diversity in the nursing workforce

Diversity in the Nursing Workforce
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Abstract
The United States is one of the most diverse countries in the world, a factor that presents a challenge to the ways in which the country serves its citizens. In particular, the country’s nursing field faces greater challenge especially in its effectiveness in providing quality and equal healthcare to its patients. Despite improvements in the field to have a more diverse workforce, minorities are substantially underrepresented which impacts negatively proper health service delivery. Men and non-White ethnicities and races are highly underrepresented in the nursing workforce in various areas including education, employment including high ranking jobs and caregiving positions and research participation. These statistics affect service delivery and ultimately affect patients’ satisfaction levels especially among minorities. Healthcare disparities are, therefore, a crucial issue in the modern America that need immediate and sustainable solutions to ensure all groups are properly represented in a future where minorities will be the majorities. The solution will require all nursing stakeholders including Americans especially the minorities, government, and healthcare organizations among others to design a workable solution that serves all without discrimination.
The United States of America has over the years witnessed the country become increasingly diverse, a fact connected to increased globalization.

And despite this diversity in the nation’s demographics, the American nursing workforce remain predominated by females and Whites. Evidently, there is a poor representation of minority groups in the nursing workforce from race to ethnicity and gender. And although there has been some progress in the efforts towards narrowing the disparities gap in healthcare profession there is still room for improvement especially gender and racial differences.
Nursing Issue: Diversity in the Nursing Workforce
Health equity is an imperative element in the United States whose progress necessitates such attributes as having the diverse nursing personnel. The U.S. nursing stakeholder, federal, and national groups have, in the recent decades, devoted their resources as well as developed and executed policies and initiatives encouraging diversity in the profession. It is, however, noteworthy that the United States is far from attaining the goal of having a nursing labor force that reflects the country’s diverse populace. NACNEP (2013) points out some hindrances to success including admission practices and policies that lack support and encouragement to underrepresented minority applicants and learners to professional nursing schools. Minorities also are poorly represented in the nursing leadership roles and faculty in a majority of healthcare organizations (NACNEP 2013). The nursing industry in the US is predominated by females and White persons, a demographic that necessitates change given that the country has grown to be one of the most diverse countries in the world.
In essence, the nursing profession needs to represent the population it serves by becoming more racially, ethnically, culturally, and gender diverse to improve its service as well as increase patient satisfaction. Disparities in healthcare involve the unfairness that happens when accessing health care as well as the quality of these services among various ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups. And although the U.S. has devoted itself in alleviating these differences, it is apparent that some racial and gender groups in the country receive lower health care and work opportunities as evidenced by dominating White and female workers in the profession. There is, therefore, a need to intervene for better health care services by ensuring hiring of nurses with a different background to sufficiently represent the demographics they represent. Nurses constitute the largest part of the healthcare labor force which necessitates increased diversity for improved representation of the population they serve. Nurses can help healthcare organizations offer culturally competent care and form a culture of health or care customized to meet people’s needs irrespective of their different values, gender, or ethnicities, ultimately minimizing disparities in health care.
Relevance to Nursing Practice, Research, and Education
Population experts predict the United States to be a majority-minority country in which no particular race or ethnicity will be predominant (Antonia, Deborah, William, Nefertari 2015). In other words, the Whites, who currently dominate the state, will make up less than 50 percent of the American population by 2043 (Antonia et al. 2015). And despite the notable change in workforce diversity in the country’s healthcare, the speed of these changes is remarkably slow compared to that of diversity growth in the overall population. Essentially, the current nursing labor force underrepresents minority groups especially the male and minority races including Hispanics, American Indians, Asians, and Blacks. The number of minority nurses does not correspond with the current numbers of these groups which is a direct challenge in the healthcare industry since it affects the proper and efficient delivery of care services to patients. Patients feel more confident and comfortable when served by nurses that communicate their language or share similar culture or ethnicity improving patient satisfaction. Evidently, better health care outcomes require having a more diverse labor force not only for increased patient satisfaction but also the effective functioning of the organization as a whole.
A 2013 study by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing discovered minorities only account for 19 percent of the total registered nurses in the United States compared to their White counterparts who constitute 83 percent (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2015). These figures confirm the underrepresentation of the minorities in the nursing workforce, especially given that this group constitutes 37 percent or one-third of the entire American populace (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2015). And following future assumption of the minority population becoming the majority by 2043 (Antonia et al. 2015), it is imperative that the country’s nursing workforce improve towards becoming more representative of the groups they serve. Males are equally underrepresented in this industry whereby a 2013 report by the U.S. Center Bureau indicated that males only accounted for 9.6 percent of the entire registered nurses in the nation (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2015).
A 2008 National Survey Sample of Registered Nurses study indicated minorities as more likely to pursue higher degrees and baccalaureate degrees in nursing compared to their White counterparts (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2015). Nursing learners from minority background accounted for 31.9 percent of master’s students, 30.1 percent of baccalaureate programs, and 27.7 percent of those in research-based Ph.D. programs (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2015). Gender disparities are also evident in nursing education in which American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2015) reveals that men enrolled for baccalaureate programs represented on 11.7 percent of all students. Additionally, those in research-focused doctoral programs represented 9.6 percent, 10.8 percent in master classes, and 11.7 percent of practice-focused doctoral programs (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2015). Antonia et al. (2015) notes that ethnic and racial minorities made up about 30 percent of all nursing students in the country with men taking up only 11 percent irrespective of the fact that they take up nearly half of the American populace. These statistics indeed reveal a slow but steady progress compared to several decades ago where minority populations were significantly underrepresented in the nursing sector. One, however, cannot deny there is room for progress despite nursing schools making considerable strides towards enrolling and graduating nurses that mirror the patient demographics. It will take more efforts for the United States to realize equal representation of diversity in its healthcare system especially the nursing sector.
