An astounding lack of diversity in nursing

[ZASHAGALKA]

https://allnurses.com/forums/f34/african-american-male-nurse-practitioners-4734.html

I pasted my comment from another thread (above) into its own thread because I'm interested in why y'all think there is such a lack of diversity in nursing and what you think the solutions should be.

This is a touchy subject, I know, so I only ask that you keep your comments respectful and constructive:

As a minority we experience many unnecessary, unexplainable things that our equal counterparts never even have to deal with, like be confused with all of the healthcare team auxillary members (CNA,house keeping,PT,RT,patient escort, lab tech, pharm tech, etc...) while having a badge that Ray Charles could see identifying us as an RN!!!!! When you pretend to yourself that it doesn't happen, it is because you have probably been guilty of it yourself. Have you noticed how receptive people are to a young (majority) male in scrubs/lab coat versus a minority male in scrubs/lab coat?????? The minority could actually be the MD and majority the scrub tech, but guess who gets the MD RESPECT?

Older thread I came across but wanted to comment on this:

First, some demographics: in the U.S. as of 2000, RNs are comprised of:

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/changingdemo/composition.htm#3.3.2

White Female: 82%

non-Hispanic African American Female: 4.9%

Asian Female: 3.5%

Hispanic Female: 2%

Native American Female: 0.7%

Mixed/Other race Female: 1.2%

White Male: 4.7%

All other Male: 1.0%

3 points:

1. The key statistic here is that only ONE PERCENT of nurses are non-white males. If I mistake a minority male as being somebody OTHER than a nurse, sure, there might be some built-in cultural bias there, but it's just as likely that it's because of the rarity of such nurses in the first place.

Now, you might argue that the rarity is the real problem and I would agree. A profession that under-represents minorities by a factor of 3 and males by a factor of 9 needs to ask itself one potent question: why?

2. I think the OP has had a difficult time over the years finding fellow minority male NPs because those nurses would be a fraction of the ONE PERCENT total number of non-white male nurses. A small pool to swim in, to be sure.

3. As demographics change, nursing is simply going to be forced to address this issue of an astounding lack of diversity in its ranks. As our nation drops below 50% "white" in the next decade or two, it will simply become unfeasible to continue to recruit 86.6% of RNs (male and female combined) from the shrinking pool of whites in this nation. Think real hard about that last statistic: something is amiss in how we recruit nurses. Something's broken and needs to be fixed.

(disclaimer: it's not my intent to be biased against LVN/LPNs, however, I got my stats from government links that only tabulated RNs.)

~faith,

Timothy.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

If I let 'minority/majority' perceptions and race issues affect me and my choice of career - well, what can I say... I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today

Those very folks who pointed out these "issues" when I started nursing school years ago are also the same ones who are clapping their hands and saying how "proud of me" they are today.

Before, they thought I was "selling out". Now they want to make me an "example". I don't think their motive in either case had anything to do with my benefit... (and some of these people included members of my family).

I love hearing someone tell me "you can't do it. You'll never make it"... it just makes me swing harder, if nothing else... just to prove 'em wrong for judging me not by my individual worth, but by their own prejudiced standards.

Timothy,

Nice argument about the desire of 'nursing profession' to reach out to under-represented populations. Made me ponder some...

cheers,

Roy (a "minority" of a "minority" of a "minority" in nursing. Those who know me in person know what I mean :))

[ShemRN]

In my Pasadena, CA (Near NE Los Angeles) graduation nursing class of about 50, I think there was less than 10 White...and of all of our male nurses (maybe 7), only one was White.

Of the hospitals we rotated to (in areas such as Glendale, Arcadia, Hollywood) RARELY did we see white nurses (Garfield Hospital, I didn't see one in any unit, as it was a hospital that primarily served Chinese and Hispanic population I suppose).

The majority at most hospitals was Filipino. Except Garfield was majority Chinese, and at Kaiser in Hollywood, Black.

Just depends on where you're coming from I guess.

[BertinaRN, ASN, RN]

I would say diversity depends on where you are, the United States is diverse, but some towns, cities, and states may not have a vast amount of different cultures, races, and so on. Here in my town in southern Wisconsin my class mates are White, African American, Hispanic and Filipino, the majority are women, we only have one male in my Clinical course. So I would have to say that to look at diversity in our profession it can not be limited to the place that you work or receive your education from. Instead of looking at one particular place, maybe go to a Nursing Convention in your area, that is when the diversity of our chosen profession may show.

