October 13, 2023
Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde (1920 – 2010), was a Panamanian-American nurse and professor who founded the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) in 1975. She felt strongly that the country needed an organization to attract Hispanic people to nursing as well as to support their unique concerns and those of the communities they served.
Early on, she realized there were few Latino nurses working to serve the largely Latino community of San Antonio. This underrepresentation would inspire Dr. Murillo-Rohde to help Latinos achieve an education to not only better themselves, but also to serve the community. She was the first Hispanic nurse awarded a PhD from New York University and the first Hispanic Dean of Nursing at SUNY.
Today, NAHN continues to support opportunities for Latina nurses. This includes the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Scholarship and the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence by a Hispanic Registered Nurse, which recognizes members who have exhibited outstanding achievements in nursing education, research, and practice.
Sources: Nahnnet.org; Salud-america.org; Wikipedia.org
