The Rising Star in International Transcultural Nursing
Long before a family namesake has carved a niche in a different field, there is one Filipino (or, a Filipina) whose contribution to nursing has earned recognition not only in America but worldwide.
Dr. Dula Pacquiao is a star in the international transcultural nursing movement, already close to achieving an iconic status in that field. She is ,in fact according to some colleagues, the next Madeleine Leininger--the founder of the transcultural nursing.
Dr. Pacquiao is currently a nursing professor from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Recently, she received the 2007 Humanism in Healthcare Award from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
Dula Pacquiao, EdD, RN, of Edison, is associate professor and director of the Stanley Bergen, Jr. Center for Multicultural Education, Research, and Practice at UMDNJ-School of Nursing. An internationally known expert in Transcultural Nursing, she is director of the Transcultural Nursing Scholars organization, and senior editor of the Journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society.
Her awards include the Excellence in Nursing Education Award from the New Jersey State Nurses Association, the Leininger Award for Transcultural Nursing Leadership from the International Transcultural Nursing Society, the Research Award from the Philippine Nurses Association of America, and the Professional Leadership Award from the Teachers College Alumni Association at Columbia University. She earned her EdD in Anthropology of Education from Rutgers University, her MA in Curriculum & Instruction from Columbia University, New York and her BS in Nursing from the University of the Philippines in Manila.
Knowing her hectic schedule and doing our constant follow up, Professor Pacquiao finally send her reply. After all, it's worth waiting the star.
What is the state of transcultural nursing today?
There are 2 events that increased the significance of this field today. One is the demographic changes in the country which highlighted the ineffectiveness of the “usual healthcare” for all groups. Healthcare practitioners and agencies are confronted by different groups of people with different values, beliefs and practices as well as communication and language patterns that impact on health outcomes and care effectiveness. The Office of Minority Health, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and states’ Departments of Health have endorsed the Cultural and Linguistically Appropriate Standards for Healthcare Services for all healthcare facilities. Some standards such as provision of language interpreters at all points of care are legally mandated. Health care organizations are expected to provide resources to ensure cultural competence of staff.
The Institute of Medicine’s Report, Unequal Burden has documented existence of health disparities that disadvantage ethnic and racial groups. In another report, Unequal Treatment, the IOM has documented evidence of prejudicial treatment of patients based on race and ethnicity which debunked the old supposition that poor health is due mainly to low socioeconomic status. Many research since then have indicated that race and ethnic concordance between patients and practitioners does make effective care.
The mandate for cultural competence development and need to increase representation of racial and ethnic minorities in health professions are some of the issues that transcultural nurses have always fought for. There are about four states that require physicians to complete a course on cultural competent care as a condition for licensure and relicensure. NJ was the first one to legislate this requirement.
Dr. Dula Pacquiao is a star in the international transcultural nursing movement, already close to achieving an iconic status in that field. She is ,in fact according to some colleagues, the next Madeleine Leininger--the founder of the transcultural nursing.
Dr. Pacquiao is currently a nursing professor from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Recently, she received the 2007 Humanism in Healthcare Award from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
Dula Pacquiao, EdD, RN, of Edison, is associate professor and director of the Stanley Bergen, Jr. Center for Multicultural Education, Research, and Practice at UMDNJ-School of Nursing. An internationally known expert in Transcultural Nursing, she is director of the Transcultural Nursing Scholars organization, and senior editor of the Journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society.
Her awards include the Excellence in Nursing Education Award from the New Jersey State Nurses Association, the Leininger Award for Transcultural Nursing Leadership from the International Transcultural Nursing Society, the Research Award from the Philippine Nurses Association of America, and the Professional Leadership Award from the Teachers College Alumni Association at Columbia University. She earned her EdD in Anthropology of Education from Rutgers University, her MA in Curriculum & Instruction from Columbia University, New York and her BS in Nursing from the University of the Philippines in Manila.
Knowing her hectic schedule and doing our constant follow up, Professor Pacquiao finally send her reply. After all, it's worth waiting the star.
What is the state of transcultural nursing today?
