More than beaches and great weather, Los Angeles is one of the most ethnically diverse cities on the planet – more populous than 42 of the 50 states and people from 140 countries speaking 86 languages. This diversity provides unique opportunities and LA offers the perfect crucible for an education at a great public research university, for learning about nursing, and for testing interventions that will make a difference in the health and health care of individuals, families and communities.
UCLA and the School of Nursing are committed to recognizing and appreciating the differences and collective value of individuals. The School has the most diverse student body on campus. In this issue, we showcase our legacy of diversity by featuring the story of a member of one of our first classes,
Reiko Nagumo, who was one of nine Japanese American nursing students whose families had been interned in camps during WWII. Her poignant story was featured
on a PBS series “We’ll Meet Again.”
Today, with nearly half the population of Los Angeles of Latino descent, we are committed to encouraging Latinos and Latinas to pursue a nursing career. There is a critical need for culturally competent care and a diverse workforce and I am proud of and excited by the work we are doing to support our students and the community.
Our nursing students had opportunities to study abroad and learn from other cultures about health care with trips to Japan and Cuba. In their own words, they describe the experiences that have transformed their view of the world.
In other news, 2018 has started as an amazing year with faculty leadership and research continuing to bring luster to the school. We were excited to announce our new academic program, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, that will start in Fall 2018. With the changing demands of a complex health care environment, we need nurses with leadership skills, the highest level of clinical expertise, and a focus on translation of research in the practice setting to improve health outcomes. Graduates of this program have a future of endless possibilities.
We were thrilled to receive a $2 million gift from the Shapiro Family Foundation to endow a faculty chair in developmental disability studies. With two other gifts from the Shapiros that support programs and scholarships related to working with people with disabilities, the School will be able to champion advances in education, research, practice and policy to meet the needs of this underserved population.
Linda Sarna, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean
