March 21, 2025 • 27 mins
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Shelli Ann McKenzie.
She is a dynamic advocate for healthcare professionals, entrepreneur, and founder of Help for Healthcare Professionals (HHCP). With a background in nursing and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by those in the medical field, Shelli created HHCP to provide critical financial, emotional, and career support for healthcare workers. Through her organization, she has helped thousands of professionals navigate burnout, career transitions, and financial stress while advocating for better work-life balance in the industry. Shelli’s passion for empowerment and financial education makes her a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the healthcare and business communities.
Help for Healthcare Professionals (HHCP) is a mission-driven organization dedicated to supporting the financial, mental, and professional well-being of healthcare workers. Recognizing the immense pressures faced by nurses, doctors, and frontline staff, HHCP offers tailored resources, financial literacy programs, and career guidance to help healthcare professionals regain control of their lives. Through advocacy, education, and direct assistance, HHP is revolutionizing how the healthcare workforce is supported—ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to saving others don’t have to struggle in silence.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald host this weekly Money Making Conversation
masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own now. If you
want to be a guest on my show, that's right,
Please visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click the
(00:20):
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the be a guest button on Moneymakingconversations dot Com again.
(00:44):
Let's get this show rolling. My guest is a dynamic
advocate for healthcare professionals, entrepreneur and founder of Help for
Healthcare Professionals HHCP. She recognizes the immense pressures faced by nurses, doctors,
and frontline staff. H HCP offers tailor resources, financial literacy programs,
(01:06):
and career guidance to help healthcare professionals regain control of
their lives. Please welcome the Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Shelley
Ann McKenzie. How you doing, Miss mackenzie.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Hi, Rashan, thanks for housing me. How are you?
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Should I call you Nurse mackenzie? That sounds like you.
That sounds like somebody on TV. Nose McKenzie.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
No, no, I go by Shelley.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Okay, Now this is Shelley Anne. Now are you Shelley
or Shelley An? I say I'm Shelley Okay, cool. You know,
because Shelley Anne's country. You know that's country. I'm gonna
tell you Some'm Shelley Anne or Shelley. I hear a
little accent there, my friend. Can you give me a
background on that accent because it is distinctive when you
(01:49):
communicate that. Say, this is a bad thing. But where
are you from? Originally born and raised?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I am. I originally hail from the island of Jamaica,
island of all.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Islands of Jamaica. Now the next question is, because this
accent is very distinct, when did you come over to America?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Okay, I came from America when I was twelve years old,
and I went straight to New York.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
New York. And you still have this very beautiful accent.
You just won't give it up? Are you are? Like
you know, some people they are you know, like you
know you're an English actor. When they act, they can
talk real clear English. But then when you interview, like uh,
interests elbows like that, you know, he always blows me away.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Where you go?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
What the brother that? The brother I saw on a
wire and the brother I saw wire? Where you come from?
And so so now you're not putting on a Jamaican front?
Are you right here?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Are you not? Not? At this time? Good?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
I just want to have fun with yourn. My wife she's
from the Island area, belife down there and belief in
so it's America. So oh yeah, you know she she
brags about it all the time every time she sees
the commercial. I told you, tells you and h and
so it's really good. But did the nursing profession. I
have a sister in law season in the nursing profession,
(03:09):
and so tell us about the pressure of being a nurse,
because sometimes we take you guys for granted. You come
in and we look at the doctor in a certain way,
and we look at the nurse in a certain way,
and then you have somebody called a nurse practitioner, which
is kind of like a new role. If you got time,
(03:29):
doctor don't have time for you, you can see the nurse practitioner.
So tell us the difference between a nurse, a nurse practitioner,
and then the doctor.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
All right, So there are different levels, as you know,
and there are a number of roles that make up
the healthcare ecosystem. Right, So I am a registered nurse batrade.
So registered nursing nurses can have an associate's degree or
a bachelor's degree, or you can even have LPNs, right,
so that's a licensed life professional nurse. So you have
(04:01):
LPNs and you have RNs. But then on the master's level,
so that's a second degree. So on the master's level
you have your advanced practice nurses. Nurses that hold a
master's degree. The master's degree can be as a nurse practitioner.
You can have my master's. I have a dual master's
in nursing administration and informatics for that software and system design.
(04:23):
You can have a nurse educator, you could have forensic nursing.
So there are a number of different master's level master's
level role you can hold with you know, on the
same level with a nurse practitioner, including clinical nurse specialists, okay.
And then you also have a terminal degree as with
(04:45):
every career, you have a terminal degree in nurse and
so that's where you end appearing that some nurses might
have their doctorate, so they have a Doctorate of Nursing
practice degree or a PhD in nursing, So that's essentially
just a terminal degree for that nurses can hold. You
can have a doctorate in business administration, you still call
the doctor, right, But then a physician is a medical doctor, right,
(05:10):
So that's your traditional medical doctor that specializes in diagnoses
and treatment, okay. And the nurse practitioners are trained as
well to be able to provide quality keyer along those
same lines as providers and often function as an extension
of the provider as you previously mentioned. So there are
(05:33):
lots of opportunities to leverage nurse practitioners in different different settings,
whether it's in the clinic or in rural So there
are lots of opportunities to leverage nurse practitioners to be
an extension. Why because nursing is the largest health profession
there is globally.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Now, let me ask you this, Shelly. First of all,
I have to look at a nurse from a different perspective.
