January Seminar Reflection

Leslie Martinez

Hahn School of Nursing, University of San Diego

HCIN 548: Seminar

Dr. Boone

January 26, 2022

 January Seminar Reflection

The MS. Health Care Informatics second year seminar provides an opportunity for

graduate students to meet with their cohort, prepare for graduation and look ahead into the

health care informatics profession. Seminar reflections are one way that we reflect on the

stories told by professionals in the field as well as our professors. Additionally, there is a

component embedded in the program for social justice. This social justice competency is a way

to ensure we are valuing diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging in all areas of our studies and

career.

Within the last few months of the program, there will be great strides made to ensure that

all requirements are complete such as practicum hours and the capstone project. Although I still

need to meet with a faculty member to approve my capstone project, I have a variety of projects

I worked on during my time at Rady Children’s Hospital last semester. One of the more

extensive and interesting projects I worked on was the unit maps in the Rady Children’s

Emergency Department. This project took the entire Fall 2022 term which is about four months. I

am hoping to present this project at the last seminar session on April 27, 2023. Lastly, another

set of deadlines that second year seminar students need to be aware of is the graduation

deadlines for graduation fest and commencement ceremony. Both events are run by the

University and have different streams of communication.

In the article for review, “ Toward Rational Conversation About Race, Health Risk, and

Nursing”, the writer address how race correction affects risk assessment and treatment. This is

an ongoing issue that greatly affects the direction of treatment and wellness journey. The

nursing profession has evolved greatly over the years and has transitioned into evidence based

care as opposed to implementation of practices without evidence based results. For example,

The American Nursing Association has historically addressed renal function by separating

African Americans versus other races. They separated them without understanding and
knowing if there were any clear differences between both, but made an assumption on what

appeared to be implicit bias’. Over the years there has been an effort to pull away from this

practice and treat everyone equally in the nursing profession.