Rita Strickland, Ed.D., RN, stands before class after class of would-be registered nurses as proof that African Americans needn't be underrepresented in nursing.

But Strickland said it will take a greater commitment to core academics, more financial resources and the kind of family and professional support she received to more than triple the percentage of African-American RNs to 12.3 percent, a figure that is representative of the population in the 2000 U.S. Census.

Only 4 percent of RNs are African American, said Strickland, an assistant professor of nursing at New York Institute of Technology and board member of the National Black Nurses Association (www.nbna.org) in Silver Spring, Md.

She said that because of an image that nursing is less than a profession, many African Americans consider other medical careers first. But those who are called to nursing, either by a caring nature or the economics of the nursing shortage, are not aware of the educational and financial difficulties involved.

"There's a lack of support systems for students," Strickland said. In education, "some of the students are not adequately prepared to take the science courses. We have found two predictors of success: math scores and science scores. If students are poor in those two areas, then they'll be unsuccessful in the program. We're a science-enriched program. There's also a problem with study skills in general and test-taking skills."

Strickland, 53, teaches "Introduction to Nursing" and at various times pathophysiology, transcultural nursing and the institute's critical care course, "Nursing Therapeutics."

Critical care is where she launched her career, bypassing the typical prerequisite of at least a year of med/surg experience. For that she credits mentors and the encouragement of family, friends and colleagues. "That was an excellent experience for me," she said.

Once in nursing, the National Black Nurses Association, which represents more than 150,000 RNs, is "a support system for African-American nurses interested in expanding their area of expertise or enhancing their educational background," Strickland said. "There's a wealth of resources within the organization and they keep you abreast of nuances in nursing."

Serving on the association's board and working with other organizations on legislative and educational issues fulfills a dream. "When I look back at my high school yearbook, it says in bold print 'My desire is to be a nurse,' " Strickland said.

While she often speaks at New York public schools to promote nursing as a career choice and lends her expertise to community health fairs in her native Brooklyn, Strickland's latest passion is a private practice of energy-based therapy known as healing touch. "I've been getting involved in more nontraditional modes of practice, incorporating my traditional values," Strickland said.

Healing touch therapy is gaining acceptance in pain management, for instance in maternity cases and with terminal illnesses. It's also used to treat anxiety, high blood pressure and migraine headaches, she said.

"My concern has always been to extend a helping hand to others," Strickland said. "When you see that people recover and do well, it's a wonderful feeling. I can't even begin to put that into words."

Contact Phil McPeck at getpjm@aol.com.