Hakeem Shoola is a Doctoral Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) graduate from Columbia University School of Nursing (CUSON), with an additional Master of Science in Nursing as an Oncology Nurse Practitioner. Hakeem Shoola is also a CUSON Pathways to Leadership and Advancement in Nursing (PLAN) scholar.
Hakeem is a nursing and student leader, and has accumulated over 8 years of professional clinical and academic experience in critical care and oncology combined--ranging from research, bone marrow transplant (BMT), cardiac critical care, to serving in acute care facilities, and wound care. Furthermore, Hakeem has national and international experience ranging from podium presentations, workshops, and serving on a multitude of student panels.
Hakeem is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing’s (UT Austin-SON) Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. This bachelor’s degree curriculum focused on preparing students to assume roles in the professional nursing practice through promotion of excellence in nursing scholarship. Furthermore, advancing the health of the public through development and dissemination of new knowledge, scholarly inquiry, and leadership in practice. Hakeem has aligned his competencies and experiences with the standards and mission of the school. Hakeem hopes to uncover evidence that can be proven beneficial to both the nursing and oncology health communities.
Hakeem is a Doctoral of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduate from Columbia University School of Nursing (CUSON) with a Master of Science in Oncology. During his educational experience he has co-authored peer and non-peer reviewed publications in national and international nursing research journals. Furthermore, serving as graduate teaching assistant (TA) to master’s and doctoral candidate students in leadership coursework and health assessment. Hakeem serves on local, and national committees including: CUSON's anti-racism retention committee and BIPOC Deans’ Advisory Group as 2023 graduating class representative, co-founded sub-committee Umoja dedicated to creating a safe space for BIPOC students at CUSON. Hakeem also participates in local and national activism including nursing strikes, protest, and creates, delineates, and disseminates information through various channels and modalities.
Currently, Hakeem works as a Wound Care Nurse Practitioner, and as a nursing leader has had the privilege to manage patients, oversee patient-care operations, delegate staff responsibilities, evaluate performances, counsel employees, implement quality improvement nurse-led interventions, advocate for social justice, form, lead, and manage research teams, and teach master’s and doctoral students.
The health-care sector is in many ways the most consequential part of the United States economy. It is a fundamental part of people’s lives, supporting their health and well-being (McCormack et al., 2023). The outcomes of a healthy community are attributed to the healthcare system and the affordability of the system. A well-functioning health-care system is a prerequisite for a well-functioning economy and society (McCormack et al., 2023). Unfortunately, due to the substantial problems within the U.S. healthcare system, these sectors are falling behind effective standards (McCormack et al., 2023). Health insurance reform in countries that lack universal health care is a complex and divisive topic that has staggered efforts to increase access.
Suicide is a major challenge to public health in the United States (U.S.) and the world (Stone & Crosby, 2014). Suicide is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with an average of 48,344 suicide deaths in 2018, and it is one of the leading causes of mortality among young people aged 15–24 globally (Michail et al., 2023; Man et al., 2021). International data indicates that the U.S. is among the countries with the highest rates of both suicide mortality and ideation, and this rate continues to rise (Davis et al., 2021). Additionally, an individual’s occupation can impose specific stressors that place them at higher risk of suicide such as in the case of healthcare workers (HCWs), which has created unprecedented consequences for both the health system as well as the public (Davis et al., 2021).
Recognizing that racism unfairly penalizes minorities, policy statements and funding have been increasingly directed towards addressing institutional racism in medical care (Sim et al., 2021). Unfortunately, despite these measures, significant progress in combating healthcare racism has been stalled. Despite stalling, much needed attention has been brought to racial discrimination in our healthcare system and at the interpersonal level stemming from healthcare providers’ racial biases (Sim et al., 2021).
The importance of having adequate staffing ratios for patients to nurses in the hospital is often neglected by the capitalist mindset permeating the healthcare system. They stifle the compassion from nurses, steal the lives of their patients, and shield themselves from accountability behind the cost-saving money they desperately cling to. Conversely, as nurse-to-patient ratios increase, so do patients' risks for poor outcomes.
Since the beginning of medicine all those within the healthcare system take the Hippocratic Oath to “do no harm,” which speaks to providing ethical based care devoid of harm. Unfortunately, this sacred oath was instilled only for patient care, and instead should have been expanded to include those providing the care to “do no harm” amongst themselves.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1898 on the mission to “advance the health of all individuals and communities by leading, representing, and serving hospitals, health systems, and other related organizations committed to equitable care and health improvement” (American Hospital Association, 2023). Unfortunately, antithetical actions and political involvement have besmirched the mission and values this health organization was originally founded on. A bureaucratic and self-interested organization masquerading as the AHA has only served to facilitate the widening inequalities in our healthcare system, while benefiting the bottom line of the capitalist leaders in charge.