Dr. Adriana Perez is an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She also works with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses to teach multicultural families, particularly Latinos, about important health insurance concepts, such as premiums, co-payments, and health insurance benefits. Here is her recent Q&A with AL DÍA:

 

There are several factors that present a challenge to Latinx nurses; 1) there are very few role models and mentors in the profession and that look like us and that we can see ourselves in that role (so seeing is believing); 2) many Latinx nurses are the first in their family to go to college and therefore, find it challenging to navigate the academic system; 3) based on the current literature, limited resources and financial challenges add the burden of having to balance full-time work and school.

 

My grandmother in Mexico was a nurse and she always talked to me about the profession. So many in our neighborhood admired and respected her, so she was my first nurse role model. 

I have been a nurse for almost 20 years and I am amazed to see the growth of diverse nurses in our field. Though this growth is not proportionate to the growth of the diversity of our nation, it is still better than when I was a nursing student. I have also seen advances related to the transformation of our profession and our role. More nurses are starting their own business, becoming advanced practice nurses, entering elected office, and obtaining doctoral education.

 

This study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and builds on my studies promoting physical activity in older Latinos to achieve better heart health and cognitive health outcomes. This is important because older Latinos experience a disproportionate burden of cognitive health disease, including Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias, due in large part to higher rates of physical inactivity and sleep-wake disturbances associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Unfortunately, most interventions are not designed to address the linguistic and cultural needs of the Latino community and often result in modest recruitment of Spanish speaking populations. 

 

There are several barriers, for example, 1) Latinos continue to have some of the highest uninsured rates in the country and therefore, a large number still do not have access to health care; 2) there are environmental factors that impact the long-term health of Latino families, including community design (i.e. neighborhood density) and a high percentage live in neighborhoods that predispose them to greater levels of air pollution that cause asthma among children or exacerbate lung and heart disease in adults; and 3) most Latinos share the challenge of having health care providers that do not understand or speak their Language, which creates additional stress, burden and many times contributes to poor health outcomes.

 

Go for it! Si se puede! Find a mentor, dedicate your time to studying what you love and write your goals and motivation for becoming a nurse, so that you always remember why it's worth it!