You threw up bout twelve titles set, and I've always
I just loved everybody who came in my room nurse, nurse,
and that's really kind of disrespectful. So I got to
pull back. Now, how can I be more respectful to
the nurse who comes in my room other than because
(06:11):
because each one brings a certain amount of knowledge, and
also each one has a title that amount of wherever,
Why isn't that distinguished a lot more? Because I do
know about the nurse, which right now I've realized is
like a dozen different nurses, and then I know about
the nurse practitioner by about fifty. So you even up
the ma I got a math degree, so you just
blew me out the water. So why is it?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Then?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Can I say that the nurse position is not respected?
Am I saying? Am I saying the wrong things? Because
of the fact that you say there are fifty different
positions that you can call nurse, But the salaries and
the respect for the roles that y'all play, I think
it's being underserved at least through this interview based on
(06:58):
the information you're giving me.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, So I wouldn't say we're one hundred percent disrespective
because there are a number of us in the nursing
profession that are held in extremely high esteems. There are
some some things that we advocate for that that's one
of the things that advocacy is not middle name, but
there's some things we want to be seen as quality
(07:23):
care providers, right right, So that's one of the that's
every now and again it can be interpreted as a
low disrespect. Why because we want to be able to
practice to the highest level of what we were trained
to do, right, to be able to provide access to
care for so that Georgians and and just the people
(07:45):
that live in our communities can have better access to healthcare.
So at times there can be some disrespect there, but
we just want to make sure that we're working together
because as part of the interdisciplinary team, we all have
our roles to play and there's no need to you know,
put up barriers and roadblocks the kere if we can
(08:09):
help as nurses, if that makes sense. Well, just like
you mentioned, there are different levels of nurses. So one
of the things you said initially was how can you
put more respect on it? It really just depends on
the setting that you're in, right, right, So if you're
in a clinic and you might have a medical assistant
you as part of the team. You may have a
medical assistant, a registered nurse, and you might have a
(08:32):
nurse practitioner. So just just be respectful and kind. I mean,
it really just depends on the setting that you're in,
is what i'd say. Because in the hospitals, as we know,
the nurses provide more care time on the midside than
do any other health profession. But we work collaboratively as
(08:52):
an interdisciplinary team to here for the patients and you know,
try to keep the story straight and make sure the
communication is there so that you're in going on with
your here and you know, we can streamline some things.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Let me ask you this, nurse, I'm gonna tell you,
I gotta see you now, you got me. I gotta
respect you now. So I'm sorry, I'm sir, I'm sorry.
I gotta call your nurse mackenzie now, okay, Nurse McKenzie.
When we talk about is there a shortage of nurses?
Because I've always heard that rumor that there's a shortage
of nurse in the trafficer. Why is there a shortage
of nurses? Isn't it a well paid job?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Well, again, it depends on the setting that you're working.
The hospitals play different from nursing homes. Nursing homes pay
different from clinics. If you're an academia and you're a
professor in an institution, that pays a different salary as well.
But there's a shortage of nurses because as people get older, right, so,
there are people leaving the profession, and we don't have
(09:50):
enough younger of the younger generation trained and skilled to
essentially take over. It's a high stress job. We work
extremely long hour this high level of burnout and turnover
and so many things that come with it. So it
is a challenge and it remains a challenge. If we
don't have enough professors in nursing in academia to train
(10:12):
the students, then you have to put a cap on
how many nursing students you can accept, right So it's
pretty cyclical. So we want to make sure that we're
doing everything we can, not just as individuals, but as
a community to be able to sustain that healthcare workforce. Pipeline.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Now, Nurse McKenzie, Now you said, hi, burnout rate, you
say physically challenge, you said it stress. I'm trying to
figure out how brought you to hype up nurses and that. Yeah,
you got to start hyping up the nurse the nurse
program over here, go ahead, because of the fact that
(10:52):
you know, I'm playing with you as well as gaining information.
Because of the fact that I have a sister law
I've seen this, I've seen her. You know a lot
of people come into hospitals who are overweight. You have
to deal with that. You know a lot of people
are physically challenging when they're coming. You got to deal
with that as a nurse, moving bodies that you aren't
(11:16):
capable of moving, that you have to move with certain times,
and people who are bedridden, and then building dealing with
honorary patients and things like that. What attracted you to
the nursing business, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Was volunteld to try nursing. I was a pre farm
major previously, so I actually wanted to become a pharmacologist.
I wanted to make the drugs, and you know, when
that didn't work out, those early morning classes and those
organic chemistry. My mom said, don't feel bad.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Don't feel bad. Physics stopped me from being an engineer.
So to understand, we have a club. Something turned us
a way, and guess what, we're still successful, all right,
don't feel bad, speak to worth.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
No, no, no, I definitely don't feel bad because it
was shows before me. So I was in and I've
tried it, and I think for me, the most rewarding
part of nursing has always been the privilege for showing
up for people in their most vulnerable moment. Right It's
like on the scared when they're hurting, when they're unsure
of what's going on, and being able to be that
(12:20):
translator for what does the doctor just say? Did he
just did he just tell me I have so and so?
