The Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing is poised to become a regional center for developing a nursing work force that is better able to care for Oregon’s increasingly diverse population

Epeneter, Beverly

McGraw, Peter A.

English

DigitalCommons@Linfield

Linfield Magazine Volume 1 Number 2 Fall 2004 Article 10 Fall 2004 Nursing to Boost Hispanic Recruitment; Nursing School Committed to Increasing Diversity Peter A. McGraw Beverly Epeneter Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine Recommended Citation McGraw, Peter A. and Epeneter, Beverly (2004) "Nursing to Boost Hispanic Recruitment; Nursing School Committed to Increasing Diversity," Linfield Magazine: Vol. 1 : No. 2 , Article 10. Available at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine/vol1/iss2/10 This article is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@linfield.edu. F A L L  2 0 0 4 -   1 5Defending the environmentLindsay Aney ’05, has a year-round commitment to the forest.During the school year, shestudies the environment at LinfieldCollege, and each summer, shedefends it as a firefighter for theUnited States Forest Service inSilver Lake. “I enjoy being out in the natu-ral environment,” said Aney, whomajors in environmental studieswith a science focus and has minorsin biology and economics. “I likebeing able to observe fire behavior,and then see how the burn hasaffected the forest.”Aney spent most of her sum-mer living in a Forest Servicebunkhouse and working with 12other firefighters. As a member ofan engine crew for the past threesummers, she filled her days withtraining, maintaining equipmentand familiarizing herself with theforest terrain. Part of her trainingcovered weather and fire behavior.“We look up a lot,” she said.“We pay attention to cloudsNursing to boost Hispanic recruitmentThe Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing is poised to become aregional center for developing a nursing work force that is better able to carefor Oregon’s increasingly diverse population.Seven out of 10 minority students entering Oregon’s school systems arefrom a Hispanic background; however, just 2.6 percent of students enteringthe Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing are Hispanic. This is about to change, thanks to a grant from the Health Resources andServices Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices. The grant will fund a program to admit a new cohort of Hispanicstudents each year, so that by the end of the third and final project year theywill constitute 8 percent of the student body. “Our long-term goal is to develop that 20 or 25 percent that makes aminority population self-sustaining,” said Peggy Wros, professor of nursing andassociate dean of the nursing school, who will direct the project along with co-directors Rebecca Boehne and Barbara May. “A figure like that will includemore than just Hispanic students and will give us much broader diversity.”The program reaches out to prospective students in high schools andhealth career programs, identifying those with an interest in and aptitude fora nursing career. Students are mentored throughout high school and assistedin securing financial aid for college study. Once admitted, students willbenefit from an array of support services.While other schools have followed a similar model in efforts to broadenthe diversity of their student bodies, Linfield will be the first school in Oregonto apply it to the nursing field. “Everybody has been talking about it and thinking they need to do it, butno one else has done it,” Wros said.Linfield’s leadership in undertaking this effort follows logically from thefact that its nursing school was ahead of others in the area in reorienting itscurriculum to a community-based model. The many community partnershipsNursing school committed to increasing diversityby Beverly Epeneter Interim Dean of NursingThe Linfield-Good Samaritan Schoolof Nursing is committed to increasingdiversity on campus and in the nursingwork force. We believe that it is essentialto create an academic environment thatfacilitates intellectual curiosity and respectfor diverse viewpoints, whether cultural,racial or gender. The article in the sum-mer Linfield Magazine, “Men in Nursing– Filling in the ranks” was the first timein the 20 years that I have been withLinfield that we have given our male students an opportunity to express theirthoughts about their experience in nursing in a public forum. The nursing profession is facing aserious nursing shortage compounded bythe limited diversity in the workplace -both gender and cultural diversity.This article examined one aspect of the issue – the shortage as it relates to men innursing from the perspectives of the menon the panel. The primary question was,How can we attract more men into nursing and the related question, how dowe make them feel welcome in nursingschool and in the practice setting? Ourapproach: we give them an opportunityto speak, we listen, and we seek to under-stand. We can do this knowing in ourhead and feeling in our heart that nursingat any point in time is a worthy profes-sion. We hope to give other students,other groups, similar opportunities,through efforts such as the HRSA grantthat Linfield was just awarded (see relatedarticle) and through other forums thatwill allow their voices to be heard.Nursing grows stronger as a profes-sion when we honor and learn from thepast; become more educated, understand-ing, inclusive and diverse in the present;and plan together for the future.  