I took an in-depth look at diversity in the registered nursing workforce for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and found that while minorities are expected to become a majority by 2044, the nursing profession remains overwhelmingly white and female. That gap is one of many reasons why there are social disparities in health care.
Many people are surprised to learn about the lack of diversity in nursing because patients often see licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and nurses assistants at doctors’ offices and in hospitals. The LPN and nursing assistant work IS diverse, but LPNs and assistants have little of the education and clinical training as registered nurses (RNs) and cannot provide the same care as RNs. I already had a lot of respect for what nurses do to care for patients before working on this brief. Now I have even more.
To learn more about effective efforts and strategies underway to increase diversity in the nursing workforce, read on here.
