Stevenson Morency

Stevenson Morency was recently named the first recipient of the Hausman Student Nurse Fellowship by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The Fellowship, funded by a donation from Margaretta Hausman, was awarded by the Patient Care Services’ Diversity Program in an effort to expand the diversity of the MGH nursing staff.

Originally from Haiti, Morency is a junior at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he is working towards a bachelor’s degree in nursing. As a Hausman Fellow, he is spending 10 weeks rotating between several units at MGH observing various roles and contributing as needed.

“The fellowship has provided me with exposure to many different aspects of nursing, which puts me in a better position to know what area I would like to work in after finishing school,” said Morency. “Hands-on opportunities have given me insights into the dynamics on the patient care units and help me prepare for becoming a nurse.”

The Hausman Student Nurse Fellowship was created when MGH patient Margaretta Hausman noticed a need for increased diversity of the nursing staff. She wondered how caregivers might better serve their patients from diverse backgrounds.

“We all find comfort being in familiar surroundings, interacting with people with whom we share something in common,” said Hausman. “This can be especially true when we’re at our most vulnerable.”

The shortage of minority nurses is a nationwide problem. Only 9.7 percent of the nearly 2 million registered nurses in the U.S. are minorities.

Deborah Washington, R.N., director of diversity for patient care services at MGH, said the Fellowship gives recipients an opportunity to work with a minority mentor while developing skills needed to thrive in a workplace setting that can present unique challenges to the minority nurse. The Fellowship is open to all minority students who will be entering their senior year of a BSN program the following year.