N U R S I N G P R AC T I C E
WCN Diversity Mentoring Program
As part of the launch of the mentor program in Yakima, the Washington Center for Nursing hosted a meet-and-greet luncheon in May 2016
Washington Center for Nursing’s Diversity Mentoring Program aims to support nurses from underrepresented communities, promote a culture of health By Sofia Aragon JD, MN, RN, Executive Director, Washington Center for Nursing
As Washington state’s population grows increasingly diverse, demand for a nursing workforce that mirrors the patients continues to rise. Compelling evidence suggests that race and ethnicity correlate with persistent, and often increasing, health disparities among U.S. populations. For instance, cancer, heart disease and unintentional injuries are the three leading causes of death of Hispanic/ Latino populations in the United States and affect this group more than their Caucasian peers. Concurrently, research reveals that people tend to receive better quality care when health professionals mirror the ethnic, racial and linguistic backgrounds of their patients. If a health professional understands the culture and history of the community, he or she is more able to communicate and develop trust with those patients. That hits home for Darlene Baluca, a recent nursing graduate from Washington State University Yakima, who moved back home from WSU’s Pullman campus to be closer to family and others in Yakima’s Filipino community. She says she often talks to her fellow churchgoers about the importance of preventative care or encourages them to seek attention for a medical issue before it becomes more complex. Creating diverse, inclusive educational and practice environments to support stu34
The Washington Nurse
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dents and nurses from all backgrounds to promote a culture of health is a priority for our profession. That is why, in collaboration with the Yakima Valley Nurses Association, Washington State University Yakima and Yakima Valley Community College, WCN launched a mentoring program for a small cohort of five WSU and Yakima Valley Community College nursing students interested in exploring a diversity mentorship program. Why mentoring? Nursing school is challenging and rigorous for everyone. However, in addition to challenging school work, men and students of color face numerous barriers and often have higher dropout rates in their educational experience due to complex factors. The same rings true for new graduates: balancing all the demands of a new job as a new RN with family and community expectations can be quite a challenge. Mentoring is one successful strategy to support underrepresented students through nursing education and their transition to practice. Evelyn Arreola Varona understands the power of encouraging students to become nurses. She recently retired from Yakima Memorial Hospital and vividly remembers the encouragement of family and friends who steered her toward nursing. Varona’s family was one of the first Filipino families in the Yakima Valley. Encouragement came from her aunt, who opened their home to nursing students from Hawaii
attending the St. Elizabeth’s Hospital School of Nursing (which was located by what is now Yakima Regional Hospital). “My aunt encouraged me to hang out with them and learn about what it’s like to study nursing,” she said. The second source of inspiration was a wealthy orchardist named Mr. Brownley. He would deliver vegetables to the fruit stand that Evelyn’s family owned and where she worked from her early teenage years. “He would ask me, ‘What will you be when you grow up? When you’re ready to go to nursing school, let me know. I’ll pay your tuition,’” she said. “I ran to my mother and told her about Mr. Brownley. He would later tell me that he admired the helpfulness of nurses through his wife, who was a nurse.” Years later Varona would decide to attend St. Elizabeth’s, and Mr. Brownley paid her tuition. “His only request was to help someone else in return.” She would help two other young Filipinos through nursing school. Over time, she enjoyed seeing more and more Filipino nurses at her hospital, remembering that she was the only Filipino nurse in her class at St. Elizabeth’s. “I continue to be committed to Mr. Brownley’s request to help others be successful nurses,” she said. Varona and Dori Peralta Baker, another Yakima community member, are working with WCN to reach out to other potential registered nurse mentors from communities