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What do you recommend to help students prepare for nursing school and be successful?
Sometimes students get into a nursing program without realizing how much time it will take to learn the content and to practice the needed clinical skills. It is especially important for students to prepare for being a nursing student.

Here are some helpful recommendations to keep in mind before starting a nursing program:

Although one-third of California's population is Hispanic, only 5 percent of nurses are Hispanic. What are some effective ways to encourage Hispanics to pursue nursing?
Many Hispanic students choose to work immediately after high school, and sometimes the option of college doesn't cross their minds. I believe there should be a concerted effort to reach out to Hispanic students to make them aware of their career choices.

We need to make them aware that education is affordable and that counselors and teachers can give them one-on-one help. Financial barriers need to be addressed so that students can learn about the scholarships out there. It may be necessary to include parents in the discussion, because Hispanic families traditionally aren't able to attend college nights at high schools because of work schedules.

How did you become involved in the Coalition for Nursing Careers in California?
I was invited to attend a CNCC meeting about a year ago. During this first meeting, I was impressed with the core group of individuals who had an overwhelming vision to change the image of nursing and show that nursing is a wonderful career choice. The image of a nurse has been that the nurse follows the orders of the doctor, but nurses are basically on the frontline of serving the patient. I have remained involved with the CNCC because I believe their work is vital.

CNCC is working to improve the image of nursing. Why do you think the nursing image has deteriorated in the past decade?
Unfortunately, the image of nursing hasn't changed for the better. Is nursing presented as a professional career choice in the high schools? Do we teach young children to see a nurse with the same eyes that we see the helping nature of a police officer, firefighter or a doctor? Changing the image of nursing isn't just a nursing problem, but a health care delivery problem. It requires a team effort between the hospitals, insurance companies, doctors and nurses.

Now, nurses are more involved in total patient care, such as alerting the physician of changes in the patient and communicating with the families. The next time you hear someone say "I don't know what career path to take," direct him or her to www.choosenursing.com.