Bettye Davis-Lewis, Ed.D., R.N., president of National Black Nurses Association, and VUSN’s Randolph Rasch, Ph.D., took part in a panel discussion on "The Influence of Minority Nurses on Health Care, Past, Present and Future" at the School of Nursing last week.
Photo by Dana Johnson
Panel probes minority nurses’ impact on nation’s health care
Bettye Davis-Lewis, Ed.D., R.N., president of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) was at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing recently for a panel discussion on “The Influence of Minority Nurses on Health Care, Past, Present, and Future.”
“Nursing is one of the most honorable professions,” Lewis said. “It's an area where you can be a leader, help people and give back to the community.”
The discussion included a reflection on the history of black nurses in America as far back as the 1800s, including information about Sojourner Truth and the matriarch of the black nursing movement, Mary Seacole. The panel also included Randolph Rasch, Ph.D., program director of VUSN's nurse practitioner program, and Roland Johnson, Ph.D., president of the new NBNA Nashville Chapter.
The event culminated with a lively exchange about how to get more minority nurses interested in the profession. The latest data shows 12.6 percent of nurses are African-American and, in general, minority nurses make up around 25 percent of the nursing population.
“Studies have shown that regardless of age, race or socio-economic issues, people go into nursing because they know a nurse who is excited about the profession,” said Rasch.
Johnson challenged the audience of students, faculty and community members to get involved with teens thinking about their careers. “Help young people ask themselves: What is it about me that could help me make a difference in the world?”
The Nashville Chapter of the NBNA started last July and currently involves members of VUSN and Fisk University. The chapter plans to grow and include other colleges and universities in the area. Students from all racial backgrounds are eligible for membership. The NBNA represents approximately 150,000 African-American nurses from the United States, Eastern Caribbean and Africa, with 76 chartered chapters nationwide.