John Lowe
John Lowe
with former First Lady, Rosaline Carter, at Lowe's
alma mater, Eastern Mennonite University, where he
gave a keynote presentation in 2007.
John
Lowe, Cherokee, PhD, RN, currently is an associate
professor in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at
Florida Atlantic University. When the following interview
was published, he was an assistant professor in the Florida
International University School of
Nursing.
Nursing
Educator
JW:
What are some of the most pressing health care issues
facing Native American people?
JL: Alterations
in life style, including diet, have resulted in high rates
of diabetes and heart disease. Oppression has affected
self-worth. Identity issues have resulted in depression and
substance abuse problems. The HIV epidemic is a pressing
issue, so is teen pregnancy. We need to get back to the
traditions so we look at food as sacred and ourselves as
sacred, spiritual people. We should not be abusing
ourselves.
JW: What are some of the ways in which Native nurses can or
are addressing these issues?
JL: Native
nurses, who are familiar with their communities and their
traditions, can help bridge the gap between traditional
ways and Westernized medicine. They know the value of both
worlds and both methods, and can help to integrate them.
Native nurses are usually more holistic than non-Native
nurses. They understand the community resources, the family
dynamics, the family ties and connections, the tribal
tiesand and connections, the clan and tribal ties and
connections.
Medicine is usually concerned with treatment after a
disorder has revealed itself. Nurses understand disease
prevention and health promotion. That focus has been
lacking in our health care system.
JW: Are schools of nursing helping students learn to
integrate traditional ways with western medicine?
JL: Yes, some
programs more than others. We could always be better, and
we are working on it. Ethnic people need to be educators
and role models. We need to be there to demonstrate the
value of traditional ways.
JW: What kinds of qualities do you look for in people who
want to enter nursing?
JL: People who
want to be nurses need to be caring. They need to have the
ability to just be there, to listen, to work with people,
to know and understand the cultural values of the client.
Students need to have taken certain prerequisites and have
some success in academia. But schools are starting to look
at the whole person and what they have done. And they look
at recommendations.
JW:
What are some of the opportunities available for Native
people who want to become nurses?
JL: Many tribes
are now taking control of their own health care system, and
they are looking for Indian health professionals. So there
are opportunities for nurses to shape and reform the
system. The more Native nurses that are serving Native
communities, the more the systems and approaches will look
Native.
Long distance learning technology is helping to make
nursing education more accessible. As we forge ahead I
think there will be more training programs and degree
programs that are connected with the tribes. That means
that the local community nurse will be involved in some of
the education and socialization of the student.
JW: What are some of the challenges that American Indian
nursing students might face?
JL: You might
have to go far to get your education. You might be in an
environment where people are very different, where they
might not understand that sometimes you may need to go home
for family events, for ceremonies, for tribal events.
Sometimes the academic world can be very foreign, very
different. But many schools are now becoming more sensitive
to those needs. And there are student advocates in some
schools.
Sometimes financial resources are a challenge. Sometimes
the learning styles of native people are different. Some
programs though are working on ways to help students be
successful.
JW:
How did you get involved in nursing?
JL: We lived in
a Cherokee community in a farming area. I was always very
close to nature and took care of animals. When I was young
my Mom was ill for several years before she crossed over. I
became very keenly aware of what it meant to care for
someone who was ill. I spent a lot of time with her in the
hospital. I had some role models who were nurses and family
members.
Our family had no money for higher education, so I did the
LPN [licensed practical nurse] program in high school.
After 3 years of working as an LPN I went away to Eastern
Mennonite University in Virginia. There were about 1,000
students, but I felt that it was big.
JW: You had a job. What drew you back to school?
JL: I think
there was a vision of something that I knew was out there
that was to be a part of my journey. I kept following it. I
was drawn to it. It spoke to me. I was able to spend some
time in East Africa with the Mennonite Church in a health
care mission setting. I’ve been to China, Jamaica, and
Costa Rica.
My Dad is full-blooded; my Mom was white. So I grew up
somewhat bicultural, though I spent most of my time in
Cherokee community. I’ve always been drawn to other
cultures. It’s always been easy for me to work with other
cultures. I don’t know if that is because I had to deal
with two worlds early.
I did bachelor-level nursing at the college and then worked
for 3 years and did some traveling. Next I went to Oklahoma
where I did a masters degree at Oral Roberts University and
then taught there for 5 years. At Oral Roberts I developed
a program in which a whole clinical class of nursing
students, not just Native students, spent a semester doing
their community rotation at Cherokee Nation.
In 1991 I came to Florida. While I was doing my PhD in
nursing at the University of Miami. I did a little teaching
for FIU [Florida International University]. Then I took a
full-time position at FIU. I’ve been here ever since and
have developed their community health nursing program on an
outreach basis in Fort Lauderdale and in the Broward County
area.
JW: What advice would you like to give to Indian people who
want to become nurses?
JL: Look for a
nursing program that has a philosophy that considers the
whole person. These programs are usually more open to
Native American traditional values and beliefs. Also, ask
about the ethnic diversity of their faculty. Always
maintain connectedness to home. If possible, try to enter a
program with a friend who is also interested in becoming a
nurse. Remember that the profession of nursing is a great
way to serve our people.
This
article was originally published in the Winter 2000 issue
of
Winds of Change. (The cover
artist is Ben Shorty, Navajo.)