Meet the President!
Monique Germain, MS, RN, CNE, CTN-A - President Transcultural Nursing Society
Greetings,
This new year is promising to be exciting, and as the new president of TCNS, I promise to do my best to bring good information to our readers. First, as the newly elected president, allow me to introduce myself.
I live in Chicago, Illinois, the big city in the Midwest. Chicago is proud to have witnessed TCNS evolve from a small organization to an international one that is making an impact in helping nurses understand people, groups, and communities and create an impact on improving their health outcomes.
I was born and raised in Haiti, the second most oversized island in the Caribbean basin. I completed all primary and secondary schooling in Haiti under the tutelage of some nuns of diverse cultures.
After completing my secondary studies, my parents sent me to the US to complete my professional schooling, which ended up in nursing. I went to school to learn English, I encountered students from different parts of the world, and I started enjoying learning about their background and their way of life.
My first Thanksgiving holidays took me to a small town on the outskirts of Chicago, and I was introduced to spending time with an American family living on a farm. Hence, my taste for people of diverse cultures and the desire to learn more started.
My real experience in TCNS started flourishing when I attended graduate school in Chicago. Another colleague and I became passionate about learning and caring for people of different backgrounds. My colleague and I embarked on promoting Transcultural Nursing in our school work, but we found it necessary to do more. As learners in community and public health nursing, we started connecting with other nurses who worked in hospitals and clinics to apply transcultural nursing principles in our daily practice. Needless to say, we encountered many roadblocks, which encouraged us to consult with Dr. Madeleine Leininger, who became a mentor and frequently provided feedback on expanding our knowledge and enhancing our skills in providing culturally competent care.
Over the years, my colleague and I worked tirelessly with nurses and communities in appreciating transcultural nursing values to better understand clients who seek care and better understand ourselves as providers of care.
Within that spirit, I plan to work with nurses inland and beyond borders to contribute to research on this part of nursing which cements the elements of care and give people a sense of worth and dignity when seeking care.
Please join me in expanding the wings of TCNS, and let’s work very hard in preparing for our upcoming conference on global health in the Fall.
We value each other’s knowledge and expertise
Monique