Pathway to Doctoral Education for AIAN Nurses:
Leading Change, Transforming Healthcare for Tribal Nations

This presentation will highlight the Pathway initiative at the University of MN School of Nursing that was established in 2022 to increase the number of doctoral prepared American Indian and Alaska Native nurses. Holistic, wrap-around student support is the foundation of Pathway and will be described as well as the overarching goal of the HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity funded grant.

Speaker Bio

Misty L. Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa/Métis) is a clinical associate professor, Director & Mentor for the Pathway to Doctoral Education for AI/AN Nurses, Assistant Director of Inclusivity, Diversity & Equity (IDE), and Inaugural Director of the Center of Indigenous People, Health, & Nursing at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Dr. Wilkie’s scholarship interests include supporting minority nursing students with a focus on those from American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous backgrounds to improve health outcomes for the individuals and their communities. Prior to her appointment at the UMN SON, Dr. Wilkie was a Professor at Bemidji State University. During her tenure at BSU, in 2017, she was the first in Minnesota to receive a HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity grant and was the Founder/Director of Niganawenimaanaanig (Ojibwemowin for ‘we take care of them’) securing $4.2 million in federal funding to recruit, retain, graduate, and license American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous baccalaureate prepared nurses. In collaboration with Shadow Health/Elsevier, Inc., she helped develop the first American Indian simulation for a digital clinical experience to provide nursing students across the globe with an opportunity to provide culturally sensitive care to a unique Indigenous patient. She has served on several national diversity, equity, and inclusivity committees and is recognized for her work to support minority nursing students.

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MPHA Health Equity Committee meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of the month from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Currently all meetings are virtual. Meetings are open to MPHA members and non-members who want to learn more and take action on advancing health equity in Minnesota. 

For more information about the Health Equity Committee,  please email healthequity@mpha.net and we will get back to you! The committee is co-chaired by Madison Anderson, Erica Fishman, and Sara Rogers.