National Association of Hispanic Nurses

History

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses, or NAHN, began in 1975 thanks to Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde. A year earlier, at an American Nurses Association gathering, Hispanic nurses talked about creating an ANA Hispanic caucus. Instead, they formed the National Association of Spanish-Speaking Spanish-Surnamed Nurses in 1976. Murillo-Rohde officially incorporated that group in Washington State in 1977, while she worked as Associate Dean of the University of Washington’s School of Nursing in Seattle.

She recalled being the only Hispanic nurse heading to Washington, D.C., to review federal grants, and wondered where her people were. The organization changed its name to NAHN in 1979. Its peer-reviewed journal, Hispanic Health Care International, debuted at the 27th Annual Conference in Miami, Florida, in July 2002. Springer Publishing first handled it, but SAGE Publishing has published it since 2016.

This bilingual quarterly appears in English and Spanish. NAHN’s mission focuses on improving health in Hispanic communities and creating educational, professional, and leadership chances for Hispanic nurses.

Leadership

Leadership at NAHN consists of an executive board including a President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Treasurer, and Secretary, plus a Board of Directors that includes the executive board and five additional board members, along with an executive director. Past Presidents include Ildaura Murillo-Rohde (1976-1979, 1979-1980), Bertha Mujia (1980-1982), Hector Hugo Gonzalez (1982-1984), Henrietta Villaescusa (1984-1986, 1986-1988), Janie Menchaca Wilson (1988-1990, 1990-1992), Sara Torres (1992-1994, 1994-1996), Antonia Villarruel (1996-1998), Carmen Portillo (1998-2000), Mary Lou de Leon Siantz (2000-2002), Nilda (Nena) Peragallo (2002-2004), Rev. Dr. Rudy Valenzuela (2004-2006), Maria Tere Villot (2006-2008), Norma Martinez-Rogers (2008-2010), Angie Millan (2010-2012), Jose Alejandro-White (2012-2014), Daniel Suarez (2014-2016), Anabell Castro-Thompson (2016-2018), Norma Cuellar (2018-2020), Alana Cueto (2020), Adrianna Nava (2021-2024), and Veronica Vital (2024-2026).

NAHN is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. Membership is available in eight categories: General, Student, Emeritus, International, Nursing Affiliate, Affiliate, Corporate, and Group. Benefits include advocacy, continuing education, journal subscription, student support, events, and networking. Local leadership has shifted to mirror the national model, with a President-Elect and Immediate Past-President instead of a vice president, to maintain continuity and ensure smooth transitions.

Advocacy and annual conference

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) works to turn its members into advocates for Hispanic health. It offers training, an annual Latino Leadership Institute, and a Hispanic Health Policy Summit in Washington, DC. That summit brings together the Latino healthcare community to discuss health issues affecting Hispanic people and suggest solutions. Every summer, NAHN holds a conference where hundreds of nurses gather to talk about concerns in the Hispanic community, share evidence-based practices, and explore exhibits from nurse researchers, students, recruiters, nursing schools, nonprofits like the American Heart Association, and research institutions nationwide.

Attendees also take part in a community service project; at the 2015 conference, members joined a rally with Stop Hunger Now to pack over 10,000 meals for ending world hunger. NAHN marked its 50th anniversary from July 16 to 18, 2025, in Dallas, Texas, at the Westin Convention Center at Las Colinas. The theme was “Familia, Cultura, Herencia: Cultivating The Legacy Of Hispanic Nursing Excellence and Transforming The Health Of Our Communities.” The event ended with a scholarship and awards ceremony.

NAHN gives academic scholarships to active members enrolled in accredited nursing programs at the LVN/LPN, associate, bachelor’s, or graduate level. These scholarships are awarded annually in varying amounts. Through partnerships with strategic and educational partners, sponsors, and corporate members, NAHN has provided over $200,000 in nursing scholarships. Special awards include the Latino Legacy Award, Nurse of the Year Award, Henrietta Villaescusa Community Service Award, Janie Menchaca Wilson Leadership Award, Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence, Sarah Gomez Erlach Humanitarian Award, President’s Award, Sigma Theta Tau Award, and The Daisy Award for NAHN Chapters Advancing Health Equity.

Community partnerships

NAHN connects communities and healthcare professionals to Hispanic/Latino health issues, raises awareness for effective health policy and programs, promotes the nursing profession among Hispanics, and expands community-based interventions. It partners with organizations such as the American Red Cross to expand Latino health outreach, encouraging blood donation. NAHN has also partnered with the Alzheimer's Association to increase education and community outreach to Hispanic communities and raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease. In 2025, the memories of My Grandfather, a telenovela, was marketed by both the Alzheimer's Association and NAHN via social media, email campaigns, and their websites.