---

---

How has the Seattle University mission influenced your nursing practice as a student?

One of the many things that attracted me to Seattle University’s College of Nursing was its reputation in the health care community for its commitment to social justice and health equity. Although I did not realize it until preparing for my interview for nursing school admission, the commitment to building leaders for a better world is explicitly written in the mission statement for the entire school. Being committed to a “just and humane world” (Seattle University, n.d.) requires more than rhetoric and promises, it requires direct action.

I benefitted from the school’s commitment to expanding my concepts of care and compassion to center on lived experiences very different from mine. This manifested throughout all of my nursing school courses, from discussions about pronoun preferences to analyzing why there are poorer health outcomes for people of color. These difficult conversations are necessary as we begin our journeys as the next generation of health care professionals. Health equity is at the center of addressing racism within medicine and providing humane care to all people, regardless of race or class or immigration status, or age.

What does it mean to care for the “whole person”?

I learned that health is not simply a manifestation of predictable and satisfactory physiology but a multi-layered and ever-changing state of being. It is the capsule than encompasses the richness of our interior life and our lived environments, our mental health, and support networks. It is the intersection of life, that gives character to our days and meaning to our purpose. And best of all, it is always evolving.

Discuss the impact of your UCOR classes. What UCOR topics will have the most influence on your nursing practice?

The Ethics in Health Care class was most impactful to me and my future practice because it expanded my understanding of differing views and challenged my own long-held beliefs on what is right and wrong. For example, I never considered how harmful genetic testing is to the differently-abled community. I always presumed a screening test was a neutral topic and that it was almost always sensible to pursue during pregnancy. After reading differing viewpoints, my understanding is expanded. I now can better understand the perspective that genetic testing for certain diseases signifies to those born with “disease” that they may be perceived as less than, inferior, or even unwanted. This is heartbreaking for individuals to shoulder that kind of psychic burden, and I now understand that demanding “normal” may inflict harm on others. My critical thinking skills and my ability to see alternative points of view have expanded, which will carry forward into all patient interactions.