The Trude Smith Tribal Clinical Rotation scholarship provides awards to students participating in Tribal clinic rotations, with amounts varying by semester or term. Summer 2026 recipients described gaining a deeper understanding of culturally responsive care, listening to patients and building trust—lessons they plan to carry into their nursing practice.
For Washington State University nursing students, clinical rotations in Tribal communities offer opportunities to deepen their understanding of care shaped by culture, relationships and community. The Trude Smith Tribal Clinic Rotation Scholarship supports students participating in these experiences.
Four students received the scholarship for summer and fall 2026, with award amounts varying by semester or term. Reflections from two summer recipients show how their rotations strengthened their understanding of culturally responsive care and the lessons they will carry into practice.
Understanding culture’s role in care
LeeAnna Smith, a 2019 WSU Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner student, completed a summer rotation at Camas Health/Camas Path in Airway Heights.
She reflected on the importance of asking patients what something means within their own culture. Her experience included observing how cultural practices and spirituality were incorporated into treatment and therapy.
“What I have learned from this experience is how important it is to respect each other’s culture,” she wrote.
Together, the students’ reflections highlight the value of listening, building trust and approaching each patient with openness.
Supporting continued learning
Fall 2026 scholarship recipients include:
- Canela Beck, a 2017 WSU BSN graduate and DNP–Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) student, at Camas Center Clinic in Cusick, Washington.
- Elise Smith, DNP-FNP student, at San Poil Valley Community Health Center – Keller Clinic in Keller, Washington.
- Pedro Zepeda, a DNP student, at Chehalis Tribe Wellness Center in Oakville, Washington.
For DNP Nurse Practitioner Week (#NPWeek), these experiences illustrate how scholarship support connects with students’ clinical education. The summer recipients’ reflections offer a clear example of that learning: a deeper understanding of how to provide respectful, relationship-centered care.