00:00:00.050 - 00:00:09.500

Wary point. Did you grow up there as well? What was life like there and what was the community like?

00:00:09.500 - 00:00:26.070

I was born in Puerto Rico. That is the South part of Puerto Rico. The community was a very tight community. I live in pretty much in the country.

00:00:26.070 - 00:00:36.490

Part of the of the island. I come from big family or 13 brothers and sisters. So you can imagine what was like, you know,

00:00:36.490 - 00:00:44.870

live in, in a, in a household with so many so many kids. So what's a happy time? We were very close.

00:00:44.870 - 00:00:59.660

We still very close to this day. How old were you when you lift the STI and manage your family said, Oh, I was 16 when I came to

00:00:59.660 - 00:01:11.270

the United States and we said in North Philadelphia, I get around the temple campus area. And that area was lifelike there.

00:01:11.270 - 00:01:23.140

And was it just very hard it was very, very hard to do. I just imagine maybe in 16, growing up all my life in, in Puerto Rico.

00:01:23.140 - 00:01:32.030

The climate, the people, it was a very, very different culture, especially the language and the weather. That was one of the hardest part

00:01:32.030 - 00:01:41.600

to be able to add yours coming from an island out is that whether it was all the time in a warm and I came in September in September 13,

00:01:41.600 - 00:01:50.920

1976 and it was already calling here and put a week or you have shorts, you have sandals and come to a complete CTO chug,

00:01:50.920 - 00:01:59.150

chug, and have to wear codes and foods and jackets. It was it was very, very difficult to I just at the beginning,

00:01:59.150 - 00:02:08.870

especially for me being 16, having to adjust to a new school on new language, new way of, you know, of study.

00:02:08.870 - 00:02:17.540

And because I came to an all girls high high school on my last year of high school. So it was very, very, very difficult.

00:02:17.540 - 00:02:25.670

I hated it. I wanted to go back to Puerto Rico, but because we were so close with my mommy

00:02:25.670 - 00:02:34.740

was like we all together or, you know, or we always have to be together so they will not back to what a weaker.

00:02:35.140 - 00:02:47.530

What was the score like? And how is that hard with the language barrier and not knowing English? It was hard because being this color,

00:02:47.530 - 00:02:55.130

I look African-American if I don't speak, you know, as soon as I speak, they know that I'm not African American because of my strong accent.

00:02:55.130 - 00:03:04.610

But being that ours, dark complexion, people thought I was African-American in I couldn't speak their language ICU then on this that

00:03:04.610 - 00:03:15.670

I could understand, but I couldn't speak it. So I had a lot of problems with the Caucasian because I was in all dark. And they thought I was African-American.

00:03:15.670 - 00:03:22.850

And I have problems with the African Americans because they thought I was like they stuck up because I couldn't talk to them.

00:03:22.850 - 00:03:31.010

But it was not that I didn't want to talk to them. It was that I didn't understand them. How did you come to learn

00:03:31.010 - 00:03:39.250

English and why did you decide that you finally momentum? We're at the beginning now I will say for the first few months,

00:03:39.250 - 00:03:46.720

I will always tell my teachers, they will talk to me in English hours. They talked to me in Spanish. I'm put a week and I'm not American.

00:03:46.720 - 00:03:54.770

I didn't even understand the, the concept that, yes, I am America and we are United States citizens by birth.

00:03:54.770 - 00:04:02.360

But to me I was so upset of being in here in this country that I didn't want to be. That anytime somebody talk to me in English,

00:04:02.360 - 00:04:09.910

I will say Dr. Me in Spanish. I'm put on weekend. I'm not American. So on until one day one of my English teacher,

00:04:09.910 - 00:04:19.330

Miss Monica, kind of told me, and that was the day that I decided. Okay, I want to be a nurse. And if I don't get my act together,

00:04:19.330 - 00:04:28.340

I'm not going to be able to to be a nurse. So from that day on, I applied myself and started learning and listening to what

00:04:28.340 - 00:04:35.950

they were telling me and and it wasn't that hard because we already have a base in Puerto Rico is just an English base.

00:04:35.950 - 00:04:42.970

We take English classes, the ICOs that because you don't have to speak the English language, then you don't have to.

