https://www.score.org 
America's SBDC (find your local Small Business Development Center): https://americassbdc.org 
Buurtzorg (nurse-led community care model): https://www.buurtzorg.com 
Related TMI episode, Vicarious Trauma: https://youtu.be/8aN7zfnRSCo

Connect with our Guest, Dr. Johanna Gaskins, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-johanna-gaskins-dnp-aprn-agnp-c-473bb127/ 
Website: https://swbhousecalls.com 
Franchise and partnership inquiries: https://swbhousecalls.com/franchise-opportunity/


Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 
📧 Questions or show ideas: [email protected]

Chapters:
00:29 Case Study: A Burned-Out ICU Nurse at 42
02:53 Why Prevention Is More Than Screenings
05:28 How a Nurse-Led House Calls Practice Works
11:34 ICU Nurse to DNP After a Pulmonary Embolism at 41
19:25 Burnout as a System Misalignment in Nursing
35:17 WHO ICD-11: Burnout as an Occupational Phenomenon
45:51 Nurse-Led Care: Nurses as Partners and Owners
1:00:12 Financial Literacy for Nurses and NPs
1:17:11 Should You Pay for Another Nursing Credential?

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 

🎙️ Are you ready to stop trusting AI skin apps and online sellers that were never built for melanin-rich skin? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to protect your skin, ask better questions, and get dermatology care that fits you.

🔥 In This Episode: 
We're breaking down the three reasons skin tech keeps failing melanin-rich skin. The tools were never trained on skin like yours. Strangers online fill the gap when a dermatologist is hours away or booked out. And the companies trying to fix the problem struggle to get funded. You will meet Amara, a 34-year-old small business owner whose skin patch has been changing for months. With no dermatologist nearby, she buys a cream a stranger recommends online. Maybe you have been in her shoes. Right now, even the best AI built for darker skin gets it wrong for about 23 out of every 100 people, and the generic apps on your phone do worse. You will learn why photos of dark skin are so rare and so expensive to collect, why a skin app should only be your first or second opinion, and how to check that the person giving you skin advice is qualified. If you are a nurse, you will also see how a clinical view of this problem turns into a real solution, even without years of experience or investors.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A clear reason why AI skin tools miss conditions on darker skin, so you know when to trust a result and when to question it 
✅ A new habit: treat any skin app as a helper, not a diagnosis, and confirm with a certified dermatologist or dermatology nurse practitioner 
✅ Simple checks to spot unsafe skin advice online before a cream bleaches or damages your skin 
✅ For nurses: proof you can build a health solution without 20 years at the bedside or investor money, plus the first steps to start now 💡 You deserve skin health information built with skin like yours in mind. Don't miss out on these insights, hit play now and step into a more informed version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/i3Sdxe9jfaY 
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

-

You're Invited: Subscribe for updates. Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

Check out our AI in Healthcare Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gEmMXD5N0QE3YhKJ32YXLHr-SY3tFRD

Resources Mentioned: 
Mahogany Dermatology Nursing blog: https://www.mahoganydermatology.com/news 


Connect with Ogirima Obey, RN: 
Email: [email protected] 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obey-ezekiel-453904280 
Website: https://afridamai.com 
AfriDam AI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afridam_ai/ 


Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 
📧 Questions or show ideas: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 

🎙️ Are you ready to build a nursing business that pays you outside the hospital and does not burn you out the way the bedside did? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to package your clinical expertise, put a price on it, and protect your health while you build.

🔥 In This Episode: 
We are breaking down the three things nurses get wrong when they try to turn expertise into ownership. You wait to feel ready. You invest every dollar of your training into patient care and nothing into the business itself. Then you carry bedside burnout straight into the thing you built to escape it. 
We start with the math. Three 12-hour shifts a week works out to roughly $69,000 a year, just over $2 million and about 21,000 patients over a 30-year career. Your income and your reach are capped by the same clock. From there you will hear how a clinical problem becomes a paid service, what changes in your head before anything changes on paper, what the business setup actually costs in time and money, and the boundary system that keeps the second career from turning into the second burnout.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A clear way to find the problem inside your own clinical setting that people will pay you to solve, and how to price it 
✅ A shift from waiting to feel ready to moving while the self doubt is still there, because the readiness never arrives on its own 
✅ The business setup nobody explains: registering with your state, separating the business from your household, where new owners overspend, and the calendar boundaries that hold 
✅ Proof you can build this without leaving the bedside, plus a first step small enough to take this week

💡 You already have the skills. What you need is the language of business and one decision you are willing to make this week. Don't miss out on these insights, hit play now and take that first step.

🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/gP8f-_SyDTs 
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

-

You're Invited: Subscribe for updates. Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

Check out our Career and Money for Nurses Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeUmIyH58_8&list=PLQbQZ7IRK2gM

Resources Mentioned: 
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog 
LegalZoom (business formation): https://www.legalzoom.com 

Connect with Jessica Langille: 
Email: [email protected] 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-langille-50643054/



Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 📧 
Questions or show ideas: [email protected]

CHAPTERS
00:21 The $2 Million Ceiling: Why A Nursing Salary Caps Out
02:39 How To Find A Healthcare Problem Worth Solving
06:08 From Bedside Nurse To Nurse Educator: Jessica's Path
15:16 Learning Vascular Access And Moving Into Mobile Nursing
23:58 You Are Never Ready: How To Start Before You Feel It
32:58 Starting An LLC: LegalZoom, Liability And Startup Costs
38:53 Hospital At Home Explained: Acute Care In The Home
41:13 IV Access For Darker Skin Tones And Older Adults
47:03 Build A Nursing Business Without Burning Out Again
53:26 Five-Year Vision: Delegate, Automate Or Eliminate

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

🎙️ Are you ready to stop letting imposter syndrome run your career and finally learn how to turn what you already know into real income? This episode gives nurses, PAs, and NPs the exact roadmap to move from burned out and underpaid to confident, protected, and financially independent, without adding more patients to your schedule.

🔥 In This Episode: We're breaking down the three things: how to carry imposter syndrome instead of letting it carry you, how to turn your clinical expertise into a business, and how to make more money without seeing more patients. If you've ever sat in a room full of "qualified" people and still wondered why you were invited, or if you've ever thought "there has to be more than this 9-to-5," this conversation is built for you.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ How to recognize imposter syndrome at every career stage, from new grad to national leadership, and the mindset shift that helps you push through it 
✅ A real, step-by-step look at how to legally structure a side business (LLC, EIN, business bank account) so you keep more of what you earn as a healthcare provider 
✅ The income streams available to nurses, PAs, and NPs outside of direct patient care: speaker bureaus, advisory boards, medical writing, publishing, and leadership roles 
✅ Why financial literacy and protecting your future (trusts, wills, investing) matters just as much as your clinical skills 

💡 You don't have to choose between loving patient care and building wealth. 
Don't miss out on these insights, hit play now and step into a more empowered version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now: 
Youtube: https://youtu.be/yeUmIyH58_8 
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

-
You’re Invited:
Subscribe for updates.
Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.



Check out our Career & Money for Nurses Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGt_n25unHQ&list=PLQbQZ7IRK2gM 


Resources Mentioned:
Earn Your Leisure (EYL), financial literacy platform and podcast Justin follows: https://earnyourleisure.com
"You Deserve to Be Rich" by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings (EYL): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741593/you-deserve-to-be-rich-by-rashad-bilal-and-troy-millings/
"Key Person of Influence" by Daniel Priestley (Justin's career blueprint book): https://danielpriestley.com/key-person-of-influence-book


Connect with our Guest, Justin Love MPA, PA-C:
Website: https://www.elevate-derm.com/elevate-derm-alliance-mentorship-program


Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 

🎙️ Are you ready to stop leaving money on the table every time you say yes to a job? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast hands you the presence, the confidence, and the negotiation script to ask for what you are worth and walk out with more.

🔥 In This Episode: 
Most healthcare professionals accept the first offer they get. They say yes on the phone, skip every question, and lose thousands of dollars that compound across a whole career. One skipped conversation cost a nurse practitioner an estimated $290,000. This episode shows you the three shifts that would have changed her whole story, and can change yours.

This episode is for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, new grads, career changers, and anyone who has ever accepted a job without asking one question. If you want to earn more without seeing more patients, this one is for you.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A ready to use script for the moment an offer lands in your inbox 
✅ A mindset shift that turns negotiation into a calm, two-way conversation 
✅ The full "everything is negotiable" checklist, including perks most people never ask for 
✅ The confidence to build a professional presence that opens doors before you say a word

💡 Your presence speaks before you do, and your paycheck is listening. Do not miss these insights. Hit play now and step into a more empowered version of yourself.