[ssi9699]

Thank you all for an honest and thought-provoking thread. I have a diverse past, but my present reality is my 3 teenagers are whites in a fairly affluent school system. I would say 1/3 of their classmates are affluent, the rest of us are too "rich" to get any assistance, too "poor" to be able to afford college without help.

Anyway, my hospital is investing in local nursing programs to try to grow more nurses. Yet, the average age of nurses continues to advance. I still see a good deal of people going into nursing as a later option, not one fresh out of high school. Only about 2-3% of my high school senior's class are considering nursing.

Students in our system are given vocational interest surveys several times throughout middle and high school. Usually, registered nurse is not even LISTED as a career choice. Nurse practitioners are, sometimes LPN/LVNs. Things like shoemakers and songwriters are.......RN? Not even an option. The one that I recall actually having RN as a career choice listed its requirements as 4 years of college.

I really think that if my hospital wants to grow nurses, and grow them at a younger age, they need to make a presence in the middle schools, when children choose what path they will take in high school, and in high school, when they are choosing a college based on what type of majors they offer. Unless they have family in the nursing profession, I don't sense teens have any clue that nursing may be a viable option.

I also feel that because many of the students are from affluent families, it would be looked as someone "wasting their abilities" by just being a nurse instead of getting a degree in something, anything else. Because we all know how EASY nursing programs are, right? Nursing is just too common, too ordinary. Yet, teaching, for all its problems, still is a very popular career path for these teens. And quite well accepted by their parents. Hmmm.

I would like to see our school system develop a program to nurture health professions like they do cosmetology, teaching, and horticulture. To offer a program that ultimately results in a CNA certification and partial credit toward an ADN utilizing the many dual enrollment courses we have with the local comm. college (or an LPN program) would spark interest in nursing, even for those not taking the courses. At least they would have in the back of their minds that nursing IS an option, so you might want to choose a college with a nursing program in case you decide your bachelors in psychology or biology isn't as lucrative as you thought. My one voice didn't make a difference, my district spurned developing a program for health careers to institute a new one to prepare graduates to work in art museums, of all things.

To comment on previous posts, I also heartily agree that having all of us go out to the youth and promote nursing to those with similar backgrounds, whether it be race, nationality, sex, economic status could very well be a case where one person CAN make a difference in many lives by presenting a viable option to many.

[HerbalGypsy]

Hi All,

I am sure this was stated previously, geographical location impacts the diversity of the schools and hospitals. I attended a Community College to obtain my Associates degree and was one of 6 caucasian in a class of 32. The number of males was smaller, only 4. We came from many countries. Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Carribean Islands, Russia, and various Asian countries. I am currently working in a DC hospital and the employee population is equally diverse. it is my understanding that we need more instructors to be able to increase the number of nursing students. And I feel we also need to think more of ourselves and to convey the excitement that led us into nursing to our young people. Look for Career Days at local high schools and volunteer to speak. I know how exhausted we are, but it is important to improve the image of nursing. It is an ongoing challenge, but I know nurses are up to it.

Peace to all

[dansdoll]

The lack of diversity in nursing stems from lack of motivation. The image of nursing in the lay population is one of service, and that image is not desirable to many populations. Many laypeople also view the image of nursing as subserviant, also something not desireable to many population groups. There are many reasons that groups other than white females do not choose nursing, but I feel the most important is the image of nursing in the laypopulation as subserviant. Until nurses unite and bring the image of nursing up to a proffessional level and move it out of the nitengale image of servant, nursing will not appeal to a diverse workgroup.

[ExCorporateRN]

Good point "dansdoll". As I was going through nursing school people would ask me if I had to wipe butts. No one asked me if I gave an injection, did a physical assessment, started an IV, did nursing research projects, etc...

[kidznurse]

Interesting to read this debate. I find it difficult to use the black/ white terminology as to call someone black here is considered insulting.

