Mindful Moments with Pedro Morante

Pedro Morante

Welcome to Mindful Moments with Pedro Morante — a mental health and wellness podcast hosted by a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, educator, and advocate for mindful living. Each episode offers calming reflections, practical mental health tips, and real conversations with expert Nurse Practitioners and thought leaders in healthcare and education. Whether you’re a nursing student, healthcare professional, or simply someone seeking calm in a chaotic world, this podcast is your safe space to pause, reflect, and reset. We explore topics like: Mental health and mindfulness practices; Nursing insights and clinical experiences; Emotional wellness and stress management; Self-care for healthcare workers and students; Personal growth, resilience, and reflection Subscribe to Mindful Moments for weekly episodes filled with heart, healing, and expert guidance — all in one meaningful conversation at a time.

  1. FEB 14

    LOVE IN THE ER: Identity, Advocacy & Finding Love on the Frontline

    This February on Mindful Moments, we’re celebrating love—not just the kind we see in grand gestures, but the kind that shows up in quiet understanding, shared purpose, and choosing each other even after the hardest shifts. In this special Love Month episode, we sit down with Luis Caso Vega and Vicente Figueroa Feliciano, emergency nurses and partners, whose lives are rooted in both frontline care and deep connection. Together, they open up about what it means to: 💗 Navigate identity and visibility as LGBTQ+ nurses in high-pressure environments 🩺 Deliver care in the ER while advocating for more inclusive, affirming healthcare systems ⚖️ Turn everyday nursing into meaningful advocacy, even without formal titles ❤️ Build a relationship grounded in understanding, resilience, and shared purpose 🌱 Support each other through burnout, healing, and the emotional weight of care work This is a conversation about love in all its forms—romantic love, community care, and the kind of love that keeps you going when the work gets heavy. Because sometimes, the most powerful kind of love… is the one that says, “I see you. I’ve got you. Let’s keep going.” 🎙️ Tune in, reflect, and celebrate love that heals—both in and beyond the ER. Follow Mindful Moments for more conversations on identity, healing, and human connection. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs to feel seen this Valentine’s season 💕   #MindfulMoments #LoveInTheER #ValentinesWithPurpose #NursesWhoLove #LGBTQNurses #HealthcareWithHeart #EmergencyNurseLife

    1 hr
  2. FEB 7

    From the ED to Executive Leadership: Carving Your Own Nursing Path with Rayne Soriano

    What does it really take to grow from surviving the Emergency Department to leading at the executive level—without losing yourself along the way? In this episode of Mindful Moments, we sit down with Dr. Rayne Soriano for an honest, reflective conversation about mental health, leadership, identity, and purpose in nursing. Rayne shares how his journey into nursing began—shaped in part by Filipino cultural values and family expectations—and how his early years in the ED taught him resilience, adaptability, and the emotional cost of survival mode. We explore the mental health realities of emergency nursing, cumulative stress, moral distress, and the quiet moments that signal when it’s time to evolve. As his career unfolded, Rayne intentionally leaned into his passions—education, informatics, operations, and leadership—carving a nursing path uniquely suited to who he is. Now serving as a nurse executive in Hawai‘i, he reflects on how living and leading there has deepened his sense of kuleana—a responsibility to care for people, community, and place—and how that perspective shapes his leadership, mentorship, and commitment to nurse well-being. This conversation also dives into: Mental health in emergency nursing and leadership Burnout, moral injury, and learning to leave survival mode How data, technology, and informatics impact nurses’ well-being Caring science as a foundation for sustainable leadership Mentorship, Filipino identity, and shared humanity Designing a nursing career that supports both success and mental health This episode is for nurses, nurse leaders, students, and anyone navigating change in their career—especially those wondering if it’s possible to lead with both science and soul. 🎙️ Take a mindful moment.🌱 Reflect on your own path.💙 And remember—you’re allowed to build a career that fits who you are becoming.   #MindfulMomentsPodcast #NurseLeaders #NurseMentalHealth #EmergencyNursing #NursingLeadership #FilipinoNurses #Kuleana #CaringScience #HealthcareLeadership #NurseMentorship #WellBeingInHealthcare #NursesOfSpotify #NurseLife #HealthcarePodcast

    1h 2m
  3. JAN 31

    Holding Space & Making History | Black History Month Special

    In this special Black History Month episode of Mindful Moments, we are honored to sit down with Dr. Anyi Atabong—a doctorally prepared, dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner, educator, community leader, and advocate for culturally affirming mental health care. With nearly two decades in healthcare, Dr. Atabong brings a deeply human perspective to healing—one that centers mindfulness, representation, and community. Together, we explore how mental health care can become more inclusive, how mindfulness can extend beyond the therapy room into our communities, and why being truly seen and heard is essential to healing. This conversation also reflects on leadership, legacy, and what it means to hold space while carrying history forward. From launching a PMHNP program at an HBCU to co-founding the Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners of Color, Dr. Atabong reminds us that representation is not optional—it is mental health care. ✨ Expect real talk, mindful reflections, rapid-fire moments, and grounding insights you can carry with you long after the episode ends. 🎧 Listen now  💬 Share this episode with a colleague, student, or loved one ⭐ Follow Mindful Moments for more conversations rooted in presence, purpose, and care Pause. Reflect. Heal forward.   #MindfulMoments #BlackHistoryMonth #MentalHealthMatters #BlackMentalHealth #CulturallyAffirmingCare #PMHNP #NursePractitionerLife #MentalHealthPodcast #Mindfulness

