June 15, 2004
Native American Health Care and Nursing Careers Promoted at WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing Institute for High School Students
Spokane Wash.: Students from nine Native American western tribes will learn about nursing and Native American health care issues June 19-25 during the ninth annual Na-ha-shnee Native American Summer Nursing Institute sponsored by the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing.
The weeklong course addresses the history, culture and health care needs of Native Americans, and is designed to pique the interest of high school students considering nursing as a career.
Part of the curriculum is geared toward students gaining an understanding for the value and necessity advanced math and science coursework will play in their college preparation. Science, math, anatomy and physiology are all part of working within the health care environment.
The 17 students, ages 15-18, are a mix of 12 first year attendees and five experienced students returning for their second or third year at the annual Na-ha-shnee Summer Nursing Institute. The nine tribes and reservations represented by students include the Colville Confederated Tribes, Kalispel, Lummi, Miwok, Nez Perce, Shoalwater Bay, Tlingit/Haida, Warm Springs and Yakama.
Students will have a true college experience staying in residence halls at Whitworth College. They will begin the week with a team building exercise conducted by two Native American health care professionals from the Nez Perce tribe.
“Most of the experiences the students will have during their week will be facilitated by Native nurses,” said Robbie Paul, Native American coordinator and Na-ha-shnee Camp director at the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing. “There’s a recognized need for Native-prepared nurse professionals to serve our own people. If we can mentor students to become leaders by working side by side with role models and community tribal members, they will be well prepared to work in a Native health profession. The concept of giving back to your community is a fundamental ideology of Native American culture.”
First year student Jasmine Jackson, from the Colville Tribe, wants to help people and gain the knowledge to become a registered nurse. “I am very interested in helping cancer patients because my grandpa recently died from stomach cancer and my grandma has breast cancer. To be able to stand up and give patients a fighting chance is a lifetime goal I am working to achieve and this camp will be a great start,” said Jackson.
The returning students are particularly committed to pursuing a career in nursing. “I want to work in the emergency room or nursery for Indian Health Services,” said Cyrille Mitchell, an 18-year-old third year student from the Warm Springs Tribe. “The Na-ha-shnee Camp will help me to make a decision on which health care field I want to work in.”
Native nurses will present information on a variety of topics, including wellness, the Medicine Wheel, living a balanced life and other approaches to native health care needs. Several nursing professionals, including two current native undergraduate and one native graduate student from the College of Nursing, will attend camp this year, volunteering their time and providing perspective for the next generation of Native American nurses. In addition to the nursing elements, students will participate in crafts, wellness and balance, spiritual, physical, emotional and mental activities during the week.
“The importance of combining Western medical models with Native traditions is essential,” said Paul. “The Native students have to maintain their cultural values and traditions while still recognizing the culturally-appropriate health care models, and to be able to maintain our Native traditions amid pervasively Western practices.”
Of the more than two million Native Americans in the United States, Washington state has the sixth highest population of native peoples at 93,000. There are 38,000 Native Americans living in the Plateau Tribes region that extends from the Cascade Mountains to the Rocky Mountains and includes central and eastern Washington, northern Idaho, parts of Montana and all of Oregon.
Interested students do not pay for the Na-ha-shnee Summer Nursing Institute experience. The camp is sponsored and supported by the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, Trude Smith Fund, Group Health Community Foundation, Premera Blue Cross and the WSU Creighton Endowment for Native American Students. The week will culminate with a June 24 banquet at Whitworth College featuring an honor drum and prayer from Pat Moses of the Spokane Tribe.
Established in 1968, the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing is the nation’s first, oldest and most comprehensive nursing education consortium. The College of Nursing offers baccalaureate, graduate and professional development course work to nursing students enrolled through Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, Washington State University and Whitworth College. Each year, the college educates more than 650 graduate and upper-division undergraduate students and prepares more entry-level nurses than any other educational institution in the region. For more information about the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, visit the college Web site at nursing.wsu.edu.