While minority enrollment in nursing programs have nearly doubled in the last twenty years, nursing has a long way to go in appropriately representing minorities in the United States (source). The current enrollment data is insufficient to address the needs of a future diverse nursing workforce. It is imperative to advocate for minority nurses in both higher education and the profession.
Diversity in Professional Nursing
Increasing diversity among nurses is a core value of the profession. The National League for Nursing promotes diversity by endorsing a culture of inclusion and excellence by celebrating a diverse population of professionals. The American Nurses Association has a professional commitment to awareness of diversity issues and the individual nurse’s biases and perceptions. For the culmination of a diverse nursing workforce to take root, schools must aim to recruit, enroll, and retain minority nursing students.
Diversity Among Student Nurses
Modern nursing programs work to disseminate a curriculum that concentrates on how to address health disparities among ethnic minorities and others who face socioeconomic barriers. Early recruitment programs that value diversifying nursing education can bolster student retention and graduation (source).
The Diversity Impact Program
For example, Frontier Nursing University increases student recruitment and retention through the Diversity Impact Program. This program offers cultural awareness and support through a social network, activities, and events during the year to connect students, including a Diversity Impact conference.
By implementing a model where student nurses embrace and encourage cultural awareness, student retention and satisfaction improves. Creating an engaging model that embraces cultural diversity is imperative to minimize student attrition. When student nurses support each other, it enhances the outlook for the entire nursing profession.
