Meet Nurse Practitioner Nancy Chen: From Exercise Physiology to Midlife Women’s Hormone Care

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 Chen00:53 Exercise Physiology Roots01:24 From Trainer to Nurse01:52 Critical Care Wake Up03:11 NP Path and Pandemic04:22 Primary Care Time Crunch05:58 Midlife Symptoms Puzzle07:32 Personal Perimenopause Realization09:42 Hormones and the Care Gap15:23 What Patients Need First16:22 Follow-Up Wins16:59 Building the Foundation20:59 Grace in Perimenopause24:08 Finding Your Care Team24:33 Medication Cocktail Reset25:35 Message to Midlife Women27:17 Thanks and Disclaimer