because they tell us what weatherand winds will be coming our way.”Over the summer, Aney esti-mates she fought about 20 fires,most of which were relatively smallone-quarter-acre burns. And thoughAney works to prevent forest fires,she has also become a proponent ofprescribed burning, a growingtrend in forest management thatadvocates burning under controlledcircumstances.“Fire is really a natural part ofthe ecosystem,” Aney said. “I’minterested in using fire to help ourecosystems; using fire when we cancontrol it in order to prevent cata-strophic and dangerous wildfires inthe future.”Aney inherited her love of theoutdoors from her parents, both ofwhom also worked as ForestService firefighters while in col-lege. Her father is a wildlife biolo-gist and Forest Service ranger inPaisley. Growing up, Aney recallsliving in close contact with the nat-ural world, listening to bat signalsthrough monitors and learning todistinguish different types of trees,birds and other forest inhabitants.Her deep respect for the envi-ronment is evident in her work atLinfield, said Jack Murphy, assistantprofessor of biology, who collabo-rated with Aney on fungi researchat Charles Metsker Park nearMcMinnville. She presented herresults at the Linfield ScienceSymposium and plans to present againat the Murdock College ScienceResearch Conference this fall.Murphy praised Aney’s inde-pendence and maturity.“Lindsay has a personal com-mitment to do something for theenvironment,” Murphy said. “Hercivility and intelligence give hergood presence and will translateinto effectiveness in whatever jobshe chooses.”–Laura Davis“Fire is really a natural part of theecosystem. I’m interestedin using fire to help ourecosystems; using firewhen we can control it in order to prevent catastrophic and dangerous wildfires in the future.”– Lindsay Aneycontinued on page 30Lindsay Aney’s summer stint as a firefighter for the United States Forest Service is a natural extension ofher love for the environment and interest in fire ecology.Liliana Barrios ‘06, left, and Cristina Schipper ‘06 receive instructions from Ed Averill, nursing lab assis-tant coordinator at the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing. Barrios and Schipper are two of 11Hispanic nursing students at the school, but that could change thanks to a new grant designed to increasethe number of Hispanics enrolling in nursing.1 4  -  L I N F I E L D  M A G A Z I N EKirby (Noland) Dyess ‘68learned early on she could dowhatever she put her mind to.That legacy, instilled by herfather and reinforced by a series ofmentors, has been the basis for suc-cessful and diversified careers inbiochemistry, high technologymanagement and most recently,education. Dyess, founder of AustinCapital and a member of theLinfield College Board of Trustees,was appointed to the Oregon StateBoard of Higher Education inJanuary. She chairs the AcademicExcellence and EconomicDevelopment Committee, focusedon research areas that will becomeeconomic development engines forthe state.“I can’t imagine my career if Ihadn’t pursued a college degree,”she said. “I want to work on what-ever I can to increase the invest-ment in higher education.”As a Linfield student, Dyessentered the male-dominatedphysics lab and competed on themen’s ski team. She immersed her-self in the Linfield ResearchInstitute, conducting research inholography, a relatively new field atthe time, studying three-dimen-sional images formed with lasers.As a junior, Dyess returned toher home state of Idaho, earning abachelor’s degree in physics fromthe University of Idaho. She thenpursued post-graduate work in bio-chemistry and business at PortlandState University and StanfordUniversity.After a brief stint with a lawfirm, Dyess spent a decade at ICNMedical Laboratories Inc. inPortland, where she started andoperated the Diagnostic ProductsDivision based on her research inendocrinology, diabetes and metab-olism.She joined Intel’s staffingdepartment in 1979, where hercuriosity and love of a challengepropelled her through the ranks.When she retired in 2002 as vicepresident and director of operationsfor Intel Capital, Intel’s strategicinvestment program, she managed aportfolio of over 400 national andinternational companies and hadhandled more than 50 Intel mergersand acquisitions. “Every time there was anopportunity, I looked at it from theperspective of ‘can I learn some-thing new and can I make a differ-ence?’” she said. “And that contin-ues to guide me today.”Professionally, Dyess has beenpleased to have been part of a num-ber of successful teams that haveworked together for a commongoal.