00:04:42.970 - 00:04:55.780

But once I came here, I really have to get my act together. What made you decide you wanted to pursue nursing?

00:04:55.780 - 00:05:05.390

I think since I was a little girl, I always wanting to be a nurse. I don't know why. I didn't have a role model that I

00:05:05.390 - 00:05:13.220

could say because my aunt or my mom or were nurses, I wanted to be a nurse. I don't know. I mean, I guess

00:05:13.220 - 00:05:21.190

I was wanted to be a nurse. I love what I do. When I was a little girl. I was always when we play dolls. I was always a nurse.

00:05:21.190 - 00:05:30.140

I will take a nail and that was my injections, you know, I was always, you know, they they are the nurse.

00:05:30.140 - 00:05:36.740

And even growing up, I was always the one that took care of my brothers, my sisters, and the

00:05:36.740 - 00:05:43.820

Arabian all we, my father. He had some some health issues and I was always the one that was there was that his daughter,

00:05:43.820 - 00:05:58.880

even though we were still many hours. That is daughter. He touched your professional history and have high that

00:05:58.880 - 00:06:08.510

into what you do now and what you do now. When I came here, like I said, I went to Kensington. Hi. And from there when I graduated,

00:06:08.510 - 00:06:16.690

I went to community college and I get an associate degree or community college. And then from there I moved to Temple University.

00:06:16.690 - 00:06:24.110

I was there just one semester and he was off because of the racial issues at that time. And in those years,

00:06:24.110 - 00:06:30.410

I didn't want to be there. So I asked my mom to send me back to Puerto Rico to finish and of course, she said no.

00:06:30.410 - 00:06:42.650

So I said if if if you don't send me back, then I quit school. I knew that I wanted to be a nurse. So I ended up very strong and persuasive.

00:06:42.650 - 00:06:51.410

So I decided I'm 17, I'm gonna you know, I'm 18. I'm going back to Puerto Rico, so I save my money

00:06:51.410 - 00:07:00.040

and I went back to Puerto Rico. I finish my bachelor's degree there at the University of Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

00:07:00.040 - 00:07:11.690

And then I came back Mary and with one baby to the United States again. And for a long time I couldn't get a job because I

00:07:11.690 - 00:07:21.890

didn't know at that time that I needed to take what is called an ng-click exam here. And because of my language barrier, it was very difficult for me to pass a test.

00:07:21.890 - 00:07:30.910

So I work as a cashier. I work in different areas, but not in nursing. And it took me

00:07:30.910 - 00:07:39.800

almost by the years to get into my nursing career. Once I to be tears and I passed and there were a lot of

00:07:39.800 - 00:07:49.610

other areas that prohibit me from taking that there's an empath, my son, my other my other zone and all the other issues.

00:07:49.610 - 00:07:58.070

But once I started working in nursing, it was like, Oh my God, this is this is really what I want to do. For the rest of my life.

00:07:58.070 - 00:08:06.440

I've been in different positions on throughout my career in nursing, which is 22 years. But where I am now in

00:08:06.440 - 00:08:15.380

women's health, a e happen, I will say eight years ago, I will say by chance, but I, now I say that this was God's will,

00:08:15.380 - 00:08:25.100

that I be in the position that I am because I was asked to be the program manager for the Women's Center at that time,

00:08:25.100 - 00:08:33.940

it was their clinic and I cannot say no. So I said okay, not knowing what I was getting into. And now 11 years later,

00:08:33.940 - 00:08:43.430

the program manager for a center, not know the clinic, we do comprehensive health care for female veterans in the Philadelphia area.

00:08:43.430 - 00:08:53.030

And it has been, I think, the best thing that happened to me in my nursing career. It has been a blessing also because as

00:08:53.030 - 00:09:02.200

the cancer patient idea with a lot of cancer patients at the VA Hospital. And I think that gap would be there just to be,

00:09:02.200 - 00:09:12.000

you know, maybe a light in the life of these patients. And it has been such a rewarding experience

00:09:12.000 - 00:09:26.380

that I don't think I can work in place else. The VA. So what is the greatest challenge for Hispanic patient?

00:09:26.380 - 00:09:36.920

We can treat name. Even tying your mother explains why it made you want to get more involved.

00:09:36.920 - 00:09:47.820

I think they are they, one of the biggest challenge is the language barrier. And in all cultural sensitivity in all.

