Pharmafile Logo

The Power of the Pivot: How Nurse Practitioners are Closing Care Gaps for Women

The career path of a Nurse Practitioner is often envisioned as a straight line: clinical practice, specialization, perhaps a supervisory role. But for two pioneering NPs, Laura Demuth and Jackie Gianelli, that line took them into the executive suite and a new era of care. Their journeys, shared in a recent conversation with Stacey Hughes, Vice President of Learning and Development at Medscape Education, reveal a shared passion for leveraging their clinical expertise to close some of the most profound, yet often-ignored, gaps in women’s health.

- PMLiVE

For Jackie Gianelli, a menopause expert and Clinical Director of the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Mount Sinai, the problem is systemic. She explains that for two decades, following the Women’s Health Initiative study, menopause virtually “vanished” from medical and nursing school curricula. This created a profound knowledge vacuum, compounded by a “bikini medicine” approach that fragments women’s healthcare into simple systems. Gianelli states, “The reality is that women’s health is mental health… women’s health is cardiometabolic health, you know, and we are not small men.” She and her team are designing an innovative longitudinal care model, moving beyond one-off appointments to offer whole-person, holistic health through the profound hormonal transition of midlife.

Listen to the episode here. 

Laura Demuth, Senior Vice President at the digital health company Curology, found her pivot when she realized the non-linear potential of her NP license. Starting as one of three clinicians, she helped scale the clinical team to over 150, wearing countless hats in operations, licensing, and people management. The company’s founding mission—making effective skincare accessible—deeply connected to her passion for serving women. Demuth highlights the often-underestimated psychological impact of skin conditions on women, calling it “one of the deepest joys of my professional life” to see smiles “get bigger over time” as their confidence grows.

Both women agree that their rigorous clinical backgrounds—particularly in high-stress settings like the ICU for Gianelli—provided the critical “life skills” to succeed in leadership. Gianelli cites references “calm under pressure” and the ability to work through complex, high-stakes problems as key takeaways. Demuth adds that the NP role trains you to be a leader by default: “You are the center of that patient… you are making things happen around for the betterment of that patient.” This cross-functional leadership and diagnostic ability translates directly to tackling a company’s biggest problems at a strategic roundtable.

Their advice to any clinician feeling burnt out or “boxed in” is clear: you have options. “Don’t feel pressured to get more certifications, but instead, focus on making your existing skills extremely marketable,” Gianelli advises. “Follow your curiosity,” and Demuth adds a critical caution: “If you hear no a first time, don’t take your first no for the gospel.” These working mothers prove that with tenacity and a vision for better care, the ceiling of the Nurse Practitioner role can be shattered.

Listen to the episode here. 

Follow us for updates on upcoming podcasts and more insightful conversations.

For more information, please contact Jelena Spyropoulos.

 

About Medscape Education

Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free CME and CE courses for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professional

This content was provided by Medscape Education

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Medscape Education 

Protecting the Heart Through Education at ESC 2023

Medscape Education Global is joining cardiology professionals from across Europe for ESC 2023 in Amsterdam. This year’s congress theme is “Joining Forces to Protect the Heart,” and Medscape will be…

Medscape’s Rare Disease Learning Center Has Reached 1 Million Learners

The Pathways in Rare Disease Learning Center celebrates a momentous achievement – engaging one million learners in its educational initiatives. This milestone signifies a profound impact on clinician confidence in…

Continuing Medical Education Outcomes are Much More Than Statistical Significance

At Medscape Education, we hold ourselves to the highest standards when it comes to analysing our programs. Our approach is unparalleled, employing a precise paired method that ensures we measure the…

The Most Important Person in the Room—A Look at Patient -Centricity at EHA

Across all of healthcare, a greater focus is being placed on patient centricity in order to improve outcomes and enhance patients’ quality of life. Although patient centricity is necessary in…

Innovation in Education Leads to Positive Outcomes at EAN 2023

The Medscape team recently returned from the 9th Annual Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) in Budapest, Hungary. Among the various highlights of the congress, the team showcased…

The Lasting Impact of Cytomegalovirus Education 

Education on the signs, symptoms, and potential complications of cytomegalovirus (CMV) is in need of constant development, as this common disease affects nearly 1 in 3 children by age 5…

Medscape Education Publishes the Results of Multinational, Multispecialty Survey of Physicians on Rare Disease Educational Needs

Medscape Education has published the results of a global survey of its kind, assessing the educational needs of physicians on rare diseases. This survey of 978 clinicians worldwide across 16…

Medscape Showcases Outcomes in Austria for EASL Congress

Medscape recently attended the EASL Congress in Austria, where they successfully showcased the outcomes of their Wilson Disease education program. One of their achievements was presenting a poster on “Online…

Medscape is Bringing Outcomes to the #HomeOfNeurology

Budapest, Hungary is set to become Medscape’s next destination as they gear up for the highly anticipated 9th Annual Congress of the European Academy of Neurology. As an integral part…

Medscape Education: ACOG 2023 Publication

Medscape Education is making a difference! We are wrapping CMV Awareness Month with a look at the impact of CMV education on OB/GYN learners. Take a look as Medscape Senior…