One of the Roses in Philippine Nursing

A prized alumna of the Philippine Union College (now the Adventist University of the Philippines) is a prolific Filipina nurse in the United States and her credential is spanning over 30 years. All the way from University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Dr. Rose Constantino is a nurse par excellence in teaching, research, community involvement and leadership. Aside from having a Ph.D, she holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and also fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing (AAN)/American College of Forensic Examiners International (FACFEI).

As a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International since 1972, she is a one of Society's Virginia Henderson Scholars. In July of this year, she presented a paper to the STT International Congress in Vienna, Austria. This was attended by thousands of nurses from all over the world.

Her leaderhip prominence is seen both at the state and national levels where she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Nursing Foundation (ANF) the charitable arm of the American Nurses Association. At the state level, she is involved in PNA now renamed PSNA (Pennsylvania State Nurses Association) as an officer when it was PNA (Secretary and VP) and currently (PSNA) as a Vice-president of its charitable arm of PSNA, the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania (NFP). The NFP is the 501-c-3 or the charitable arm of PSNA that is responsible for raising funds for scholarships and charitable purposes and it is also responsible in distributing these funds to needy students or nurses. The NFP is currently exploring ways to develop a strategic plan to inspire and support high school graduates to enter in the nursing profession to practice, teach or do research after graduation.

Of course, she has other responsibilities in other boards in Pittsburgh. Currently, she is the President of the Board of Directors for Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) one of the oldest organization to provide mental health services to survivors of sexual assault, rape and abuse (SARA).

Below is a transcript of an email interview with Dr. Rose:

On her current research work

My current research is focused on caring for survivors of sexual assault, rape and abuse (SARA). I have developed a web-based intervention called HELP which stands for Health, Education and Legal Program for Survivors of SARA. It uses technological advancement in the Internet in providing information and intervention to survivors of violent crimes. Because most SARA survivors do not seek medical, health or legal assistance for fear of re-victimization and shaming, the use of the internet in providing them with "here and now" HELP is probably feasible. My past research studies which were funded by the National Institutes of Health and the University of Pittsburgh were related to providing face-to-face group or individual intervention for survivors of intimate partner abuse. These studies are published in journals.

On her involvement in the Pitt's Graduate Program on Forensic Nursing

These are four 3-credit web-based courses: Introduction to Legal Nurse Consulting and Forensic Nursing; Advanced Practice in Forensic Nursing; Psychiatric mental health and Correctional Forensic Nursing; Seminar and Practicum in LNC and FN; and a fifth course on Crime Scene Investigation (CSI-taught by the department of Administration of Justice at Pitt's school of general studies are the five core courses of the Certificate program in LNC and FN. The potential for it becoming a specialty in the masters, the doctor in nursing practice (DNP) or in the PhD program is great.

Other schools in the US already have the MSN in FN (forensic nursing), the DNP in FN and the PhD in FN programs and their graduates are practicing or teaching in this nursing specialty. I would like to submit a proposal on a DNP in FN to the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing or to any school of nursing national or international, who would commit some resources into this DNP program. Currently, I am receiving inquiries about this specialty from a variety of nurses (RNs with diploma education, nurses with undergraduate and/or master's degrees wanting a shift in their practice specialty, education or teaching career from here in the US or abroad.

On her involvement to Filipino students at the University

This is a very rewarding experience for me to be asked by children of Filipinos to act as their advisor as they seek undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh. Of course the Filipino Student Association's (FSA) goal is to promote good will among a diverse student population and disseminate the Filipino culture within the campus and the neighboring colleges and universities in the region. They have "Fiesta sa Nayon" once a year, a dance presentation once a year in conjunction with other activities. The "tinikling and sinkil" are always presented. Last year, the FSA had a New York-based Filipina who spoke in its event. She is a member of the Gabriella-Purple Rose Society working to stop human trafficking globally. Also last year the Association sponsored a concert presenting a Filipino singer. I was unable to attend this concert as I was out of town attending a conference. During these programs, Filipino food (pancit, lumpia, adobo, etc) and drinks (mellon drink and halo halo) were served. By the way, the University of Pittsburgh is promoting good will, transparent and respectful relationships among students from all races, ethnicity and walks of life.

On sexual assault, rape and abuse (SARA)

I coined SARA because survivors really cannot differentiate between these crimes. All they know is that what happened to them was devastating and humiliating because it robs them of their future. The terms are all one to them. Further, authors use these terms interchangeably starting with "rape", then they drift into the use of "sexual assault", and then they go back to "rape" and "sexual abuse" or "sexual violence". Therefore, I coined SARA as a single crime. Also, we should call people who experience SARA as "SURVIVORS of SARA"-the person first then the problem or the illness, e.g., the woman with diabetes, the student in a wheelchair or the man with schizophrenia, not "the rape victim", "the diabetic woman", "the wheelchair-bound student" or the "schizophrenic young man".

Truly, Dr. Constantino is a rose in the Philippine nursing profession.