Is there cultural diversity in the nursing profession?

[brown rice]

" 18% of R.N. students are minorities." (pg 367, Sociology of Health, Illness, and Health Care-Rose Weitz *excellent book!)

Awhile ago I started a thread on the increasing cultural diversity of american citizens and how the nursing field is adapting to this. I neglected to a address a crucial aspect to creating a more receptive health care system for people of all ethnic backgrounds and that would be to have more diversity among nurses. Based on the quote above there seems to be little. Is this true though? To all you nursing students and working nurses- Are most of your co-workers and fellow students caucasian? If so why do you think that is? and are there steps being taken to encourage more diversity? I could come up with a few ideas on this, but I would like to hear the communities responce.

also check out the thread, "opening the nursing profession to spanish speakers."

[MollyMo]

Where I work in Florida, Caucasians are the minority. Actually, Americans in general are the minority. I am one of 3 Americans on my unit. The rest are West Indian, Filipino, and Asian Indian. I am the only Black American. The other 2 Americans are Caucasian. Well, I guess I am a minority. Story of my life. :chuckle

[peaceful2100, BSN, RN]

I will be the only African-American graduate and their will be only one Hispanic-american graduate, one Asian-american graduate, and one male graduate out of 42 students graduating in May 2003. In the orginial class when I started in January 2001 there were 12 African-American students including me. Some were not cut out for nursing and decided that it was not for them. Some wanted to go to other nursing schools and they did for reasons I will not go into and they are doing just fine since I still talk to them. One moved away because of her boyfriend's job transfer.

On the units in all of my clinicals so far I have seen only 3 black nurses out of all my clinicals at that particular place or unit. I know there are definitely more out there. Minority nurses are out there but because nursing is a predominantly white profession about 91% according to statistics in a nursing magazine I read we don't tend to stick out. (I mean that in a good way).

Several people in my family and several of my African-American friends have went to college, currently go to college or will go to college but they are choosing other majors. They are chosing majors that pay more because of the lifestyles they desire to have. Which is fine but they need to ask themselves will they be happy to enjoy their lifestyle. If you are not happy, then what is the point of having it all. Material things only go take you so far.

[LasVegasRN]

I think there is more cultural diversity than ever, at least from my experience. I lived in Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Nevada. I've always seen diversity.

There are nursing organizations forming that promote the profession to minorities (i.e. Black Nurses Association, Latino Nurses Association, etc.) which have been very positive in reaching out to impoverished areas and assisting with granting scholarships.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Just my personal experience and observation: My two best friends in nursing school, who both went on to earn BSN's were black. Another one was Hispanic. Another good friend was 1/2 Native American (Osage tribal affliliation). I Was more than gratified to see these ladies "make it" and become outstanding RN's. Two of the best charge nurses I work with in one of the hospitals of my employment are black (Grenadan native) and Phillipina. I am all for anyone who cares and is competent becoming a nurse....I have said this a few times here...(oh and, i am white).

[rebelwaclause, ASN, RN]

Originally posted by caliotter3

Adrienurse

Pancit. Pancit. Love it. Haven't had any in ages! Oh, and lumpia!

And Longanisa.....Ummmmmm. (Running to Goldilocks's now...).

OK, seriously...the nurses where I'm employed are diverse. Filipino, blacks and whites. Interesting enough, very few hispanics, though we are in a city that is highly hispanic populated.

[live4today, RN]

Here is a photo of my Nurses Pinning Ceremony the month I graduated from nursing back in March 1987. I'll let the pic speak for itself.

BTW......I would be the one on the end in the second row from the top on the right side of the pic.

My class graduated two Caucasian males, two Black females, a few 'other' races in very small numbers.......and the majority were Caucasian females.......as you can see and count for yourself.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

My first hospital experience in 1977 was at Misericordia Hospital in Philadelphia (now Mercy Hospital of Phila.). The middle shift male RN was from Ireland, female RN was from Philippines. Night shift RN,BSN supervisor was from Thailand. Lab and X-ray techs were from all over the world. Our night shift potluck suppers brought us together where I learned to love Pansit.

Most RN ADN nurses were Caucasian while many LPN's were Black. Educational mobility was encouraged with college grant program available. By 1982 when I completed my BSN/RN license those that were LPN's were now ADN RN's. Others had advanced to BSN with few completing MSN program.