That type of thing, and just being the steady voice
of hope, and being there to advocate for the patients,
you know, even when they didn't even know that they
needed an advocate. Right. So it's all about humanity and
the human connection. So even though it's a high stress job,
(12:43):
it's extremely rewarded. I knew where you would go with that,
but it's extremely rewarding and I can't see myself doing
anything else. So I'm here to help champion and continue
to enhance our career, our profession. My ENIMI is necessary.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I'm gonna tell you this. I spent thirty days in
the hospital in Los Angeles, nineteen ninety thirty days. So
when I talk about the hospital experience, you know, you
spend telling everybody. When you spend thirty days in the hospital,
you start making up your own hospital food, you know,
because they bring it and you start mixing up. So
now can you give me the apple sauce with the
(13:24):
strawberry ice? You can you mix that up?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Now?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
When you spend thirty days.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
In the house, you know, telling the truth, you really can.
You start to concoct somethings right.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And I would tell you from a nurse perspective, you know, people,
people need to understand there's a journey in the process
of fear when you walk in, when you go in
the hospital, there's the fear is attached to that because
nobody wants to be in the hospital. No I don't know,
nobody saying, you know, I'm volunteered to go in the hospital.
(13:55):
Nobody does that. And so the person that I always
felt relaxed, always felt championed me. Always felt were more
of a straight shooter in their way. They could straight shoot.
What's the nurse? Now? The doctor come through that door?
I said, okay, what you about to say? Brother? Come
on now?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
What you what?
Speaker 1 (14:15):
What news you about to tell me?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Now?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Okay? Because I stayed in Osford thirty days, so you
stay in Ostford thirty days. You know that doctor came
through that door with a lot of stuff I didn't
want to hear. Oh, we wanted to keep you a
couple of but the nurse. The nurse kept me up
and kept me motivated, kept the right medicine, looked at
my charge, making sure that I was there. So I'm
a big advocate of it. And when I had an
(14:37):
opportunity to bring because you're the I've had nurses on
my should today, but none like you. Because you're an
advocate and you put together an organization that the health
for Healthcare Professionals. Why was it important to put together
the HHCP.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well, simply put, I thought that no one else was
coming to save us. So during COVID and knowing that
I've lived the burnout, I've walked in their shoes, I've
had the mental strain, and I've watched I was literally
watching the healthcare system crumble in real time. But I
(15:15):
also saw it as an opportunity to be able to
create some type of intentional program to care for the
healthcare workforce.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
So it's a huge feat. But when I started, I
simply wanted to just mobilize people and the community to
help the healthcare workforce because working in the healthcare workforce
for probably almost two decades at that point, we didn't
get anything like the benefits, right. It just depends on
again the setting that you work in and so on.
(15:50):
But we didn't really qualify. We didn't qualify for a
lot of stuff. So there are about forty percent of
healthcare professionals that twenty four percent of healthcare professionals that
live in poverty and they struggle from day to day
making ends meet. You also have registered nurses that things
happen right life life, You know how the kids say
(16:10):
life be lifing and they struggle with different things. So
I just had the opportunity to be able to create
the nonprofit to not just react to crisis, but design
a revenue generating program that could solve a more systemic problem.
So these aren't just charity cases. It's a business imperative
(16:30):
when you look at things like workforce shortage, mental health
and equity.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(16:58):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
My guess is a dynamic advocate for healthcare professionals Let's
be real entrepreneurs. She's founded a health for Healthcare Professional
organization because she recognizes the immense pressures faced by nurses, doctors,
and frontline staff HHCP, which offers tailor resources, financial literacy programs,
and career guidance to help healthcare professional regain control of
(17:24):
their lives. Right there, when you say regain control of
their lives, helped me understand the overall culture that that
allows you to make a statement like that in that profession.
Because you mentioned the nurses, doctors and frontline staffs, sometimes
the stress and the burnout so high that they lose
(17:47):
control of their lives. Please explain tomorrow. This is what
you're talking.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
About, all right, So there are a number of different
things we do to be able to provide comprehensives support
to healthcare professionals. So when you have that mental wellness aspect,
or you know, you might feel down or depressed, different
things like that, we have a referral program where we
could get you the mental health help that you need.
(18:13):
If you have someone that passed away and you've you know,
facing some hardships financially and so on, we provide grocery
gift cards, reprovide gas and different things like that to
help support you while you're facing your hardship. So I mean,
you can't be insurance, just different things, and we call
you to screen you and we're able to provide some
(18:35):
help in that arena. But under our education programs, what
we're able to do is provide professional development opportunities as well.
You may have practicing healthcare professionals that aspire to become entreprenurs,
but they don't know the first step on how to
do it. So what do we do. We come out
and we provide training and workshops and a series of trainings.
(18:57):
If necessary, we can customize something and then we're able
to provide that training for those particular healthcare professionals to
be able to become entrepreneurs and understand the nuances and
how things are different. And I've been there right clinical. Oh,
I'm just a nurse. I'm not a business person, you know,
(19:19):
initially is what I used to say, because I'm trained clinically.
But then how do you look for opportunities where you
can learn and then become both, right, so that you
can be successful in your career. So are some of
the things that we do to be able to provide
support to healthcare professionals, including scholarships, providing internship opportunities for
(19:40):
aspiring healthcare professionals and first responders. Nurse.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Let me ask you this, So do you base Atlanta correctly? Yes, sir?
Now do you obviously funds are needed based on what
you just said, gift cards and services and educational platform.