The representation of minority population in the nursing faculty is also wanting whereby the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2015) suggests the need to employ more diverse leaders as equally important as that of diverse learners. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2015) also notes that not many ethnic/racial minority people possessing advanced degrees in nursing pursue careers in healthcare faculty position. Antonia et al. (2015) support this fact indicating that only about 12 percent of minority races and ethnicities are represented in full-time nursing school members of the faculty. Moreover, men account for only 5.4 percent of the overall nursing school faculty members (Antonia 2015). School faculties play an important role in learning institutions especially by providing mentorship and acting as role models. Having such inadequate number of minority nurse faculty forms extra hindrances to the successful enrollment and retention of poorly represented minority people in nursing. Philips and Malone (2014) emphasize that programs facilitating minority faculty achievement are essential for the successful employment and maintenance of minority nursing faculty. Philips and Malone (2014) add that openings for faculty professional growth need focusing on scientific writing for publication, grant writing, leadership progress, and program administration. These specific areas indicate promise for improving the success and efficiency of minority nursing faculty.
It is, therefore, apparent that the current underrepresentation of minority nurses including males and non-White individuals in powerful leadership positions generates concerns with regard to curbing disparities in healthcare provision. Philips and Malone (2014) point out that the minorities in this sector are not solely responsible for handling health differences but instead requires unity from all parties to understand the seriousness of the problem and create ways to solve it. The minorities, nonetheless, need to have a modern comprehension of their contributions and positions for effective functioning and provision of health care. Having minority nurses in powerful leadership positions is more likely to enable them to become more actively and directly involved n resource distribution as well as the employment and maintenance of a diverse personnel. Diverse nurses in leadership positions can also be able to design national and organizational laws and regulations focused on eradicating health disparities.
These observations and facts, therefore, explain why preparations for men and non-White communities to assume leadership roles towards minimizing disparities in healthcare organizations remain a high priority, especially for the speedily diversifying America. Considering the insistent requirement to minimize health disproportions, it is only rational that this is the right time for the identification and of positions and roles of underrepresented race and gender nurses. Philips and Malone (2014) suggested the inventory to involve a modern-day evaluation of powerful posts in nursing learning institutions such as faculty and deans and the health policy field. Other areas include healthcare and nursing organizations, communities and professional agencies, and all level of government and identifying their efforts towards eradicating health disparities (Philips and Malone 2014). It is, therefore, of great essence to understand and address the current underrepresentation of minority nurse managers in the current healthcare industry for successful reduction and ultimate elimination of disparities experienced in this arena in current America.
The National Conference of State Legislators (2014) study noted a need in the ongoing research directed to minimize disparities in health care profession whereby the report indicated little participation by the minority groups. In particular, despite improving sensitization of inclusion of minorities in different medical clinical research practices, the numbers of minority researchers and participants remain significantly low. This tendency proves as a challenge for proper identification and resolve of issues faced by these populations, straining not only detailed documentation of related studies but also the efficient delivery of services and rectification of wanting areas. The National Conference of State Legislators (2014) report points out that the inclusion of the minorities does not require simply enrolling individuals from this populace. Instead, it necessitates modification standards involved in typical studies long before volunteers register as participants (National Conference of State Legislators 2014).
Conclusion
The United States nursing labor force is far from being as widely diversified as its population which necessitates a change in a more efficient healthcare service delivery. Minority races and ethnicities and male are highly underrepresented in the nursing profession in nearly all areas including leadership, education, research and patient care. Given that future statistics indicate a more diverse America where no particular racial or ethnic group will be a majority; these presumptions suggest the need for speedy modification in the current nursing arena for improved healthcare provision to the population they serve. In particular, there is a need for increased sensitization of pursuing nursing careers especially among minorities including men and underrepresented races and ethnicities. Additionally, obvious hindrances that minorities encounter when applying for nursing related jobs or education such as limited slots and financial challenges should be minimized by increasing grants for challenged populations.
Applicants from least populations also need to be offered first priority if the possess required qualifications to fill in the already large gap in representation of these people in communities. Additionally, encouraging minorities to pursue powerful leadership positions in the nursing arena including school faculties, healthcare organizations, government positions, and nursing-focused NGOs among others can contribute in solving this problem. Assessing actions directed towards solving diversity issue in nursing is also significant before implementation to ensure right steps are taken for successful results. Setting benchmarks is also imperative for guidance and determination of whether or not set strategies and actions provide desired results and rectify some areas that are wanting or are ineffective. It is, therefore, important for the United States nursing field to become adequately diversified as the country’s population is for improved and satisfactory services to its patients.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2015). Enhancing Diversity in the Workforce.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing http://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Enhancing-DiversityAntonia V., Deborah W., William L., & Nefertari C. (2015). A more Diverse Nursing
Workforce. American Journal of Nursing, 115(5), 57-52. https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/fulltext/2015/05000/A_More_Diverse_Nursing_Workforce.26.aspx#R1-26NACNEP (2013). Achieving Health equity through Nursing Workforce Diversity.
https://www.hrsa.gov/advisorycommittees/bhpradvisory/nacnep/Reports/eleventhreport.pdfPhillips, J. M., & Malone, B. (2014). Increasing Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Nursing to Reduce
Health Disparities and Achieve Health Equity. Public Health Reports, 129(2), 45–50.
National Conference of State Legislators (2014). Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities:
Workforce Diversity. NCSL. http://www.ncsl.org/documents/health/workforcediversity814.pdf