NMNAINA’s Mission statement is to support, honor, respect, and preserve indigenous cultural beliefs and traditional practices in harmony with nature and the four directions. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we attain this through supporting professional nurses and student nurses through information, advocacy, mentorship, and education, as they care for indigenous people.
Native nurses are found by the bedside or as administrators in hospitals, preforming homecare or dialysis, school-based nurses, as primary care providers in clinics or hospitals, as university professors, directors of college nursing programs, and as advanced practice nurses administering anesthesia, providing mental health counseling, or as nurse midwives. But, while 11% of the New Mexico (NM) population are people of Native American ancestry only 4% of NM nurses are tribally affiliated. At NMNAINA, we believe that, for Native people to heal in harmony with their cultural beliefs, they deserve culturally sensitive healthcare.
Our organization seeks to achieve this mission in a variety of ways. First, we work with other nursing organizations to advocate for responsible nursing practices by contacting legislators in NM to support changes to the NM Nurse practice Act which are based on sound evidence and educational attainment of nurses at various professional levels. When asked to advocate for a particular bill, we give expert testimony at committee hearings. We volunteer on advisory committees for the NM Board of Nursing and review proposals that may be used later as standards in the Nurse practice Act.
Second, NMNAINA organizes, speaks at, and supports financially, educational workshops and seminars eligible for Continuing Education for nurses, in conjunction with other nursing organizations. Our members also speak at high schools and col-leges about entering the nursing profession and encourage nursing students to stay in school and graduate, through our mentoring for success annual grant program. In 2023, NMNAINA joined with NMNA (New Mexico Nurses Association) to collect and deliver large packing boxes of non-perishable snacks to seven colleges of nursing to nourish the nursing students’ bodies as they studied for final exams last December 2023.
The third way we achieve our mission as an organization is by supporting our members emotionally as they deal with life’s challenges, be they professional or during family or health crises. We cheer each other on and lift each other up, for the betterment of our profession and all humanity. NMNAINA may only have 35 members but together we can improve life for thousands and make life better for all people, no matter which stage of life they may be in. Nurses are awesome, and we are deserving of our status as America’s most trusted profession!
The nurses of NMNAINA are more than just healthcare providers; they are agents of change, advocates for justice, and guardians of cultural heritage. Their unwavering commitment to compassionate care and cultural humility serves as a testament to the transformative power of nursing, reminding us of the profound difference that a dedicated group of individuals can make in the world. NMNAINA makes the difference.