How do you raise money?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Well, we are federal grant recipient, so we are registered
five O one see three nurse owned nonprofits and we
receive federal grants. So a primary source of funding, either
grants or individual donations. So we've been around for April
first is actually our fifteen year as impact in this
(20:21):
state that we're placed to continue to grow up programs.
But federal to answer your question, federal grants and individual donations.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
So you have any programs like any award show or
any receptions or any galos that you throw annually that
you can tell our audience about. And you know a
lot of people, you know, they're type people. They hold
on to that money. But if you tell them you
go get a free or supply it tied to a
chicken dinner, they might show up. So are some dance
music or somebody singing? They might show up. So let's
(20:54):
talk about that because you know from Jamaica. And now
I know you got it going on. Now see. I'll
just telling you something I'm getting going on for you.
Now see. Because we've been at this little level, I
gotta get up to that Bob Marley level with you
out there. Let everybody know and we want to take
it all the way. We gotta know that because we
try to raise some money for you. We try to
get people to understand that you know, their nurses out
(21:14):
there walking through that door and pain. Sometimes sometimes they
might need to get in bad with you and you
get out the bed, and that a lot of people
don't know that. But the more importantly you have events
that are raising Monday their events out there, we hear that.
You know, the current administration is cutting back on all
kind of challenges, so you the grant you might have
(21:35):
in twenty four might not be available in twenty five
or twenty six.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
So that is a very true statement.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
So how can we help?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
All right? So one of the first things that needs
you to do is donate and tell your friends to
donate and tell your neighbors to donate. We have to
piggyback on what you were saying. A night of grind
and gratitude. It's our Charity Awards. It's a healthcare getting
law that hosts annually and this year's theme is building
the Pipeline for healthcare Future.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
So it's our most important night of the year because
it's real purpose needs power, and we're calling on businesses,
health care, tech, education, community leaders to invest in what
really matters because every dollar that we raise fuels our
education programs, like our Youth Med program for youth ages
thirteen to twenty that want to join the healthcare workforce.
(22:29):
We have a Physician Pathway, Nursing and Allied health and
we even have a health tech academy that's set to
launch this year as well. And yeah, so donate, donate, donate,
And it's just a strategic investment in the future of healthcare.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
But I like the fact that you are out there
seeking young people and educating them and then engaging them
in the process of saying this is a very viable
option for you to look at and move forward on.
And because of the fact that when you have these
events like that, they're important for us all to participate
because that nurse that might come to this event might
(23:08):
be the nurse that saves your life or be a
part of your life saving process ten years from now,
twenty years and now thirty years and that or it
might be in a nursing home forty years from now
which you are going through a life crisis. So it's
really important. I've always looked at life, you know, as
you go old, that's a gift that you want to
have in your life, to grow older. I never run
(23:30):
from people tell me. I never hide my age because
I figured, in order for me to do something in life,
nurse begins, I gotta get older. So for me to
sit up in trying to be frozen at twenty nine
or frozen at thirty nine. How am I gonna look
at somebody? Guys going look at it. There's a whole
lot of experience over here. But I'm only thirty nine,
but you look older, mister McDonald's eah, keep that to yourself.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah. Just one more thing though, that youth med program,
it's about youth opportunity for unpower training in healthcare, medicine,
education and development. So we designed it as a literal
answer to that pipeline building. So when we designed it,
we wanted to remove the barriers, not just by inspiring
the students to walk them through the industry. We provide
(24:16):
exposure in one on one experience with neurosurgeons and different
types of healthcare professionals, and provide transportation and workshops and
TPR certifications and just a bunch of different things. Because
our team is into disciplinary so healthcare future is broad.
So this program is one hundred percent tuition free and
we like to keep it that way. So we're designing
(24:38):
it to be a year round program that we can
scale anywhere in the country. Applications are even open right now,
so you could just go to our website Www. Dot
help forhealthcare Professionals dot org and donate, buy a ticket,
register for the program this year. And the gala is
just to raise fund so we could keep the programs
one hundred percent tuition free.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
And the day for the gall again is when.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
April five, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
All right, my friend, that's a Saturday. See boy, got
them dates on lockdown. You know what I'm saying again,
Thank you to date.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Right Atlanta Mariot.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Marquis just downtown.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
You better know it, not the Markey, the Atlanta Marriout
north East right about em.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I know exactly what they're saying. Okay, you just got
a straight out your brother to give them that bad information. People,
Marque's going.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Where's the where's the gala? Shot? Say it? All right?
So one more time on April five, twenty twenty five,
join us for our Night of grim and Gratitude Charity
Awards Healthcare Gala at Atlanta Marriout North East every area
at six am.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Loved, I appreciate you taking the time to come on
the show, and please thank you for allowing me to
be honest in my conversation now and you as a
nurse has been a blessing to me because I'm telling you,
thirty days in the hospital you learn to respect nurses,
doctors and people of all the medical profession because when
I went in there, I did not expect to be
in there thirty days and they tried to check me
(26:07):
out two three times and they told me you got
to go back. And mister McDonald and I want to
thank you for coming to my show and then educating
us about the life and your program and what you're doing.
