TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the U.S. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nearly 5.2 million Americans are registered nurses, but only six percent are black.
The Tyler group, Black Nurses Rock helps dozens of nurses grow professionally but also brings awareness to basic health needs in black communities across East Texas.
Ten nurses founded this non-profit, nearly a decade ago to address health disparities in the black community.
“The need I saw here in Tyler were the statistics, hypertension, COPD, cancer,” said Lisa Williams the president of the non-profit, “also building the trust with health care because there’s not much trust.”
Williams says due to biases in health care, black patients’ pain is often overlooked.
“Infant mortality is one, black women die three times more than any other race,” said Williams.
The non-profit educates people on ways to care for their health and their rights as patients.
“Nobody should be judged when they’re seeking care they should be treated just like they want to be treated,” said Williams.
To tackle multiple health challenges, the organization has over a dozen nurses with different job titles.
“We have CPR instructors, we have dulas, we have social workers, so we got a lot of people in our group that are really thriving in the community,” said Williams.
Among them is Mar’shela Henderson, she’s a community and psychiatric nurse, who focuses on health and well-being.
“Mental health first, the knowledge is to get information for yourself for yourself to be healthy,” said Henderson.
Henderson says her background pushes people in her community to get help when it comes to mental health.
“They can see that I did it, maybe they can have the chance to do it too,” said Henderson.
Something that Williams has experienced as well.
“People see somebody look like them it makes a difference, it feels as that you understand them,” said Williams.
This organization also empowers nurses to grow professionally, it does this through mentoring, discount classes, and partnerships with hospitals like UT Health.
“I was around people that motivated me I can become a nurse just like they [were],” said Williams.
Black Nurses Rock is a national organization that’s become the largest online community for black nurses to collaborate and grow together. The location in Tyler was the first chapter in the state. To learn more about this organization, click here.
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