    44 min
  4. JAN 25

    Bold Notes: Garth Garcia on Family, Music, and Building Dreams

    What happens when music, caregiving, fatherhood, and entrepreneurship collide? In this powerful episode of Mindful Moments, we sit down with Garth Garcia—musician, founder of Doctors on The Go, caregiver-turned-entrepreneur, and devoted father—for a conversation that goes far beyond the stage. Garth opens up about his flourishing music career and the meaning behind his upcoming birthday concert, sharing how life experiences shape the songs he writes and the stories he tells. We trace his journey from working as a caregiver in the U.S. to building a purpose-driven healthcare platform, and how service, resilience, and risk-taking became the foundation of his dreams. This episode also takes an intimate turn as we play the Mindful Talk card game, diving into four powerful categories—Emotions, Mindfulness, Inquiry, and Expression. Through these prompts, Garth shares raw reflections, unexpected truths, and never-before-heard perspectives that reveal the heart behind the artist, the entrepreneur, and the father. In one of his most personal conversations yet, Garth reflects on parenting a child with Down syndrome, the lessons that reshaped his definition of success, and the quiet moments that taught him resilience, compassion, and courage. Paired with daring rapid-fire questions, this episode captures the fears, hopes, and values that continue to guide him—onstage and off. This conversation is a reminder that bold notes aren’t just written in music—they’re written in how we live, love, and build our dreams. 🎶 Whether you’re a creative, a caregiver, a parent, or someone standing at the edge of a big dream—this episode is for you. 🎧 Tune in and catch Garth’s full episode before his birthday concert on January 24 at the Nocturne Theatre.   #MindfulMoments #BoldNotes #GarthGarcia #MindfulTalk #MusicWithMeaning #CaregiverStories #EntrepreneurLife

    46 min
  5. JAN 18

    Bridging Cultures, Breaking Stigma: A Mental Health Conversation with Dr. Williams

    Bridging Cultures, Breaking Stigma features an open and refreshing conversation with Dr. Michael Williams, APRN, DNP—a bilingual Internal Medicine and HIV-PrEP specialist, educator, and community advocate. Dr. Williams begins by candidly sharing that nursing wasn’t always a clear path for him. Like many young people, he initially viewed the profession through stereotypes—including the idea that nursing was female-dominated. What started as curiosity (and a lighthearted push) eventually became something far deeper: a calling grounded in purpose, representation, and service. Today, he reflects with gratitude on a decision he never once regretted. Raised in New York City and shaped by his Panamanian heritage, Dr. Williams explores how culture, identity, and lived experience influence mental health, access to care, and trust—especially in Black and Latino communities. The conversation also addresses stigma surrounding HIV-PrEP and sexual health, the emotional barriers patients face, and why culturally responsive care is essential to mental wellness. As a clinical instructor, board member of the Black Men’s Health Clinic and DNPs of Color, and co-founder of a scholarship for first-generation students, Dr. Williams emphasizes that community care, education, and representation are powerful tools for healing. This episode is a reminder that growth is allowed, passion can evolve, and sometimes the path that starts unexpectedly leads exactly where you’re meant to be. 🎙️ Tune in, reflect, and join the conversation.   #MindfulMoments #BridgingCulturesBreakingStigma #MentalHealthAwareness #RepresentationMatters #MenInNursing

    1h 8m
  6. JAN 11

    Rewiring Hope: Healing, TMS, and Building Better Mental Health Care

    In this episode of Mindful Moments, we sit down with Robbie Westermann, PMHNP, DNP—clinician, innovator, and entrepreneur—for an honest and deeply human conversation about healing, resilience, and reimagining mental health care. Dr. Robbie opens up about his own journey through addiction and recovery, sharing how lived experience shaped not only who he is as a provider, but why he is so committed to building systems that actually work. Having been on the other side of care, he understands firsthand what it feels like to struggle, to navigate broken systems, and to search for treatments that offer real hope. That experience became the driving force behind his mission to create more compassionate, effective, and accessible mental health care. We explore Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)—what it is, who it helps, and why it has become a powerful option for individuals living with depression, ADHD, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other mental health challenges, especially when traditional treatments fall short. Robbie breaks down TMS in a way that feels approachable and grounded, centering the conversation on people—not procedures. Dr. Robbie reflects on mindfulness in leadership, the responsibility of innovating in healthcare, and how thoughtfully designed technology can support both providers and patients without losing the human connection at the heart of healing. This conversation is a reminder that recovery is possible, that care should never be one-size-fits-all, and that the most meaningful innovation often comes from those who have walked the path themselves. Whether you’re a patient, provider, or someone seeking hope, this episode invites you to pause, listen, and remember that healing is not just about treatment—it’s about understanding, empathy, and meeting people where they are.   #MindfulMoments #MentalHealthLeadership #HealthcareInnovation #AddictionRecovery

    41 min

About

Welcome to Mindful Moments with Pedro Morante — a mental health and wellness podcast hosted by a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, educator, and advocate for mindful living. Each episode offers calming reflections, practical mental health tips, and real conversations with expert Nurse Practitioners and thought leaders in healthcare and education. Whether you’re a nursing student, healthcare professional, or simply someone seeking calm in a chaotic world, this podcast is your safe space to pause, reflect, and reset. We explore topics like: Mental health and mindfulness practices; Nursing insights and clinical experiences; Emotional wellness and stress management; Self-care for healthcare workers and students; Personal growth, resilience, and reflection Subscribe to Mindful Moments for weekly episodes filled with heart, healing, and expert guidance — all in one meaningful conversation at a time.