3 Years of The Melanin Initiative & Howard University School of Nursing

One Question That Opens a Child's Healing

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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186156/fan_mail/new] 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: tmi.melanin@gmail.com ✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

She's a Nurse. They Still Missed Her Son's Lung Cancer.

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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186156/fan_mail/new] 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: tmi.melanin@gmail.com ✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

The Obstacles Nobody Warned Me About | Becoming a Physician

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 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186156/fan_mail/new] 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: tmi.melanin@gmail.com ✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

The Imposter Syndrome Trap: What You're Getting Wrong!

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast! 🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 🎙️  You have questioned your competence. You have felt like you do not belong in rooms you worked hard to enter. Ready to walk away from that feeling for good? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast hands you the tools to interrupt imposter syndrome and own your expertise without apology. 🔥 In This Episode:  This is about you, the listener. We unpack why imposter syndrome shows up, why it gets louder the moment you grow, and how to stop letting self-doubt dictate your choices. You leave with a different way to read your own success and a repeatable practice to rebuild your confidence on demand.  ✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode:  ✅ The skill to catch a self-doubt thought and treat it as a feeling, not a fact  ✅ A new internal narrative that replaces "I am not good enough" with documented proof of what you have earned  ✅ A daily practice you control: write three wins after every shift and watch your confidence compound  ✅ The push to stop shrinking, claim your title, and show up in your career, your business, and your next chapter 💡 Confidence is not a personality trait you were born without. It is a practice you build. Hit play now and start owning the seat you already earned. 🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/jfQ46UhEvYo 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 Mental health Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjAhA57LVOQ&list=PL-gEmMXD5N0QJaxP6m8vDU-QyOLEGRHen  Resources Mentioned:   DNPs of Color: dnpsofcolor.org White Coat Powerhouse NP Group (free Facebook community for nurses and NP students)  White Coat Power Moves: How to Build Your Brand as a Nurse Practitioner" by Dr. Angel White: https://www.amazon.com/White-Coat-Power-Moves-Practitioner/dp/B0GFBFL82W Connect with Dr. Angel White, DNP, APRN-FPA, FNP-BC: Website: angelshelpinghands.org  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-angel-white/ Instagram: @angels_helping_hands , @dr_angelwhite Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: ✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi VIDEO CHAPTERS:  03:21 Ikigai Icebreaker: Purpose Beyond Your Titles 10:58 Becoming the Nurse Mentor She Never Had 15:46 The NP Student Weeks From Quitting 16:53 Feelings vs Facts: What Imposter Syndrome Really Is 21:22 How to Rewire Your Internal Narrative 22:30 Affirmations as Cognitive Retraining for Nurses 24:55 Why Community Beats Suffering in Silence 38:12 The Real History of the Nurse Practitioner Role 48:36 White Coat Powerhouse: Community and Resources 01:18:31 From Imposter to Owning the Room Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186156/fan_mail/new] 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: tmi.melanin@gmail.com ✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org

The Exhausting Reality of Being the One Everyone Relies On

Welcome to The Melanin Initiative Podcast! 🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨 🎙️ Are you tired of being told you're strong while quietly falling apart? This episode of The Melanin Initiative Podcast is going to help you finally name what you're feeling, understand why it won't just go away, and give you a real, practical path forward—one that doesn't require you to justify yourself to anyone. 🔥 In This Episode: You've been the reliable one. The one who holds it together. The one everyone calls. But if you're waking up already dreading the day, snapping at the people you love, and can't remember the last time you actually laughed, this is the episode you didn't know you needed. If you've been told to "do better self-care" when you know the problem goes deeper than bubble baths and meditation apps—keep watching. What you'll discover here isn't another wellness checklist. It's permission to stop burning yourself down to warm other people. ✨ What You'll Gain from This Episode: ✅ You will finally understand WHY you're exhausted even when you're sleeping and what kind of rest your body is actually craving ✅ You will learn how to spot the early warning signs of burnout (the "simmer stage") so you can turn down the heat BEFORE you crash and burn ✅ You will walk away with a 6-step framework: Recognize, Release, Restore, Redefine, Realign, Rebuild, that you can start using this week, not someday ✅ You will feel permission, maybe for the first time to set boundaries, say no without explaining yourself, and reimagine what success looks like on YOUR terms 💡 Your dream isn't dead. It's just been sold to you in a version that's slowly killing you. You have the power to reimagine it, and today's episode will show you how. Hit play now and take the first step toward a life that finally feels as good as it looks. 🎧 Listen now: Youtube: https://youtu.be/L63GV-cjG08 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 Playlist! Resources Mentioned: 📖 Fierce Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff — https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Self-Compassion-Women-Power-Kindness/dp/0062913492 📖 Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff — https://www.amazon.com/Self-Compassion-Proven-Power-Being-Yourself/dp/0061733520 🔥 The 5 Faces of Exhaustion Quiz (FREE) — Email hello@sheisfireforged.com 📋 Burnout Guide + Checklist (FREE) — Email hello@sheisfireforged.com Connect with Dr. Nikia Smith: Instagram: @sheisfireforged | @nikiasmithmd TikTok: @sheisfireforged LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nikiasmithmd Stay Connected with The Melanin Initiative Podcast: ✨ Visit our Website: https://tmi-melanin.my.canva.site/tmi YOUTUBE CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction: High-Achieving Women Burning Out in Silence 08:53 Black Women Burnout Crisis: Most Educated, Dying at Highest Rates 10:02 Dr. Nikia Smith Physician Burnout Story: Simmer to Breaking Point 14:15 Fierce Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff: The Book That Helped Her Heal 18:11 Burnout Stages Explained: The Slow Simmer vs Full Burnout 22:00 Maria Torres Case Study: Nurse Practitioner Burnout at a FQHC 26:40 Burnout Myths Busted: Self-Care Is Not the Cure for Burnout 31:37 Early Burnout Warning Signs: Irritability, Forgetting, Emotional Blunting 36:30 Invisible Labor and Decision Fatigue Fueling Burnout in Women 40:00 Reconnecting with Joy to Rediscover Identity After Burnout 47:30 RECLAIM Framework: 6 Steps to Recover From Burnout 52:00 Free Resources: 5 Faces of Exhaustion Quiz and Burnout Checklist Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186156/fan_mail/new] 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: tmi.melanin@gmail.com ✨ Increase your Health Literacy IQ: Caring For Us: www.caring4us.org