Native American Health Sciences at WSU Spokane

Robbie Paul, PhD

Nez Perce

Director

Purpose

• Increase the number of Native Americans entering into the health professions at WSU

•Coordinate the WSU health science programs for recruiting and retention of Native Americans

Health Sciences at WSU Spokane

•College of Pharmacy

•College of Nursing

•WWAMI(UW Medical Program with the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, & Idaho)

•Speech and Hearing Sciences

•Nutrition, Exercise & Physiology

•Health Administration & Policy

Native American Health Science Advisory Board

• Formed a board that meets twice a year and advise the WSU Spokane Health Science team: Native American Tribal Health LeadersProvost of Health ScienceCollege of Pharmacy DeanCollege of Nursing DeanWWAMI Spokane Director

Native American Health Science Advisory Board

• Purpose: Preparing Culturally Competent Health Care Providers for Native American communities

• Preparing and creating culturally competent curriculum

•Help guide research to address the Health disparities among the Native American populations

Native American Recruitment and Retention Program

• Began in 1995

• Program success:• 54 Native American BSN• 8 Master’s of Nursing

WSU Health Science Current Students

Pharmacy:One Native American students

WWAMI:One Native student

Nursing:three undergraduate, two DNP, 3 PhDRN-BSN: one

Exercise PhysiologyOne

Nursing shortage

• The critical need to help educate and prepare our Native American youth to enter into a health career will require collaboration at all levels of education to encourage and help instill in our youth the desire and passion to pursue a health career.

Fact: by 2025 the nursing profession will be facing a shortage of 260,000 trained professional nurses.

Fact: Will have to train an additional 30,000 nurses annually above the current rate of graduation to meet the nation’s health care needs.

Fact: The nursing shortage will be just as severe in Indian Country as the national level

Health Professions Health Care Shortage

• The U.S. is facing a critical Health-care shortage. By 2015, America will be more diverse, populated and older, and will need approximately 260,000 more nurses than we have now. But the nursing shortage is only part of the story. Hospitals nationwide report not having enough pharmacists, physicians, and other health-care professionals on staff.

Critical need in Indian Country

• The shortage of Health-care providers is even greater in Native populations. Currently, only

.5 percent of the nursing population is American Indian or Alaska Native; and, only six percent of minorities practicing medicine are of African American, Latino or Native American.

• There is strong evidence that a health-care workforce reflects the diversity of its people is able to provide better quality health care than one that does not (Institute of Medicine, 2003). This is why more Native American students are needed in health-care professions.

17th Annual Na-ha-shnee Health Science InstituteOUR FUTURE HEALTH CARE STUDENTS

Pipeline Program for Health Sciences

• Na-ha-shnee Began in 1996

* 1996-2005: emphasis on nursing* 2005: expanded to include all the health care professions

To date have served over 370 Native youth

Unofficial statistics: 70% of these students have gone on to college; not all have entered a health profession degree program.

Na-ha-shnee Health Science Institute

• Purpose: To encourage our Native Youth to explore the health science careers through hands-on learning experiences at a 12 day camp experience.

• Participation: Native American male & female students who will be entering 10th, 11th and 12th grades in the fall of 2013

• Requirements: GPA 2.5

WSU City LabLearning how to measure liquid

Return to using traditional foodsProvide other opportunities for students to connect with their Native American culture.

Exercise

Tipi Sweeping Game

SterilizationStudent checking for missed spots after

hand washing

CPR and First Aid Training

Health Career workshopsExercise & Physiology workshop

Pharmacy Workshop on what a Pharmacy Professional does, here learning about pill distribution.

Sterile gowningLearning about the importance of sterile gowning and gloving.

High Ropes Challenge Course: Teaches YES THEY CAN, and leadership skills are introduced for team work, and overcoming fears.

Future Pharmacy studentsLearning to measure ingredients

Added a math curriculum to campLearning how to graph and understand

formulas

Learning to suture pigs feet

Research Project: PhotoVoiceStudents learn how to conduct a research project, they were directly involved with the process, the title of the Poster

“Discovering student’s perceptions of college and health careers using PhotoVoice”

Closing DinnerInvited parents, friends, grandparents, & WSU Administration

Elder teachingsImportance of keeping traditional ways

Native American Health Sciences at WSU Spokane

Robbie Paul, PhD

WSU Spokane

PO Box1495

Spokane, WA 99210-1495

509-324-7440

paul@wsu.edu