In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Google is honoring Panamanian-American nurse and educator Ildaura Murillo-Rohde, who dedicated her life to enhancing the quality of health care for underrepresented communities while equipping other Hispanic nurses with the skills to do the same.
When she was 25, Murillo-Rohde moved from Panama to San Antonio, Texas, where she quickly noticed few of the city’s nurses were Hispanic, unlike most of the patients. Coming from a family of health care professionals, she knew language and ethnic barriers could prevent patients from getting the best care.
After earning her doctorate from New York University in 1971, she worked in various jobs that showed her how underrepresented marginalized groups were. In 1975 she helped found the Spanish Speaking/Spanish Surnamed Nurses’ Caucus — now known as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses — and served as its first president.
“Today, the NAHN provides support for Hispanic nurses through various programs, including the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Scholarship,” Google wrote. “It also honors members who have exhibited outstanding achievements in nursing education, research, and practice with the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence by a Hispanic Registered Nurse.”
In addition to her work with NAHN, Murillo-Rohde promoted cultural awareness as a psychiatric nurse, faculty member, professor and dean. The American Academy of Nursing even honored her with its prestigious fellowship — one of the highest nursing honors in the nation.
Murillo-Rohde’s Doodle was illustrated by Loris Lora, a Latinx illustrator and designer living and working in Los Angeles.
“Hispanic Heritage Month to me is about celebrating our culture and recognizing the contributions of those who continue to inspire future generations,” Lora told Google. “I enjoy learning about minority women who were trailblazers of their time and helped create opportunities for women who came after them. My sister recently became a nurse and I found it interesting to learn about Dr. Murillo-Rohde and the things she stood for and achieved during her lifetime.”
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