Nurse mackenzie, stay safe and then come on my show
anytime because I know you're gonna be busy. You're gonna
be busy. I'm gonna need you in the summer time.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Okay, we honor.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
I appreciate you. As we close out the show, remember
to always realize that I put this show together for you,
and putting the show together for you, it's it's really
how you have to live your life. And this has
been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass hosted by
me and Rashaan McDonald. Thank you to our guests on
the show today and thank you listening to the audience now.
(26:49):
If you want to listen to any episodes and want
to be a guest on the show. Visit Moneymaking Conversation
dot com our social media handles money Making Conversations. Join
us next week and remember to always lead with your gifts.
Keep winning
Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald host this weekly Money Making Conversation
masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own now. If you
want to be a guest on my show, that's right,
Please visit our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click the
(00:20):
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(00:44):
Let's get this show rolling. My guest is a dynamic
advocate for healthcare professionals, entrepreneur and founder of Help for
Healthcare Professionals HHCP. She recognizes the immense pressures faced by nurses, doctors,
and frontline staff. H HCP offers tailor resources, financial literacy programs,
(01:06):
and career guidance to help healthcare professionals regain control of
their lives. Please welcome the Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Shelley
Ann McKenzie. How you doing, Miss mackenzie.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Hi, Rashan, thanks for housing me. How are you?
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Should I call you Nurse mackenzie? That sounds like you.
That sounds like somebody on TV. Nose McKenzie.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
No, no, I go by Shelley.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Okay, Now this is Shelley Anne. Now are you Shelley
or Shelley An? I say I'm Shelley Okay, cool. You know,
because Shelley Anne's country. You know that's country. I'm gonna
tell you Some'm Shelley Anne or Shelley. I hear a
little accent there, my friend. Can you give me a
background on that accent because it is distinctive when you
(01:49):
communicate that. Say, this is a bad thing. But where
are you from? Originally born and raised?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I am. I originally hail from the island of Jamaica,
island of all.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Islands of Jamaica. Now the next question is, because this
accent is very distinct, when did you come over to America?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Okay, I came from America when I was twelve years old,
and I went straight to New York.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
New York. And you still have this very beautiful accent.
You just won't give it up? Are you are? Like
you know, some people they are you know, like you
know you're an English actor. When they act, they can
talk real clear English. But then when you interview, like uh,
interests elbows like that, you know, he always blows me away.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Where you go?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
What the brother that? The brother I saw on a
wire and the brother I saw wire? Where you come from?
And so so now you're not putting on a Jamaican front?
Are you right here?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Are you not? Not? At this time? Good?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
I just want to have fun with yourn. My wife she's
from the Island area, belife down there and belief in
so it's America. So oh yeah, you know she she
brags about it all the time every time she sees
the commercial. I told you, tells you and h and
so it's really good. But did the nursing profession. I
have a sister in law season in the nursing profession,
(03:09):
and so tell us about the pressure of being a nurse,
because sometimes we take you guys for granted. You come
in and we look at the doctor in a certain way,
and we look at the nurse in a certain way,
and then you have somebody called a nurse practitioner, which
is kind of like a new role. If you got time,
(03:29):
doctor don't have time for you, you can see the nurse practitioner.
So tell us the difference between a nurse, a nurse practitioner,
and then the doctor.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
All right, So there are different levels, as you know,
and there are a number of roles that make up
the healthcare ecosystem. Right, So I am a registered nurse batrade.
So registered nursing nurses can have an associate's degree or
a bachelor's degree, or you can even have LPNs, right,
so that's a licensed life professional nurse. So you have
(04:01):
LPNs and you have RNs. But then on the master's level,
so that's a second degree. So on the master's level
you have your advanced practice nurses. Nurses that hold a
master's degree. The master's degree can be as a nurse practitioner.
You can have my master's. I have a dual master's
in nursing administration and informatics for that software and system design.
(04:23):
You can have a nurse educator, you could have forensic nursing.
So there are a number of different master's level master's
level role you can hold with you know, on the
same level with a nurse practitioner, including clinical nurse specialists, okay.
And then you also have a terminal degree as with
(04:45):
every career, you have a terminal degree in nurse and
so that's where you end appearing that some nurses might
have their doctorate, so they have a Doctorate of Nursing
practice degree or a PhD in nursing, So that's essentially
just a terminal degree for that nurses can hold. You
can have a doctorate in business administration, you still call
the doctor, right, But then a physician is a medical doctor, right,
(05:10):
So that's your traditional medical doctor that specializes in diagnoses
and treatment, okay. And the nurse practitioners are trained as
well to be able to provide quality keyer along those
same lines as providers and often function as an extension
of the provider as you previously mentioned. So there are
(05:33):
lots of opportunities to leverage nurse practitioners in different different settings,
whether it's in the clinic or in rural So there
are lots of opportunities to leverage nurse practitioners to be
an extension. Why because nursing is the largest health profession
there is globally.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Now, let me ask you this, Shelly. First of all,
I have to look at a nurse from a different perspective.
You threw up bout twelve titles set, and I've always
I just loved everybody who came in my room nurse, nurse,
and that's really kind of disrespectful. So I got to
pull back. Now, how can I be more respectful to
the nurse who comes in my room other than because
(06:11):
because each one brings a certain amount of knowledge, and
also each one has a title that amount of wherever,
Why isn't that distinguished a lot more? Because I do
know about the nurse, which right now I've realized is
like a dozen different nurses, and then I know about
the nurse practitioner by about fifty. So you even up
the ma I got a math degree, so you just
blew me out the water. So why is it?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Then?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Can I say that the nurse position is not respected?
