Dr.ildaura Murillo-Rohde, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, will be featured in this article spotlight.
A nurse and professor, Dr. ildaura Murillo-Rhode, worked to serve underrepresented communities and create equal opportunities for Latinos in health care.
Dr. ildaura Murillo Rohde’s Early Life
The late Dr. Murillo-Rhode was born in Panama on Sept. 26, 1920. She immigrated to San Antonio, Texas, in 1945.
Rohde studied to become a nurse after coming from a family of physicians.
The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (via Dr. Murillo Rohde)
NYAM Center for History reports that Dr. Murillo-Rohde graduated from the Medical and Surgical Hospital School of Nursing in San Antonio, Texas.
She realized early on that there were few Latino nurses in San Antonio’s largely Latino community.
Dr. Murillo-Rohde became motivated to help Latinos achieve education to better themselves and serve the community.
New York’s Columbia University awarded her a bachelor’s degree in psychiatric mental health nursing, followed by a master’s degree at New York University.
The first Latina nurse to earn a Ph.D. from New York University was in 1971.
In addition to his expertise in psychotherapy, marriage, and family therapy, Murillo-Rohde served as Dean of the College of Nursing at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, according to the NYAM Center for History.
Contributions of Dr. ildaura Murillo-Rohde to health
A 2017 Department of Health and Human Services analysis shows Latinos comprise 5.7% of registered nurses.
Google Doodles provided the photo.
However, growth was only possible with the assistance of Dr. Murillo-Rohde.
In 1975, Murillo-Rohde founded the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), formerly the Spanish Speaking/Spanish-Surnamed Nurses’ Caucus.
NAHN’s mission is to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for Latinos in the U.S.
“I looked behind me and thought: ‘Where are my people?’”
Among the highest nursing honors in the nation, her numerous achievements were recognized by the American Academy of Nursing with its prestigious fellowship.
“Dr. Murillo-Rohde dedicated her life to enhancing the quality of healthcare for underrepresented communities and preparing other Hispanic nurses to do the same,” according to the Archives.
The impact of Murillo-Rohde today
Until her passing on Sept. 5, 2010, Dr. Murillo-Rohde continued to work with the NAHN.
Today, NAHN continues to provide Latina nurses with opportunities. It consists of two awards, the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Scholarship and the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence by a Hispanic Registered Nurse, which recognizes outstanding achievements in nursing education, research, and practice.
Also, in September 2021, Dr. Murillo-Rohde was featured on a Google Doodle created by Latina artist Loris Lora during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Visit the NAHN’s website to learn more about Dr. Murillo-Rohde’s work.