Forward 20 years: Although now in homecare, I still cross paths with about 25 nurses I first met at this facility as many have remained with the health system. It was like working at the UN then and has greatly shaped my nursing practice today. The Philadelphia area nursing programs have gone to great lengths to diversify the student body and attract qualified students from all races into this vibrant profession. Yes, I have seen a big change especially in the last 10 years to provide culturally competent care.

Check out this article from Advance for Nurses:

New Frontier of Care

By Timothy A. Mercer

Visiting Nurse Service of New York Home Care emphasizes culturally competent care as it caters to a burgeoning Asian population

http://www.advancefornurses.com/frontier.html

[mario_ragucci]

Yeah, people skilled individuals know no boundaries. Friends who grew and worked in other countries are an asset. Whites can be snooty. We represent caring for people, and it's a privilage to help people so much with what we do. What would marcus welby say :-(

[cactus wren]

Snooty?? I`m snooty??? Just a minute, I took a poll......My 5 1/4 Native American kids don`t think so. Neither do my 2 1/2 Hispanic grandkids, or their Hispanic mother. my 2 1/2 navajo g-kids don`t either, and neither does their mother, and her large family.....Navajos count families a little different......so I have 4 wonderful fulled blooded navajo g-kids...fun...... So.... I guess i must be the exception???? naw..........i`m just a regular nurse........I have met very few "" Snooty" white nurses...The few i have met were married to GYN`s or Plastics docs, and thought they were""THE DOCTORS WIFE" twits..

But......I am a white Anglo Saxon Prot....well not really.i`m Mormon.....so maybe I just don`t see things with the same eyes...if you know what I mean....But living in rural Nm was a kind of eye opener as i experianced racism directed at me for the first time......didn`t like it......I tell folks....YUp, I`m predjudiced.....Don`t like mean, nasty, people no matter what race, color or creed.....there are jerks everywhere......And i`ve cleaned up my usual statement.....

[SharonH, RN]

My first nursing job, I worked in El Paso, Texas. There were less than 10 Black Americans who worked in the whole hospital. On my floor, there were only about 3 or 4 Whites, 2 Filipino(including my nurse manager) and the rest were Mexican-American. It was a definite culture shock for me coming from the South and having attended an HBCU. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Here in Atlanta, it depends on what area of town you live in. Where I work, there is a large number of foreign-born Americans. Quite a lot of West Indians, Africans, and Filipino nurses as well as Black Americans. I think Whites are in the slight minority at my hospital.

I have never known any particular effort by the nursing profession as a whole to welcome diversity. In fact when I first came back to Atlanta, I found many of the White nurses to be downright hostile but that seems to have changed greatly. Now you hear many nursing leaders promote diversity as a means to ease the nursing shortage. This bothers me because it seems to me that instead of encouraging minorities to enter the profession because it is a worthwhile and honorable profession, they are saying "Look, we can't get anyone else to come in so let's get minorities to do it". I don't appreciate that one bit. Someone said that minorities are choosing other majors because of better hours, better pay, more respect....the same reasons Whites are choosing other majors. It makes sense to me.

[kimmicoobug]

I graduate in June with my ADN. In my class there is one girl who is Hispanic and me- 1/2 Korean. In my town, I don't think there is a whole lotta diversity. In the hospitals I have worked in, I can think of 4 hispanic nurses. And maybe two Asians. I have not noticed any blacks, although honestly I have not really looked at race. I only say that this town isn't very diverse because of my own personal experiences when explaining to whites why my mother or my family may do something different from theirs.

[Mattigan, RN]

Depends on where you live , I think. I'm Caucasion but have a lot of nurse friends who are Native American. Most work for Indian Health Service here or somewhere else. Depending on the % of blood on their CDIB card (it seems 9 High % IHS- Lower % at various other health care facilities). Almost everyone native to Oklahoma claims some % of Indian blood somewhere, somehow, even if it can't be validated. We have had a few Hispanic nurses- not many but a fairly large Hispanic Population(and growing).We have more than a few black nurses, Physical therapists, etc but still mostly Caucasion. I don't think it's a deliberate plot or anything but just people tend to work where they live and this place just isn't that diverse.

There have been 2 Flipino nurses and 1 Chinese nurse to my knowledge (and I would know ) at this facility in the past 20 years. Oh, and a pharmacist from Ireland.