Navigating Menopause: A Conversation with Nurse Practitioner Kristen Nawyn

In this episode of The Peri and Pause podcast, Jamie Gallagher launch the “Meet the Nurse Practitioner” series by introducing Kristen Nawyn, a board-certified adult gerontology nurse practitioner and Menopause Society–certified menopause specialist. Kristin shares her path from ICU nursing through the pandemic to palliative care interests focused on goals, values, and quality of life, and explains how a family medicine preceptorship revealed the gaps in menopause care and shifted her career. She discusses limited menopause education in graduate school, her oncology research on chemotherapy-induced early menopause in premenopausal cancer survivors, and how sudden induced menopause differs from natural menopause. Kristin describes common “loss of self” experiences in perimenopause, the biology of hormonal fluctuations, the need for anticipatory guidance, and how she builds trust with patients, addresses long-term hormone therapy concerns, and advocates for whole-person, time-rich menopause care.00:42 Podcast Intro and Guest Spotlight02:08 Kristin’s Nursing Origin Story03:10 What Palliative Care Really Is04:35 From ICU to Nurse Practitioner05:52 Discovering the Menopause Care Gap08:43 Graduate School vs Real Menopause Care10:37 Thesis on Chemo Induced Menopause13:04 Losing Your Sense of Self15:05 Natural vs Induced Menopause16:52 Better Care for Cancer Survivors17:46 Staying On Hormones18:57 Risks Of Stopping21:02 ICU Lessons On Aging22:50 Earning Patient Trust25:52 Midlife Women Carrying It All28:24 You Are Not Crazy29:00 Whole Person Menopause Care30:43 Emotional Weight And Guilt32:36 Closing Thanks And Wrap------This podcast exists to normalize, explain, and elevate the midlife healthcare conversation—so women feel informed, believed, and empowered to demand better care for their bodies and lives.Visit https://periandpause.com for more info