Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde was instrumental in the founding of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) in 1975. An active member of the American Nurse Association, Dr. Rohde was concerned that the ANA was not meeting the needs of Hispanic nurses. Her vision was to secure their education to provide service to their community and themselves.
Dr. Rohde was born in Panama on September 6th, 1920 and arrived in the U.S. in 1945. Her nursing career began in the largely Hispanic-populated city of San Antonio, but she found that there were few Hispanic nurses for the community. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing at New York’s Columbia University, and continued her education and obtained a master’s and a doctorate degree at New York University.
In the 1970s, Dr. Rohde secured a federal position reviewing research and educational grants. She encountered the same experience as in San Antonio—few Hispanic nurses in academic settings in research or in public policy, and she was motivated to make a change.
Dr. Rohde achieved a fellowship from the American Academy of Nursing, one of nursing’s highest honors. Always active in academia, she served as a faculty member, then as dean, of SUNY’s School of Nursing. Among her other honors was being named as a permanent representative to UNICEF, New York, for the International Federation of Business and Professional Woman.
The Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence by a Hispanic R.N. is presented to honor NAHN members who have distinguished themselves in any scholarship area and/or nursing education.
Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde passed away on September 5, 2010 in her native land of Panama.