Nurse Talks Empowerment Series: Empowering the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of Under-represented Hispanic Nursing Students

Dr. Jeanette Vaugn, DNP, RN, CCRN, CNL Related Seminars and Products

Writer & Producer

AgeView, Inc

Jeanette Vaughan attended Covenant (previously Methodist School of Nursing) in Lubbock, TX for her R.N. diploma which she received in 1983.  She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Texas A and M 1984 and her Master of Science in Nursing from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in 1992. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in August, 2021.  She holds certifications as a CCRN Emeritus from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. In 2021 she was awarded the Great 100 Nurses DFW DNP Scholarship.  In 2021 she also received a scholarship from the One Nurse at a Time Organization to attend the NurseTim global outreach trip to Haiti to support the Haitian Nursing Foundation and their school of nursing.  In 2002, she was named the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center Outstanding Nursing alumni.  In 2000 she served as the only U.S. nurse officially a part of GamesForce2000 for the Sydney Olympic Games.  She has written for and obtained over $200,000 in grants to produce educational materials for caregivers of older adults.  She serves a mentor within the American Nurses Association. Her publications include four historical fiction novels, a book of Vietnam Veterans’ poetry, and numerous other articles, scripts, manuals, book chapters. In 1991, she was published in The Journal of Nursing Education, the title being Is there really racism in nursing? Her practice areas include Neurosciences Trauma ICU and Level I trauma with over 36 years of experience.  She has taught both at the Associate Degree and Baccalaureate levels.  She holds instructor status in BLS, ACLS, and PALS. She is a dual member of the Texas Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association, as well as ANA, where she serves as a mentor. She helped pilot the CNL program in academic partnership with Texas Health Resources and Texas Christian University serving as adjunct faculty.  Her areas of research interest include resilience, student success, and diversity, equity and inclusion.  Her DNP project focuses on under-represented Hispanic nursing students. Currently, she will serve LSU HSC New Orleans as an Instructor of Clinical Nursing. 

Dr. Norma Cuellar, PhD, RN, FAAN Related Seminars and Products

Professor

The University of Alabama

Dr. Norma Cuellar, immediate past president of NAHN, received her baccalaureate degree in nursing from University of Southern Mississippi, her Masters degree in Nursing from Louisiana Health Sciences Center, and her Doctorate of Science in Nursing from University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship from the University of Virginia in Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

 Her clinical background began in coronary care ICU in 1984. Since then, she has practiced in a variety of health care settings including home health, incarceration, school health, and long term care facilities.

 Dr. Cuellar has taught since 1989 in a variety of nursing programs. Her focus in teaching has been leadership, research, gerontology, and sleep.

Currently the editor in chief of the Journal of Transcultural Nursing, Dr. Cuellar has published in peer review journals as well as several book chapters related to her research area: Restless Legs Syndrome, Sleep, Complementary and Alternative Health Care. Her primary focus has been on Cultural Diversity. She is serving as the president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (2018-2020). She is currently funded with the All of Us Research program with NIH in collaboration with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. She has received over $300,000 in funding to promote awareness of the initiative in health care providers of Latinos and the Latino community.

 Dr. Cuellar is also the program director for the HRSA BAMA-L grant. In collaboration with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 80 Latino nurses with associate degree programs will be admitted to the CCNs RN to BSN program. Not only is this an academic program but a program that focuses on leadership development. Students are expected to develop as future leaders in collaboration with mentorship from NAHN.

 In the past, Dr. Cuellar has received NIH funding for a randomized, clinical trial to study the use of valerian, an herb used to promote sleep, in persons with Restless Legs Syndrome. She has also examined the impact of RLS in persons with type 2 diabetes and has been funded to study the implication of genetics in persons with RLS and type 2 diabetes.