00:09:48.310 - 00:10:00.700

For example, I can give you a personal example. My, my mother was diabetic and she ended up hospital admitted to the hospital.

00:10:00.700 - 00:10:14.030

And right away they label her non-compliant. You know, she doesn't eat what we bring Hershey, those same dosing, take her medicine.

00:10:14.030 - 00:10:21.230

She doesn't do what we said to do. And when I went to the hospital, I talk to the nurse and the nurse does what she told me.

00:10:21.230 - 00:10:27.970

Don't your mom is non-compliant. But what she didn't realize was that my mom didn't understand what you were saying.

00:10:27.970 - 00:10:36.860

My mom didn't like before that they were given her. And I mean, there were a lot of issues. They were not sensitive to do

00:10:36.860 - 00:10:44.380

her culture in order to her beliefs to up into a number of things. And at that point, when I explained to

00:10:44.380 - 00:10:51.700

the nurse and also to the to the doctor, you know, she does any beat. She doesn't need asparagus. She doesn't it all those things.

00:10:51.700 - 00:11:04.420

Why can you ask her what she what you like? So once we started explaining to the nursing staff and the medical staff what it's like to be

00:11:04.420 - 00:11:12.470

a patient there that doesn't know their language and an end for this matter or does matter. It doesn't have to be just my mom that

00:11:12.470 - 00:11:19.460

was for the week and this is happens to their Philippine. Nothing happens to anybody that English language is not their first language.

00:11:19.460 - 00:11:27.890

So I mean, that may me I guess more involved in the community hours. I always feel involved in the community,

00:11:27.890 - 00:11:38.600

but I think that has made me pursue more community work then. It's not in fact today. So happened to be one of my diabetes glasses.

00:11:38.600 - 00:11:46.640

I have a group of about 15 these events that are taking glass a day, all Hispanic. They don't speak the English language and we are

00:11:46.640 - 00:11:58.150

teaching diabetes classes totally in Spanish. So this is one of the things that my mom problem at at the hospital may me

00:11:58.150 - 00:12:05.300

pursue or these type of activities in the community, in the Hispanic community, what kind of things do you give

00:12:05.300 - 00:12:12.620

the people on the program that you do here for the diabetes treatment? Well, they're the program consists of a classes

00:12:12.620 - 00:12:19.910

and to want to have our classes every Saturday. We are almost at the end of the course now and we teach them,

00:12:19.910 - 00:12:31.490

we teach them about medication, about yet. What is diabetes? Exercise, I mean, all the aspects of diabetes.

00:12:31.490 - 00:12:39.800

So they, they are able to take care of themselves. What to ask the doctors, you know, not to just take the medicines and

00:12:39.800 - 00:12:44.830

not know why the medication why they taking the medication. Just to know what the what the medication

00:12:44.830 - 00:12:53.950

what medications they're taking. Why are they taking it? Because they need to be more educated in the disease process. That's on Spanish.

00:12:53.950 - 00:13:02.480

Everything is in Spanish. Is that you're doing then it for you or do you just finished up her and we just finished today.

00:13:02.480 - 00:13:08.150

We have two more classes and then at the end of the class, they will go back to their primary care providers

00:13:08.150 - 00:13:21.800

and they will give blood work and to see how the glasses and the change in the way of eating and exercise in to see if that help lower

00:13:21.800 - 00:13:30.960

their their glucose level or their hemoglobin A1c, understand? Yeah. Okay.

00:13:31.390 - 00:13:44.140

What types of steps do you think medical professionals should take in order to help their Hispanic patients with this language barrier problem.

00:13:44.140 - 00:13:57.130

I think they need to be more interpreters in the facilities. They need to have more Spanish literature. That is that a level of understanding for,

00:13:57.130 - 00:14:07.190

for some of these patients, a lot of these patients are at a maybe sixth grade level or, or, or lower. And they need to have more information to,

00:14:07.190 - 00:14:16.250

you know, in in in their language. And again, I'm not talking about the Hispanic because that's my community, but I think it has to be the same for

00:14:16.250 - 00:14:24.070

any other communities that don't speak the English language. What is your attitude? Because there's so much here,

00:14:24.070 - 00:14:31.790

like people being mapping. If you move here, you need to learn knowing how important do you think it is for

00:14:31.790 - 00:14:40.600

the people who do move here, with Spanish being their first language. How important do you think it is for them to try and pursue learning English,

00:14:40.600 - 00:14:48.770

I think is very important, just because we are teaching these classes in Spanish. We also promote in all higher education.