There are 2 events that increased the significance of this field today. One is the demographic changes in the country which highlighted the ineffectiveness of the “usual healthcare” for all groups. Healthcare practitioners and agencies are confronted by different groups of people with different values, beliefs and practices as well as communication and language patterns that impact on health outcomes and care effectiveness. The Office of Minority Health, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and states’ Departments of Health have endorsed the Cultural and Linguistically Appropriate Standards for Healthcare Services for all healthcare facilities. Some standards such as provision of language interpreters at all points of care are legally mandated. Health care organizations are expected to provide resources to ensure cultural competence of staff.
The Institute of Medicine’s Report, Unequal Burden has documented existence of health disparities that disadvantage ethnic and racial groups. In another report, Unequal Treatment, the IOM has documented evidence of prejudicial treatment of patients based on race and ethnicity which debunked the old supposition that poor health is due mainly to low socioeconomic status. Many research since then have indicated that race and ethnic concordance between patients and practitioners does make effective care.
The mandate for cultural competence development and need to increase representation of racial and ethnic minorities in health professions are some of the issues that transcultural nurses have always fought for. There are about four states that require physicians to complete a course on cultural competent care as a condition for licensure and relicensure. NJ was the first one to legislate this requirement.
On her research and teaching involvement
My research and teaching interests have always centered on cultural diversity in education and health care, cross cultural theory and research methods. Some of the studies that I have published include social and cultural influences in aging, teaching and learning, ethics, end-of-life care, attitudes towards psychological and mental illness, motherhood, and communication. These have involved Filipinos, Africans, Hispanics, Russians and white American groups. I have designed a program to enhance acculturation of foreign-educated nurses in the US healthcare, that has been ongoing in NJ since 2001.
The PhD in Urban Health Systems is a non-nursing degree with a concentration on the social and cultural determinants of health. It is jointly offered by UMDNJ-Rutgers University and the NJ Institute of Technology. It has a broader perspective about health that is grounded not just in biomedical sciences but more importantly in social, cultural and environmental phenomena. For example, the combined effect of social isolation, discrimination, poverty, and urbanization result in poor health that create a lifetime disadvantage for certain groups. Hence, remedies are not in treating the disease but in improving the social conditions in which people live.
On her academic and community involvement
I am a member of the Advisory Board of the PNA, NJ as I was one of its former Presidents. I am a member of the Sigma Theta Tau, Lambda Iota Chapter and the UP Alumni Association of NJ. I have not been as actively involved because of my other professional involvement as Director of the Transcultural Nursing Scholars (international organization of transcultural nursing experts), member of the Joint Expert Panel on Global Standards for Culturally-congruent Care between the American Academy of Nursing and Transcultural Nursing Society, member of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Competence in Baccalaureate Nursing Education for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Transcultural Nursing.
As the Director of the Stanley Bergen Center for Multicultural Education, Research and Practice, I provide approximately 20 consultations and educational programs relevant to cultural competence and cultural diversity in health care, annually. I just came back from Botswana to give a week-long workshop for nursing educators in the country regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and care. I am planning to go back on a Fullbright Scholarship to continue the work I have begun.
I am a member of the Advisory Board of the PNA, NJ as I was one of its former Presidents. I am a member of the Sigma Theta Tau, Lambda Iota Chapter and the UP Alumni Association of NJ. I have not been as actively involved because of my other professional involvement as Director of the Transcultural Nursing Scholars (international organization of transcultural nursing experts), member of the Joint Expert Panel on Global Standards for Culturally-congruent Care between the American Academy of Nursing and Transcultural Nursing Society, member of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Competence in Baccalaureate Nursing Education for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Transcultural Nursing.
As the Director of the Stanley Bergen Center for Multicultural Education, Research and Practice, I provide approximately 20 consultations and educational programs relevant to cultural competence and cultural diversity in health care, annually. I just came back from Botswana to give a week-long workshop for nursing educators in the country regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and care. I am planning to go back on a Fullbright Scholarship to continue the work I have begun.
On her future plans
I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Filipino educators and researchers in the future . In the past I have been more involved and I hope that the opportunity will come soon.
