Inclusive excellence spotlight: Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs Dr. Karen Robinson

Nursing

Inclusive excellence spotlight: Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs Dr. Karen Robinson

Fighting for health care equity is one of the hallmarks of a Marquette Nurse. Dr. Karen Robinson, assistant dean of graduate programs, has taken that mission to heart. As a practitioner, researcher, professor and administrator, Robinson has fought for social justice, paving the way for the next generation of nurses.

Briefly describe your research interests and how it relates to social justice.

My current research centers around the impact of racism, bias and discrimination on reproductive and maternal-child health outcomes among Black women. My research directly relates to social justice because I am interested in the provision of equitable, quality health care for Black reproductive persons and their newborns.

How or why did you become interested in the issues you're researching?

My research is inspired by my own lived experiences as a Black woman navigating the health system as it relates to perinatal and reproductive health. For example, my research focus is related to racial and ethnic disparities in breast and chest feeding. This stemmed from own personal experience with breastfeeding and finding there was little support or resources for Black women in the community.

Since then, my research has expanded to include other aspects of health disparities Black women face as it relates to perinatal and reproductive health.

Who are the people who mentored or inspired you?

Professionally, I have many mentors and nurses who have inspired me. Drs. Lisa Hanson and Leona VandeVusse were the Marquette faculty who encouraged me to pursue my doctorate degree and were part of my dissertation committee. They have also been strong advocates for inclusion and tolerance in nurse-midwifery and in nursing education.

Drs. Sandra Millon Underwood, a professor emerita at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Roberta Waite, the dean of Georgetown's nursing school, have also greatly influenced me professionally. As Black administrators and internationally known researchers, Drs. Underwood and Waite provided me with realistic role models to whom I could compare myself. Dr. Underwood's research related to breast cancer disparities for Black women was one of the reasons I asked her to be a part of my dissertation committee. These extraordinary women have remained my mentors.

How do you incorporate themes of diversity or cultural competence into your role with the college?

I have taught nurse-midwifery courses and the perinatal nursing, sexual and reproductive health course for our DE-MSN students. In these courses, I often incorporate the importance health equity and connect it to the current state of health outcomes in this country. I challenge students to think of how they will advocate for marginalized persons in this population.

Why is it important for future nurses to learn in a community that respects diversity? Future and current nurses, especially Marquette Nurses, cannot care for the whole person without respect for diversity. Respect for diversity does not mean being tolerant of it and not fearing differences; it means embracing and learning from the diversity and uniqueness that each person brings to every encounter.

What is a piece of advice you would give every nursing student?

Never forget your "why."

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