A Day in the Life
UT-H Nurse Practitioner to Become President of National Organization

While Elias Vasquez worked as a unit clerk in the emergency room of a county hospital in Phoenix, Ariz., he noticed the nurses around him struggling to communicate with the Hispanic patients. That observation sparked an educational pursuit that would eventually result in his becoming the first Hispanic male in the United States to hold a Ph.D. in nursing.

"I decided to go into nursing to help increase the health care for Hispanic people in the Phoenix area," he says of his initial inspiration for choosing the nursing profession in the late 1970s.

Vasquez completed his associate's degree in 1978 and returned to the hospital where he had previously worked - this time as a registered nurse. But he was far from finished with his educational journey.

When Vasquez learned that he needed a bachelor's degree to become a nurse practitioner, he moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., to work toward obtaining his bachelor of science in nursing. With his degree requirements satisfied, an opportunity arose for Vasquez to work as a neonatal nurse practitioner, a role that was just emerging in the hospital setting.

A few years later, Vasquez found himself back in the classroom, this time in Tucson for graduate studies in nursing.

Adding Ph.D. to his list of credentials, Dr. Vasquez says much of his motivation to continue his studies came from the mentors who supported and guided him through the process. "There were few minorities in higher education in the mid-80s, and I feel fortunate that nursing leaders believed in me and gave me direction," says Dr. Vasquez. "I hope that I can provide that level of mentorship to individuals entering the nursing profession."

Now an assistant professor of nursing for target populations at The University of Texas-Houston School of Nursing, Dr. Vasquez says a typical day is anything but typical as he balances teaching, patient care and research responsibilities.

"That is the part that I enjoy about my job - that every day is very different in my responsibility and my role," he says.

A nurse practitioner for 15 years, Dr. Vasquez has seen many beneficial changes take place in the field, changes he hopes will continue during his term as president of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The first Hispanic to hold this position, Dr. Vasquez will begin his two-year term of the 12,000-member national organization in July. While in office, he plans to address issues of reimbursement and prescriptive authority, two areas where nurse practitioners have made strides in the last few years.

Public education about what nurse practitioners do and how they function in the health care delivery system also tops Dr. Vasquez's list of goals for his term. A review of his resumé provides insight into just some of the areas in which nurse practitioners are expanding their roles.

In addition to teaching students at UT-Houston School of Nursing, Dr. Vasquez works at the K.I.N.D.E.Rx. Clinic (Kids In Need of Drug Evaluation and Rx-Treatment), a clinic that treats children exposed to drugs, alcohol or HIV during their mother's pregnancy, and at Bread of Life, a clinic for homeless adults and children.

Dr. Vasquez has also spent the past three years developing a home intervention program for women dealing with substance use issues and their children. The program has a two-fold purpose: to provide health care services for the children that complement the treatment they receive from their primary care provider and to offer support to the mothers during their recovery process.

"We not only give the mother the information and education she needs to take care of her children's health but also how to deal with her substance abuse issues," says Dr. Vasquez.

"By going into the home, you can better address some specifics about each mother and child in their own environment. You get to appreciate where they are coming from, what they have and what they don't have, and the resources that they need," he adds.

Dr. Vasquez is now in the testing phase of this research project to determine the long-term benefit of the intervention on the child's health and the mother's recovery effort. He hopes to one day create a standard definition of what an adequate parent is, a tool that would be used during home interventions to allow the mothers to know what is expected of them.

"There is no clear cut, standard definition of what an adequate parent is and I think that confuses these mothers because they don't know what they need to do to prove they are going to be adequate mothers," says Dr. Vasquez.

"Once we have that standard, then I think we can help parents meet that standard," he says. "If we have the right to take their children away, then we have the responsibility to teach them how they can regain custody of their children."

Dr. Vasquez again credits his mentors - Dr. Marianne Marcus and Dr. Maria Ferris - for forging his interest in this area of substance abuse. "Without them, I certainly would not have gotten into this field," he says. "I feel like I've found my passion in working with these substance-abusing women and their children."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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