“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

-Maya Angelou

My name is Padao Yang/Pajntaub Yaj. I am a co-founder of the Hmong Nurses Association, and I just graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree focused on psychiatric mental health (PMH). I started my nursing career in inpatient psychiatry and continue to be intrigued by how someone’s thoughts, feelings, and lived experiences affect their daily life and functioning. I am passionate about continuing this work, especially for those from underrepresented and underserved communities. Currently, there is an immense demand for psychiatric care but an insufficient number of psychiatric providers. Moreover, providers from diverse backgrounds are even fewer. I hope that my work as a PMHNP will contribute to a shift in all providers to practice with the intentional effort of cultural humility and sensitivity. I also hope that I can encourage others, especially Hmong nurses, to pursue a career in this awesome specialty. There is a unique perspective of how Hmong culture understands and experiences mental health compared to the mainstream Western culture. If we had more providers who are able to understand, appreciate, and advocate for the diverse perspectives of mental health, I am confident the quality of care would only improve.

I also want to highlight the importance of the Hmong Nurses Association. It is a place where future, current, and past Hmong nurses as well as their community can come together so that Hmong nurses can reach their fullest potential in their skills and abilities. Moreover, in collaboration with the Hmong community, HNA members can work together to meet the needs to attain and improve health for everyone. There is a lot of work that needs to be done so that we can combat health disparities, improve access to care, and many more issues. We need everyone on this front!