🎧 Listen now: YouTube: https://youtu.be/SGt_n25unHQ 
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

-

You’re Invited:
Subscribe for updates.
Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

-

Check out our Healthcare Careers Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpLpPBDRIxs&list=PL-gEmMXD5N0SRXyBDPTggJwc1gPRIY4oI

Resources Mentioned: 
Toastmasters International: https://www.toastmasters.org 
National Association of Black Accountants: https://www.nabainc.org 

Connect with Lisa Griffin: 
Email: [email protected] 
Website: https://lmgimageconsulting.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-griffin6424/
Instagram, and Facebook: @LMGImageConsulting 


Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 

Video Chapters: 
00:00 3 Things to Know Before You Sign a Healthcare Offer 
00:22 Danielle's Story: How One Skipped Talk Cost $290K 
03:19 Tip 1: Never Accept a Job Offer on the Spot 
07:22 Why Money Is Not a Bad Word in Salary Talks 
08:52 Lisa's Origin Story: Learning to Speak Up 
16:41 Failure, Mentorship, and Investing in Yourself 
20:33 What Professional Presence Really Means 
25:37 Negotiation Is a Conversation, Not a Fight 
35:20 Everything Is Negotiable: How to Read an Offer 
48:54 Connect With Lisa + The Mirror Exercise

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 🎙️
Are you ready to protect your lungs, support a grieving child, and finally give yourself permission to heal? Lung cancer in non-smokers, pediatric grief, vicarious trauma in nurses, and lemon balm for stress and sleep: this episode gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to advocate for your health and the people you love.

🔥 In This Episode:
We're breaking down what nobody tells you about lung cancer in non-smokers, why 1 in 11 youth are grieving a parent or sibling without support, and how nutrition and plant medicine work alongside chemo, radiation, and surgery. Our guest, Jean Fletcher, PMHNP, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Children's Hospital in Washington, DC, lost her son Julian to lung cancer at 27 as a non-smoker. She turned her grief into a mission, and she shares the exact tools, research, and hard-won wisdom to help you eat for your lungs, recognize hidden grief in children, and heal after loss, whether you're a patient, caregiver, or clinician.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode:
✅ How eating foods rich in vitamins C and E cut lung cancer risk by more than half, and the simple "eat the rainbow" method to do it without counting a single gram
✅ How to spot pediatric grief when it shows up as anger, mood swings, or silence, plus the one screening question every parent, teacher, and nurse should ask
✅ The research behind lemon balm for stress, anxiety, and sleep (400 mg daily in a gold-standard trial), and how to brew it the right way at home
✅ Why nurse grief is called vicarious trauma, and the exact words to use when someone tells you "it's just part of the job"

💡 You deserve access to information to manage your health and advocate for others. Don't miss out on these insights. Hit play now and step into a more empowered version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/hGg0oRAbjd8
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

-

You're Invited:
Subscribe for updates.
Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

Check out our Lung Cancer Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6wsIpBcekg&list=PLPpPsP2xmKGI 

Resources Mentioned:
Wendt Center for Loss and Healing: https://wendtcenter.org
Friends of Julian Fletcher / A Space to Breathe: https://www.friendsofjulianfletcher.org
CDC Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/lung-cancer/screening/
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call 988 or text 741741

Connect with Jean Fletcher, NP:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-fletcher-a2aa903/
Foundation: https://www.friendsofjulianfletcher.org

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi


YOUTUBE CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction: Health Literacy and Pediatric Palliative Care
02:36 Nutrition for Lung Health: The Eat the Rainbow Method
07:12 Integrative Medicine: Plant Medicine Research and Safety
12:17 Pediatric Grief Explained: The Bereavement Model
17:11 Supporting Bereaved Parents: What the Research Shows
21:47 Nurse Grief and Vicarious Trauma: Healing After Loss
29:08 Grief Wellness Programs: Opportunities for Nurse Leaders
34:34 Lemon Balm Benefits for Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep
42:34 Julian's Legacy: A Space to Breathe Foundation
47:38 Your Homework: Screening Guidelines and Next Steps

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 

🎙️ Are you ready to stop being dismissed at the doctor's office? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast will give you the insights, tools, and strategies to spot lung cancer symptoms in non-smokers, demand the right tests, and become the advocate your family needs.

🔥 In This Episode: We're diving into the health story no one warns you about: lung cancer in people who never smoked, and the months of "it's allergies, it's a cold, it's bronchitis" that delay a diagnosis. Our guest, Jean Fletcher, NP, lived this from both sides, as a nurse practitioner with 20+ years of experience and as a mother whose son was dismissed by providers. Her story will show you exactly where the system fails, so YOU know when to push back, what to say at urgent care to be taken seriously, and which tests to request by name. If you have a cough that will not quit, if your family has been told not to worry, or if you are a nurse, NP, caregiver, or healthcare entrepreneur serving communities of color, this episode was made for you.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ Learn the 3 symptoms you should never sit on: a cough lasting 6+ weeks, blood in your cough, and losing weight without trying 
✅ Replace "it can't happen to me" thinking with facts: lung cancer in non-smokers is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in the world 
✅ Get the exact script: what Jean said at urgent care to get an immediate X-ray, and the screening rules Black women are 66% less likely to qualify under 
✅ Feel equipped, not afraid: you'll know what palliative care offers you and your caregivers, and why asking for it early is a strength

💡 One conversation in an exam room saved months for this family. Your voice does the same for yours. Don't miss out on these insights. 