00:14:48.770 - 00:14:55.780

And even the ones that not Ax is that higher education, they need to make sure that they, that they learn.

00:14:55.780 - 00:15:04.880

This is not a country. We need to in order to learn and be able to survive and, and, and provide the services or,

00:15:04.880 - 00:15:14.110

or, or goal and and try to get the services that that we also that they are offering also. Yes, they need to

00:15:14.110 - 00:15:27.500

they need to learn the language. You want me to get involved with National Hispanic nursing. What do the deal and the role you play

00:15:27.500 - 00:15:36.470

in the National Association of Hispanic Nurses than another. Area that is very dear to my heart. When I came to

00:15:36.470 - 00:15:46.340

the United States and I became a nurse and I started working in the hospitals. I wanted to belong or I wanted I wanted to belong to an organization

00:15:46.340 - 00:15:54.440

that I could call my own. Yes, I belong to the American Nurses Association. I could belong to

00:15:54.440 - 00:16:01.790

the blood Nurses Association, but when I learned about the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, I felt that this was

00:16:01.790 - 00:16:10.820

something that I really needed to be part of it and be part of it in a, in a big way. So I joined the National

00:16:10.820 - 00:16:22.150

Association of Hispanic Nurses in 1995. I started working very hard with the community at that time. I started in Philadelphia.

00:16:22.150 - 00:16:32.360

I became the president of the chapter. I was the president for four years. And after that, I decided that I needed if I wanted to do more in the community

00:16:32.360 - 00:16:41.570

and and via voice there, I needed to go a step further. So I became the president of the National precedent.

00:16:41.570 - 00:16:49.960

And we do with the different chapter we have. Right now. We have about 36 chapters nationwide, including one in Puerto Rico.

00:16:49.960 - 00:16:59.140

We do a lot of outreach. We do a lot of community work. We we do we teach we we do

00:16:59.140 - 00:17:07.490

the type of activities that out. I was just telling you teaching the community, providing service. There's HE at my church.

00:17:07.490 - 00:17:16.030

I do seminars. I do in services. I mean, we do anything that will help increase the knowledge base

00:17:16.030 - 00:17:36.080

on on our population. Yes. Boy, that's the hardest thing about being a woman in a career film, especially in medical career field.

00:17:36.080 - 00:17:50.030

And what advice would you offer younger pursuing careers? I think the hardest area is when you have two every day you have to prove

00:17:50.030 - 00:17:56.780

to someone else that you can do the work that you're doing in any area. And this is not only in nursing.

00:17:56.780 - 00:18:06.890

I mean, once you are a professional, you always have to prove yourself to someone. And in my case, I mean, this happens every day,

00:18:06.890 - 00:18:16.130

every single day you have to prove to you that your supervisor or a patient or a co-worker, that you are who you

00:18:16.130 - 00:18:24.920

are and that you can do the job, that you are too. You're supposed to be doing. What I will tell the students is

00:18:24.920 - 00:18:36.320

as a minority as they are women. And a professional is to just follow your dream. Do not let anybody tell you different.

00:18:36.320 - 00:18:47.830

I was told that I wasn't going to make it. I will store that. I'll be okay working in a factory. But look where I am and I am.

00:18:47.830 - 00:18:55.100

Now I also do this because either they have a role model. I didn't have anybody could guide me by the hand and say,

00:18:55.100 - 00:19:03.290

okay, well, you do this, you do that now I didn't have it. So now I tried to be that example for those students or those DNA

00:19:03.290 - 00:19:09.500

gives that I place to win at the nursing carrier that they don't have to go through what I went through when I

00:19:09.500 - 00:19:28.760

was learning and becoming a nurse. So just go for de Gaulle. Human hearing. Yeah, you

00:19:28.760 - 00:19:35.060

definitely gave like a lot. We're in that link alive. Yeah, I think this is actually even better than the last one

00:19:35.060 - 00:19:45.150

is like just getting ideas from listening to you now. Hi.