“I see that with members of theLinfield board frequently and nowwith the Oregon Board of HigherEducation, all of whom are focusedon the same objective,” she said. “It’samazing what can happen whenyou bring those diverse perspectivestogether and deliver exquisiteresults.”In addition to being a memberof the Board of Trustees forLinfield, Dyess is a member of theMenasha Corporation Board ofDirectors, the Merix Corporationboard and the H2F Media board,and she chairs the BusinessAdvisory board for the Universityof Oregon Lundquist College ofBusiness.If there’s one area Dyess has yetto master, it’s retirement. Sheremains challenged by her work as apersonal investor with AustinCapital and with her board respon-sibilities.“It’s all a labor of love,” she said.“I think I’ve flunked retirement butthe good news is, I love what I do.”–Laura DavisInvesting in higher education“I can’t imaginemy career if Ihadn’t pursued acollege degree. I want to work onwhatever I can to increase the investment in highereducation.”Class NotesKirby (Noland) Dyess ‘68F A L L  2 0 0 4 -   3 1They’ve been friends for more than 70 years –through childhood, college, a war and now, volunteerefforts.Two World War II veterans, Lieutenant TomMaloney ‘46 and Captain Colin Armstrong ‘51, had achance to reflect on their friendship and the war thatshaped their lives, when they attended the dedication ofthe National World War II Memorial in Washington,D.C., on May 29. Evergreen International Aviationsponsored the trip for four veterans, all volunteers at theEvergreen Aviation Museum, including Maloney andArmstrong. The group was among more than 150,000 peoplewho attended the dedication ceremony. The memori-al honors the 16 million people who served in thearmed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 whodied and all who supported the war effort from home.For Maloney, the experience was, “inspirationaland quite touching. I thought about how we werethere and all our friends who were killed were not.”Maloney was 20 and had attended Linfield forthree years when he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve inOctober 1941 as a dive bomber pilot. Two monthslater, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. During his fouryears of service, he was awarded 14 service medals,including two navy crosses, one distinguished flyingcross and five air medals.Maloney lost a number of friends and familymembers during the war including Linfield classmatesJimmy Breeding ‘39 and Gilbert Roberts ‘41. “We had more egotism and confidence than wehad brains,” he said. “Inside of us, we had the feelingwe were all supermen. When I came back, I hadmatured. I was 26 going on 56.”Maloney returned to Linfield and finished hisdegree in 1946, marrying Nita (Glascoe) ‘48 later thatyear. Returning veterans changed the climate ofLinfield’s campus, Nita noted.“Most of the veterans smoked and danced,” she said.“Within a few years, rules changed on campus, too.”Armstrong agreed, adding “things were muchmore strict and proper before the war. The attitudewas more relaxed and informal when I returned.”Armstrong entered the navy in 1942 as a divebomber pilot, fulfilling a lifelong dream.“Becoming a navy pilot was my career ambition,”he said. “Seldom do you know that and get to do it. Iwas lucky that way.”After the war, Armstrong earned a business admin-istration degree at Linfield before continuing his careerin the military, serving as a carrier pilot, meteorologistand oceanographer. He spent the next two years fore-casting ice in the Arctic Ocean, and went on to serve atotal of 30 years, earning 14 service medals along theway. After retiring from the military, Armstrong was aYamhill County commissioner for eight years.– Laura DavisRemembering service and sacrificeCaptain Colin Armstrong ‘51Lieutenant Tom Maloney ‘46that the nursing school has developed will be importantto the current project’s success, from the middle schoolswhere Linfield has a long-established mentoring programto community organizations that provide sites for clini-cal experiences. One such partnership was establishedthis past summer, when the Oregon Health CareerCenter held its Summer Enrichment Academy forCareers in Health on Linfield’s Portland Campus.Linfield also works with Las Hermanas, a program thatencourages Hispanic students to complete high schooland enter college programs, and the NationalAssociation of Hispanic Nurses.Josie Rodriguez, director of cultural liaison at SilvertonHospital, has long been one of Linfield’s partners. She prais-es Wros and the other nursing school faculty she hasworked with for their efforts and their sincerity. “They come to us,” she says. “They seek advice fromthe stakeholders.” Rodriguez believes this project willhave a direct impact on health disparities and a number ofbeneficial ripple effects on the Hispanic community.The grant fully funds the Linfield program for threeyears, with $186,343 provided for this year and amountsof $172,721 and $196,664 recommended for years twoand three respectively.– Peter A. McGrawcontinued from page 143 0  -  L I N F I E L D  M A G A Z I N E

Nursing to Boost Hispanic Recruitment; Nursing School Committed to Increasing Diversity

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Nursing to Boost Hispanic Recruitment; Nursing School Committed to Increasing Diversity

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