Am I saying? Am I saying the wrong things? Because
of the fact that you say there are fifty different
positions that you can call nurse, But the salaries and
the respect for the roles that y'all play, I think
it's being underserved at least through this interview based on
(06:58):
the information you're giving me.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, So I wouldn't say we're one hundred percent disrespective
because there are a number of us in the nursing
profession that are held in extremely high esteems. There are
some some things that we advocate for that that's one
of the things that advocacy is not middle name, but
there's some things we want to be seen as quality
(07:23):
care providers, right right, So that's one of the that's
every now and again it can be interpreted as a
low disrespect. Why because we want to be able to
practice to the highest level of what we were trained
to do, right, to be able to provide access to
care for so that Georgians and and just the people
(07:45):
that live in our communities can have better access to healthcare.
So at times there can be some disrespect there, but
we just want to make sure that we're working together
because as part of the interdisciplinary team, we all have
our roles to play and there's no need to you know,
put up barriers and roadblocks the kere if we can
(08:09):
help as nurses, if that makes sense. Well, just like
you mentioned, there are different levels of nurses. So one
of the things you said initially was how can you
put more respect on it? It really just depends on
the setting that you're in, right, right, So if you're
in a clinic and you might have a medical assistant
you as part of the team. You may have a
medical assistant, a registered nurse, and you might have a
(08:32):
nurse practitioner. So just just be respectful and kind. I mean,
it really just depends on the setting that you're in,
is what i'd say. Because in the hospitals, as we know,
the nurses provide more care time on the midside than
do any other health profession. But we work collaboratively as
(08:52):
an interdisciplinary team to here for the patients and you know,
try to keep the story straight and make sure the
communication is there so that you're in going on with
your here and you know, we can streamline some things.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Let me ask you this, nurse, I'm gonna tell you,
I gotta see you now, you got me. I gotta
respect you now. So I'm sorry, I'm sir, I'm sorry.
I gotta call your nurse mackenzie now, okay, Nurse McKenzie.
When we talk about is there a shortage of nurses?
Because I've always heard that rumor that there's a shortage
of nurse in the trafficer. Why is there a shortage
of nurses? Isn't it a well paid job?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Well, again, it depends on the setting that you're working.
The hospitals play different from nursing homes. Nursing homes pay
different from clinics. If you're an academia and you're a
professor in an institution, that pays a different salary as well.
But there's a shortage of nurses because as people get older, right, so,
there are people leaving the profession, and we don't have
(09:50):
enough younger of the younger generation trained and skilled to
essentially take over. It's a high stress job. We work
extremely long hour this high level of burnout and turnover
and so many things that come with it. So it
is a challenge and it remains a challenge. If we
don't have enough professors in nursing in academia to train
(10:12):
the students, then you have to put a cap on
how many nursing students you can accept, right So it's
pretty cyclical. So we want to make sure that we're
doing everything we can, not just as individuals, but as
a community to be able to sustain that healthcare workforce. Pipeline.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Now, Nurse McKenzie, Now you said, hi, burnout rate, you
say physically challenge, you said it stress. I'm trying to
figure out how brought you to hype up nurses and that. Yeah,
you got to start hyping up the nurse the nurse
program over here, go ahead, because of the fact that
(10:52):
you know, I'm playing with you as well as gaining information.
Because of the fact that I have a sister law
I've seen this, I've seen her. You know a lot
of people come into hospitals who are overweight. You have
to deal with that. You know a lot of people
are physically challenging when they're coming. You got to deal
with that as a nurse, moving bodies that you aren't
(11:16):
capable of moving, that you have to move with certain times,
and people who are bedridden, and then building dealing with
honorary patients and things like that. What attracted you to
the nursing business, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Was volunteld to try nursing. I was a pre farm
major previously, so I actually wanted to become a pharmacologist.
I wanted to make the drugs, and you know, when
that didn't work out, those early morning classes and those
organic chemistry. My mom said, don't feel bad.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Don't feel bad. Physics stopped me from being an engineer.
So to understand, we have a club. Something turned us
a way, and guess what, we're still successful, all right,
don't feel bad, speak to worth.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
No, no, no, I definitely don't feel bad because it
was shows before me. So I was in and I've
tried it, and I think for me, the most rewarding
part of nursing has always been the privilege for showing
up for people in their most vulnerable moment. Right It's
like on the scared when they're hurting, when they're unsure
of what's going on, and being able to be that
(12:20):
translator for what does the doctor just say? Did he
just did he just tell me I have so and so?
That type of thing, and just being the steady voice
of hope, and being there to advocate for the patients,
you know, even when they didn't even know that they
needed an advocate. Right. So it's all about humanity and
the human connection. So even though it's a high stress job,
(12:43):
it's extremely rewarded. I knew where you would go with that,
but it's extremely rewarding and I can't see myself doing
anything else. So I'm here to help champion and continue
to enhance our career, our profession. My ENIMI is necessary.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I'm gonna tell you this. I spent thirty days in
the hospital in Los Angeles, nineteen ninety thirty days. So
when I talk about the hospital experience, you know, you
spend telling everybody. When you spend thirty days in the hospital,
you start making up your own hospital food, you know,
because they bring it and you start mixing up. So
now can you give me the apple sauce with the
(13:24):
strawberry ice? You can you mix that up?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Now?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
When you spend thirty days.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
In the house, you know, telling the truth, you really can.