Hit play now and step into a more empowered version of yourself!

🎧 Listen now: 
Youtube: https://youtu.be/Q6wsIpBcekg 
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!

You’re Invited:
Subscribe for updates.
Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.

--

Check out our Health Literacy Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T80AHZ3BTdY&list=PL-gEmMXD5N0TW4pk5vDbHseIJidDfIdb8

Resources Mentioned: 
GO2 for Lung Cancer ("anyone with lungs can get lung cancer"): https://go2.org 
Smokefree.gov (free quit-smoking apps and text support): https://smokefree.gov 

Connect with Jean Fletcher, NP: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-fletcher-a2aa903/

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast!

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 🎙️ 

Are you ready to stop doubting your path to medicine and start building it today? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast gives you the insights, tools, and strategies to move from overwhelmed pre-med hopeful to a student with a plan, a network, and momentum.

🔥 In This Episode: 
This conversation hands you the playbook. You'll watch the pre-med journey unfold in real time and pull out lessons you apply the same day: how to turn one shadowing experience into career clarity, how to start an organization when nobody believes in your idea yet, and how to land paid research through one brave message. Our guest, Ijenna Adibe, a pre-med student at Howard University, proves you don't need permission, connections, or a perfect resume to start. Host Dr. Kimberly Madison, a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner, adds 15 years of clinical wisdom so YOU walk away with a roadmap instead of a story.

✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: 
✅ A repeatable method to find your purpose in healthcare using the ikigai questions, so you stop chasing someone else's dream 
✅ A mindset shift: learning what you DON'T like (through shadowing and trying things) moves you forward as much as finding what you love 
✅ Practical steps you take this week: volunteer strategically, message people on LinkedIn, ask about paid research, and stack certifications while in school 
✅ Motivation from seeing someone your age (or your child's age) executing at a high level while giving herself grace to grow

💡 Your background does not disqualify you. Your starting point does not define your finish line. Hit play now and step into a more empowered version of yourself!

This episode is for the student who feels behind, the parent supporting a big dream, and the clinician who forgot how much courage it takes to begin.

🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/mwyhhx6-1hI
Podcast Apps: https://themelanininitiativespodcast.buzzsprout.com 

💬 Drop a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway!


You’re Invited:
Subscribe for updates.
Give us a thumbs up and comment, it helps us help you and ensures this content reaches those who need it.



Check out our Becoming a Physician Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia2EdqGpLU0&list=PL-gEmMXD5N0THFVwYbvMumPxtCvi2VcVV 

Resources Mentioned: VisualDx: www.visualdx.com 
Skin of Color Society: www.skinofcolorsociety.org 
The Flexner Report (free report, search "Flexner Report PDF" on Google) VolunteerMatch: www.volunteermatch.org 
Common Black College Application: www.commonblackcollegeapp.com 


Connect with Ijenna Adibe: 
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ijennaadibe/
Instagram: @ijennaolivia

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: 
✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi 


VIDEO CHAPTERS 
03:12 The Becoming a Physician Series: From Undergrad to Med School 
05:18 Ikigai Questions: Finding Your Purpose in Medicine 
10:25 Why Dermatology: Skincare Roots and Shadowing a Pediatrician 
13:26 Skin of Color Gaps in Medical Textbooks 
14:46 The Flexner Report, VisualDx, and Health Equity Resources 
23:05 Family Influence, Community Service, and Choosing an HBCU 
34:48 Networking and Volunteering Framework for Pre-Med Students 
41:52 Balancing Work, Sports, and Grades in High School 
47:22 Pre-Med Coursework: Biology Major and Chemistry Minor 
56:29 Founding HUUSOD: Howard's Dermatology Student Organization 
1:12:24 Paid Research and Medical Assistant Certification 
1:17:26 Lab Research: Biofilms and an AI Study on Hidradenitis Suppurativa 
1:32:46 Student Wellness, Finances, and Loan Debt Realities 
1:41:38 Med School Competition and Career Flexibility 
1:47:33 Connect with Ijenna Adibe

Send us Fan Mail

Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast:

✨ Mahogany Dermatology Nursing Bookstore: https://www.cosmeticnp.org/mahogany-dermatology-bookstore

✨ https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi

✨ Email Us: [email protected]

✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org