In the latest edition of Florida Nursing Quarterly, Jose D. Castillo III, PhD, MSNA, CRNA, APRN, highlights the importance of supporting the nursing profession through membership in professional nursing organizations. In his Our APRN Angle column, Castillo emphasizes that a successful nursing career starts with peer support and professional involvement and highlights the significance of having a mentor.

Case in point: Dr. Tony Umadhay, Dean of the School of Nursing and the colleague and mentor who played a pivotal role in Castillo’s professional journey as an APRN-CRNA practitioner. Castillo first met Dr. Umadhay at a nursing conference in 2005, where they were both part of the same association. Dr. Umadhay, who became Castillo’s role model, guided and mentored him through various stages of his career.

Castillo has long been impressed with Dr. Umadhay’s remarkable career progression, including becoming the first known Filipino male Dean of Nursing in the US. Watching Dr. Umadhay emerge as an international leader in the teaching and CRNA field—and learning from him along the way—greatly impacted Castillo’s own career trajectory. He credits his membership in professional networks with enabling him to find great mentors like Dr. Umadhay, who has become a lifelong friend to Castillo.

Mentors play a vital role in the nursing profession. Graduates of Barry University’s School of Nursing often say that their most enduring professional relationships are with their faculty mentors, many of whom become their friends and peers through mutual involvement in professional organizations. Castillo’s longstanding relationship with Dr. Umadhay serves as an inspiration for nurses to seek mentors who can offer guidance and friendship throughout their careers