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Importance of Diversity

The Importance of Diversity

A strong, diverse nursing workforce is needed to improve the health of our nation and the global community and eliminate health disparities everywhere

What is diversity?

  • The practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of backgrounds
  • It recognizes individual differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other attributes

Why is diversity in nursing important?

  • “It encourages self-awareness and respect for all persons, embracing and celebrating the richness of each individual.
  • It encompasses organizational, institutional, and system-wide behaviors in nursing, nursing education, and health care”, (NLN, 2016, p. 2).

With greater diversity comes:

  • broader perspectives
  • more ideas
  • better problem-solving

Working in diverse teams where people can learn from each other, opens dialogue and promotes creativity. Explore further.

Infographic on the subject of racial and ethnic diversity in nursing and nursing education. 3 donut graphs are shown. The first shows that, in nursing, Caucasians represent 75.6%, African Americans represent 9.9%, Hispanics represent 4.8%, Asian Americans represent 8.3%, American Indians represent 0.4%, and multiracials represent 1.3%. The second shows that, in nursing education, Caucasians represent 81%, African Americans represent 9%, Hispanics represent 3.4%, Asian Americans represent 2.9%, American Indians represent 0.4%, and multiracials represent 0.8%. The third shows that, in the U.S. population, Caucasians represent 60.1%, African Americans represent 13.4%, Hispanics represent 18.5%, Asian Americans represent 5.9%, American Indians represent 1.3%, and multiracials represent 2.8%. Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 39% of U.S. population but represent only 24.7% of registered nurses and 17.3% of full-time nursing faculty positions. (DeWitty & Murray, 2020). These statistics come from U.S. populations stats from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219
DeWitty & Murray, 2020Latest Data on Diversity

Why is diversity in nursing education important?

It’s about the people: To meet the nation’s healthcare needs, address health inequities in historically underserved communities, and improve access to care, we need students, faculty, staff, and academic leaders who reflect the people we serve (AACN, 2020).

It’s about the environment: We need learning environments that embrace diversity and inclusion so that diverse faculty, staff, and students can flourish.

It’s about the subject matter/content: Curricula that respond to the health needs of all populations are essential so that students learn to care for diverse populations in culturally responsive ways (NLN, 2016).

Infographic on the subject of gender diversity in nursing and nursing education. 4 bar graphs are shown. The first shows that male representation in nursing is 9.1%. The second shows that male representation in nursing education (full-time) in 7%. The thrid shows that male representation in nursing education (part-time) in 9.2%. The last shows that male representation in the U.S. population in 49.2%. These statistics come from U.S. populations stats from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219
NONDThe Voice of Disability in Nursing

Efforts to Improve Diversity in Nursing and Nursing Education

  1. Developing nursing pipeline programs to increase recruitment, retention, and graduation of students from underrepresented groups.
    These programs provide academic and financial support along with mentorship to promote student success (NLN, 2016).
  2. Creating a nursing workforce of clinicians, educators, scholars, and leaders who will provide high quality, culturally appropriate and congruent health care.
    Read More
  3. Intentional curricular change to foster advocacy and an appreciation of nursing’s moral responsibility to health equity and social justice.
    Read More
  4. Implementing evidence-based recruitment practices and admissions redesign aimed at increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups into the nursing profession.
    Read More
  5. Providing federal grants for education in order to address the lack of mental health and substance abuse nurse professionals providing culturally competent care to an increasingly diverse population through a Minority Fellowship Program. Read More
  6. Filming of 10 Ways Academic Nursing is Addressing Structural Racism:

Infographic on the subject of age diversity in nursing. Three donut graphs are shown. The first shows that, in nursing faculty, 50.2% are 46-60 years old, 28.4% are 30-45 years old, 19.8% are 61 years old or older, and 1.6% are under 30 years old. The second shows that, in the RN workforce, 32% are 46-60 years old, 28% are 30-45 years old, 28% are 61 years old or older, and 12% are under 30 years old. The third shows that, in the U.S. population, 55.5% are 18.64 years old, and 16.5% are 65 years old or older. These statistics come from U.S. populations stats from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219
Mazinga, 2020NCSBN, 2017

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