Amnazo Muhirwa

Amnazo Muhirwa, BSN, RN, APRN, FNP-C, is a Sigma small grant recipient and a third-year PhD student at Duke University School of Nursing. Her research focuses on stress and cardiovascular well-being among African American rural women. She came to this focus from her experience as a nurse and as part of a collaborative initiative between Winston-Salem State University Division of Nursing and Duke University School of Nursing called Bridge to the Doctorate program that sought to increase minority representation in the nurse scientist field. During her time in this program, she was able to finish her master’s thesis which focused on rural, low-income women. Additionally, she was a bedside nurse on a cardiothoracic surgical unit and recognized the healthcare disparities that African American women face. These two experiences intersected and pushed Amnazo to home in on the most vulnerable of populations. “Research is all about the future and new possibilities,” she said. “I envision a world where the health of Black women is way better than what it is currently.”

 Listen to Amnazo talk about her research and what this grant means to her

Encouragement for nurses thinking about entering the research field

Amnazo has a running joke that everybody should be a nurse because of the variety of experiences you can have in the field. “My passion lies in working with people and tapping into their vulnerabilities, especially with health. The health of an individual is such a vulnerable spot, and so to be able to be present and to be invited in, whether it be at the bedside, the health department, in a health provider’s office, or in research, I get to do that in many different ways and be present when individuals are displaying their vulnerabilities.”

Entering the field of nursing is rewarding but also takes a lot of perseverance. To nurses interested in nursing research, Amnazo wants to say, “You are so needed. Nurses have a unique lens, a unique perspective in identifying gaps that need to be addressed within the field of healthcare.”

Sigma small grants

Every year, donations to the Sigma Foundation for Nursing fund Sigma small grants up to US $5,000 to encourage nurses to contribute to the advancement of nursing through research. For Amnazo, receiving this grant serves as a foundation and launching pad for her career as a nurse scientist and researcher, addressing health disparities among multiple vulnerable populations.

Donate to the Foundation today to support nurses like Amnazo start and continue their important work.

Amnazo Muhirwa, BSN, RN, APRN, FNP-C, is a Sigma Small Grant recipient and a third year PhD student at Duke University School of Nursing. Her research is titled "Stress, the Superwoman Schema and Cardiovascular Wellbeing Among Rural African American Women."