You start to concoct somethings right.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And I would tell you from a nurse perspective, you know, people,
people need to understand there's a journey in the process
of fear when you walk in, when you go in
the hospital, there's the fear is attached to that because
nobody wants to be in the hospital. No I don't know,
nobody saying, you know, I'm volunteered to go in the hospital.
(13:55):
Nobody does that. And so the person that I always
felt relaxed, always felt championed me. Always felt were more
of a straight shooter in their way. They could straight shoot.
What's the nurse? Now? The doctor come through that door?
I said, okay, what you about to say? Brother? Come
on now?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
What you what?
Speaker 1 (14:15):
What news you about to tell me?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Now?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Okay? Because I stayed in Osford thirty days, so you
stay in Ostford thirty days. You know that doctor came
through that door with a lot of stuff I didn't
want to hear. Oh, we wanted to keep you a
couple of but the nurse. The nurse kept me up
and kept me motivated, kept the right medicine, looked at
my charge, making sure that I was there. So I'm
a big advocate of it. And when I had an
(14:37):
opportunity to bring because you're the I've had nurses on
my should today, but none like you. Because you're an
advocate and you put together an organization that the health
for Healthcare Professionals. Why was it important to put together
the HHCP.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well, simply put, I thought that no one else was
coming to save us. So during COVID and knowing that
I've lived the burnout, I've walked in their shoes, I've
had the mental strain, and I've watched I was literally
watching the healthcare system crumble in real time. But I
(15:15):
also saw it as an opportunity to be able to
create some type of intentional program to care for the
healthcare workforce.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
So it's a huge feat. But when I started, I
simply wanted to just mobilize people and the community to
help the healthcare workforce because working in the healthcare workforce
for probably almost two decades at that point, we didn't
get anything like the benefits, right. It just depends on
again the setting that you work in and so on.
(15:50):
But we didn't really qualify. We didn't qualify for a
lot of stuff. So there are about forty percent of
healthcare professionals that twenty four percent of healthcare professionals that
live in poverty and they struggle from day to day
making ends meet. You also have registered nurses that things
happen right life life, You know how the kids say
(16:10):
life be lifing and they struggle with different things. So
I just had the opportunity to be able to create
the nonprofit to not just react to crisis, but design
a revenue generating program that could solve a more systemic problem.
So these aren't just charity cases. It's a business imperative
(16:30):
when you look at things like workforce shortage, mental health
and equity.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(16:58):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
My guess is a dynamic advocate for healthcare professionals Let's
be real entrepreneurs. She's founded a health for Healthcare Professional
organization because she recognizes the immense pressures faced by nurses, doctors,
and frontline staff HHCP, which offers tailor resources, financial literacy programs,
and career guidance to help healthcare professional regain control of
(17:24):
their lives. Right there, when you say regain control of
their lives, helped me understand the overall culture that that
allows you to make a statement like that in that profession.
Because you mentioned the nurses, doctors and frontline staffs, sometimes
the stress and the burnout so high that they lose
(17:47):
control of their lives. Please explain tomorrow. This is what
you're talking.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
About, all right, So there are a number of different
things we do to be able to provide comprehensives support
to healthcare professionals. So when you have that mental wellness aspect,
or you know, you might feel down or depressed, different
things like that, we have a referral program where we
could get you the mental health help that you need.
(18:13):
If you have someone that passed away and you've you know,
facing some hardships financially and so on, we provide grocery
gift cards, reprovide gas and different things like that to
help support you while you're facing your hardship. So I mean,
you can't be insurance, just different things, and we call
you to screen you and we're able to provide some
(18:35):
help in that arena. But under our education programs, what
we're able to do is provide professional development opportunities as well.
You may have practicing healthcare professionals that aspire to become entreprenurs,
but they don't know the first step on how to
do it. So what do we do. We come out
and we provide training and workshops and a series of trainings.
(18:57):
If necessary, we can customize something and then we're able
to provide that training for those particular healthcare professionals to
be able to become entrepreneurs and understand the nuances and
how things are different. And I've been there right clinical. Oh,
I'm just a nurse. I'm not a business person, you know,
(19:19):
initially is what I used to say, because I'm trained clinically.
But then how do you look for opportunities where you
can learn and then become both, right, so that you
can be successful in your career. So are some of
the things that we do to be able to provide
support to healthcare professionals, including scholarships, providing internship opportunities for
(19:40):
aspiring healthcare professionals and first responders. Nurse.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Let me ask you this, So do you base Atlanta correctly? Yes, sir?
Now do you obviously funds are needed based on what
you just said, gift cards and services and educational platform.
How do you raise money?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Well, we are federal grant recipient, so we are registered
five O one see three nurse owned nonprofits and we
receive federal grants. So a primary source of funding, either
grants or individual donations. So we've been around for April
first is actually our fifteen year as impact in this
(20:21):
state that we're placed to continue to grow up programs.
