Donna Shalala, PhD, president of the University of Miami, spoke to a crowd of more than 600 people on Sept. 11 as the School of Nursing’s 2012-2013 Ethnic Minority Visiting Scholar.
President Shalala, former Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton, addressed the crowd on the role of nursing in a changing health care realm. She emphasized practicing to the full extent of one’s education and the importance of educating culturally competent providers. The event took place at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center.
President Shalala chaired the Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing at the Institute of Medicine, which published the landmark report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.
During her speech, President Shalala said she believes we are entering a golden age for the nursing profession. She also remarked on the need for greater diversity in the nursing workforce and for cultural and linguistic sensitivity as part of nursing education. She also cited a need to lift restrictions on nursing practice and for greater integration of the health care workforce as necessary for moving into the future. “We need to use everyone to the full extent of their training, and we need to have everyone work together as a team,” she said.
The Ethnic Minority Visiting Scholar Lecture series was established at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing in 2000 as an initiative to highlight the research and contributions of ethnic minority nurse scholars. The lecture brings outstanding specialists, educators, clinical researchers and directors to Chapel Hill for discussion of timely nursing matters affecting ethnic and minority populations.
Please watch entire lecture video here.