In New Zealand nursing we had an under-representation of non European ethnicities. When I trained in 1980 there was a predominantly European female group of late teen school leavers with University Entrance level school qualifications . Now however, nursing is not a preferred option of such a group. They would prefer less taxing and more exotic jobs in law, media, or IT . There are now more older people applying for nurse education even into their 50's , more new immigrants with English as a second language (often with tertiary qualifications in their country of origin eg China) and a few more Pacific Island and indiginous Maori. Nursing is becoming a less desirable career for the white middle classes. The demographics and the culture of nursing are therefore changing. The average age of nurses here is 49 . Many of us a relics of the bygone age and will retire in the next 10-15 years. The workforce will then look entirely different with heavy emphasis on migrant labour. The jokes about taxi drivers all being non English speaking and lost, are already being extended to nursing. I think it's a shame that the profession is not being promoted amongst our own young. Few of my colleagues have encouraged their children to follow them into nursing. Particularly not their sons. It is still considered unmanly to be doing physical cares for sick people. Which is why so many men move into management, academia, and ER ICU mini Doctor type roles. Nurses don't find the job easy and want their children to have more authority and respect. Nursing deals mostly with people when they are weak or vulnerable and by association can't have much status ourselves .Conversely for a minority or oppressed group it is an elevation of status to move from unskilled labour to nursing. If I live to old age I can forsee a time when the nursing staff are mostly of a different ethnicity to the patients . If my needs are met in a gentle kind and intelligent manner I won't care what skin tomne or accent my nurse has providing we understand each other

[pickledpepperRN]

Robbie Shinn wants to be a nurse:

http://cbs2.com/video/[email protected]&cid=71

"I want to be a nurse because I like helping kids."

[medsurgnurse, RN]

Interesting to read this debate. I find it difficult to use the black/ white terminology as to call someone black here is considered insulting.

In New Zealand nursing we had an under-representation of non European ethnicities. When I trained in 1980 there was a predominantly European female group of late teen school leavers with University Entrance level school qualifications . Now however, nursing is not a preferred option of such a group. They would prefer less taxing and more exotic jobs in law, media, or IT . There are now more older people applying for nurse education even into their 50's , more new immigrants with English as a second language (often with tertiary qualifications in their country of origin eg China) and a few more Pacific Island and indiginous Maori. Nursing is becoming a less desirable career for the white middle classes. The demographics and the culture of nursing are therefore changing. The average age of nurses here is 49 . Many of us a relics of the bygone age and will retire in the next 10-15 years. The workforce will then look entirely different with heavy emphasis on migrant labour. The jokes about taxi drivers all being non English speaking and lost, are already being extended to nursing. I think it's a shame that the profession is not being promoted amongst our own young. Few of my colleagues have encouraged their children to follow them into nursing. Particularly not their sons. It is still considered unmanly to be doing physical cares for sick people. Which is why so many men move into management, academia, and ER ICU mini Doctor type roles. Nurses don't find the job easy and want their children to have more authority and respect. Nursing deals mostly with people when they are weak or vulnerable and by association can't have much status ourselves .Conversely for a minority or oppressed group it is an elevation of status to move from unskilled labour to nursing. If I live to old age I can forsee a time when the nursing staff are mostly of a different ethnicity to the patients . If my needs are met in a gentle kind and intelligent manner I won't care what skin tomne or accent my nurse has providing we understand each other

thank you for the very enlightening post.

[sayitgirl]

If you never thought about it, you have lived a very sheltered life and you are not part of the minority. I am an African American RN and I recently started working at a LTC facility that previously in its twenty year history had never employed an African American nurse. The facility has two African

American clients on the dementia unit. There was also one African American CNA that started off on the subacute unit but changed floors to dementia because of the harassment that she received from her coworkers. I feel like I am a pioneer at this facility, redirecting them in the behavior that they should portray toward a person because of their character and not react to the outside appearance of their skin. The DON is very supportive, in fact she is slowly increasing the number of African-American nurses employed at the facility.Now there are three of us. And all of us have at least five years experience in the field, in contrast to the average nurse at the facility that has worked at the same facility for less that three years and started off as a CNA at the same facility. They were not open to change. But I believe in time it will happen. Sometimes you have to be a change agent. Diversity is a reality in America, prejudice must become a subject of the past.

[LadyNASDAQ]

Many times I'm the only White Nurse in my Unit. It never occurs to me that this is a problem or a color problem because this is natural and comfortable for me. Also, I'm Jewish so again, a minority within a minority.

All I know is when there is a line someone can't get or something that they know I have the experience needed, I jump in and do it. I could care less what your race,creed or ethnic background is. I care that you're safe and you are kind to one another and to the patients.

I hate the breakdown of Nurses based on race and ethnic background. Does an African-American Nurse know less that a White Nurse? Heck no!

In Nursing, we are one big familly globally!!!