“In an ideal world, I’d like to see two things change. One, a single-payer healthcare system because when people access healthcare, it’s a vulnerable time for them. To add to that the confusion about insurance networks and what’s covered and not covered, it doesn’t make sense. Second, increasing the diversity in the healthcare workforce because it’s such a personal relationship you are building with your provider that being able to interact without any cultural barriers makes a huge difference.”
“I would change how we approach people with mental illness and put more emphasis on treating it. You have to treat the whole person, not just the physical body.”
HELEN WOLDAI (ELMSN CM)
JOSHUA STOUDT (MOT)
CLYDE ORTEGA (BSN)
SHANTE MYERS (MSN FNP)
“I would like to see more minority professionals and culturally sensitive professionals in healthcare. I think a lot of time students of color are intimidated to pursue an education in healthcare because it’s expensive, or they feel they can’t because there’s no one like them in the profession, or they don’t know anyone in their community who’s a nurse or a doctor. But I’m hoping to change that. I believe that by diversifying providers we can increase those communities’ feelings of trust toward healthcare systems.”
“I’ve noticed a lot of difficulties and controversies
fatigue so one issue I’d like to see more emphasis on is the regulation of nurse-patient ratios. I know California has a 1:5 ratio but I’ve still noticed problems in hospital units in providing efficient patient care.”
JALIA KIZITO (FNP DNP)
about nursing staffing shortages in hospitals. During clinical rotations, I’ve also witnessed a lot of nurse
“On a local level, I hope to help reduce maternal substance use disorders by engaging in
JASMIN MOULTRIE (MSN FNP)
research that supports universal prenatal drug testing, as early detection of mothers at risk would enable early interventions. Babies born by mothers that struggle with substance use disorders are susceptible to many medical and psychiatric problems. Something has to be done, as the numbers are overwhelming.”