But federal to answer your question, federal grants and individual donations.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
So you have any programs like any award show or
any receptions or any galos that you throw annually that
you can tell our audience about. And you know a
lot of people, you know, they're type people. They hold
on to that money. But if you tell them you
go get a free or supply it tied to a
chicken dinner, they might show up. So are some dance
music or somebody singing? They might show up. So let's
(20:54):
talk about that because you know from Jamaica. And now
I know you got it going on. Now see. I'll
just telling you something I'm getting going on for you.
Now see. Because we've been at this little level, I
gotta get up to that Bob Marley level with you
out there. Let everybody know and we want to take
it all the way. We gotta know that because we
try to raise some money for you. We try to
get people to understand that you know, their nurses out
(21:14):
there walking through that door and pain. Sometimes sometimes they
might need to get in bad with you and you
get out the bed, and that a lot of people
don't know that. But the more importantly you have events
that are raising Monday their events out there, we hear that.
You know, the current administration is cutting back on all
kind of challenges, so you the grant you might have
(21:35):
in twenty four might not be available in twenty five
or twenty six.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
So that is a very true statement.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
So how can we help?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
All right? So one of the first things that needs
you to do is donate and tell your friends to
donate and tell your neighbors to donate. We have to
piggyback on what you were saying. A night of grind
and gratitude. It's our Charity Awards. It's a healthcare getting
law that hosts annually and this year's theme is building
the Pipeline for healthcare Future.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
So it's our most important night of the year because
it's real purpose needs power, and we're calling on businesses,
health care, tech, education, community leaders to invest in what
really matters because every dollar that we raise fuels our
education programs, like our Youth Med program for youth ages
thirteen to twenty that want to join the healthcare workforce.
(22:29):
We have a Physician Pathway, Nursing and Allied health and
we even have a health tech academy that's set to
launch this year as well. And yeah, so donate, donate, donate,
And it's just a strategic investment in the future of healthcare.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
But I like the fact that you are out there
seeking young people and educating them and then engaging them
in the process of saying this is a very viable
option for you to look at and move forward on.
And because of the fact that when you have these
events like that, they're important for us all to participate
because that nurse that might come to this event might
(23:08):
be the nurse that saves your life or be a
part of your life saving process ten years from now,
twenty years and now thirty years and that or it
might be in a nursing home forty years from now
which you are going through a life crisis. So it's
really important. I've always looked at life, you know, as
you go old, that's a gift that you want to
have in your life, to grow older. I never run
(23:30):
from people tell me. I never hide my age because
I figured, in order for me to do something in life,
nurse begins, I gotta get older. So for me to
sit up in trying to be frozen at twenty nine
or frozen at thirty nine. How am I gonna look
at somebody? Guys going look at it. There's a whole
lot of experience over here. But I'm only thirty nine,
but you look older, mister McDonald's eah, keep that to yourself.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yeah. Just one more thing though, that youth med program,
it's about youth opportunity for unpower training in healthcare, medicine,
education and development. So we designed it as a literal
answer to that pipeline building. So when we designed it,
we wanted to remove the barriers, not just by inspiring
the students to walk them through the industry. We provide
(24:16):
exposure in one on one experience with neurosurgeons and different
types of healthcare professionals, and provide transportation and workshops and
TPR certifications and just a bunch of different things. Because
our team is into disciplinary so healthcare future is broad.
So this program is one hundred percent tuition free and
we like to keep it that way. So we're designing
(24:38):
it to be a year round program that we can
scale anywhere in the country. Applications are even open right now,
so you could just go to our website Www. Dot
help forhealthcare Professionals dot org and donate, buy a ticket,
register for the program this year. And the gala is
just to raise fund so we could keep the programs
one hundred percent tuition free.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
And the day for the gall again is when.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
April five, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
All right, my friend, that's a Saturday. See boy, got
them dates on lockdown. You know what I'm saying again,
Thank you to date.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Right Atlanta Mariot.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Marquis just downtown.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
You better know it, not the Markey, the Atlanta Marriout
north East right about em.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I know exactly what they're saying. Okay, you just got
a straight out your brother to give them that bad information. People,
Marque's going.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Where's the where's the gala? Shot? Say it? All right?
So one more time on April five, twenty twenty five,
join us for our Night of grim and Gratitude Charity
Awards Healthcare Gala at Atlanta Marriout North East every area
at six am.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Loved, I appreciate you taking the time to come on
the show, and please thank you for allowing me to
be honest in my conversation now and you as a
nurse has been a blessing to me because I'm telling you,
thirty days in the hospital you learn to respect nurses,
doctors and people of all the medical profession because when
I went in there, I did not expect to be
in there thirty days and they tried to check me
(26:07):
out two three times and they told me you got
to go back. And mister McDonald and I want to
thank you for coming to my show and then educating
us about the life and your program and what you're doing.
Nurse mackenzie, stay safe and then come on my show
anytime because I know you're gonna be busy. You're gonna
be busy. I'm gonna need you in the summer time.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Okay, we honor.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
I appreciate you. As we close out the show, remember
to always realize that I put this show together for you,
and putting the show together for you, it's it's really
how you have to live your life. And this has
been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass hosted by
me and Rashaan McDonald. Thank you to our guests on
the show today and thank you listening to the audience now.
(26:49):
If you want to listen to any episodes and want
to be a guest on the show. Visit Moneymaking Conversation
dot com our social media handles money Making Conversations. Join
us next week and remember to always lead with your gifts.
Keep winning
Host
Rushion McDonald
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