MINORITY NURSING ORGANIZATION THINK TANK ON DIVERSITY

Wednesday, October 14, 2015, Columbus, Ohio

PNAA Representatives: Bessie E. Schiroky, Erlinda Gonzalez (PNAO Pres.), Evelyn Sugiyama (PNACOh Pres.)

& Cora Munoz (PNACOh Founder/Adviser)

 

 

Goal of Meeting: 

• Generate discussions related to diversity in the OH nursing workforce. 

• Develop a list of strategies/recommendations for increasing the diversity in nursing for Ohio.
   

I. Jane Mahowald, Pres. of OH League for Nursing (OLN) and Co-Lead for the OAC gave the welcome remark.  Each participant introduced themselves and identified which minority organization they were representing.
 

II. Carol Drennen, Co-Lead for the OAC, provided a PPP addressing the importance of increasing diversity in Ohio’s nursing workforce. An overview of the 2010 Institute of Medicine Report: The Future of Nursing; Leading Change, Advancing Health was presented. National and state actions to address the IOM recommendations were reviewed. Projections and statistics on diversity for the U.S. and OH were provided including:

• FIve states have minority majorities: TX, NM, CA, FL and HI. 

• Five states have 40% non-white population: GA, MD, MS, NY and AZ.

• People of color are a majority in 48 of the nation’s largest cities.

• Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority.

 Positive trends noted for Ohio were:

• Men and non-white nurses have less experience and are younger suggesting more diversity over time.

• Higher % of African American & Hispanic RNs have BSN or MSN and are more likely to obtain BSN. 

• Men and women equal with BSN, more men than women say they’re going for BSN.

III. Each minority organization provided their perspectives on diversity in nursing, including the challenges for their membership and ideas for addressing diversity issues.

Assembly of Men in Nursing

• IOM strategic goals: double the number men with doctorate degrees by 2020, double the number of men in nursing faculty.

• Issues with sexual connotation of men touching patients especially in pediatrics. Must be caring while maintaining masculinity. Doctors seen as “healers” while nurses as caregivers.

• Role model provision – 3 strategies:

• Preceptor match with another male in education programs

• 2 or more men/clinical group (avoid assigning 1 man/per group unless only 1 man is available)

• Mentorship program

• Lack of male nursing faculty as well as other minorities.

• Dispel myths – “Men are on glass escalator or concrete ceiling” exists for men (Porter-O’Grady).
   

Association of Hispanic Nurses

• Hispanic men are minority of male nurses.

• “Machismo” in the culture makes it more difficult to get men to study nursing. 

• 355,000 Hispanic in OH (lower than other states) - many of Mexican or Puerto Rican descent 

• Secondary education not high priority.

• Language, financial and cultural barriers exist

• Nursing not considered a prestigious profession.

• Ideas for increasing Hispanic nurses:

  • Mentoring in both education and orientation programs. Education needs to nurture their unique needs. Orientation needs involvement from minority group as part of on-boarding process.

  • “Careers in Nursing with Johnson & Johnson” written in English and Spanish.
     

Black Nurses Association

• Attrition rates from nursing education programs and NCLEX failures higher for minority students.

• Partnership with Ohio Job Corp for STNA track. Mentor students and encourage them to continue for nursing degree. Assist them to get a job as PCA.

• NBNA membership includes STNA and LPNS, not just RNs. Encourage them to further education to become a nurse.

• Match minority nursing organization with employer need.

• Black men in nursing are important for NBNA.

• Mentoring programs need to address other issues in addition to academics such as transportation, childcare, help with scholarship applications, etc.
   

Philippine Nurses Association

• Need to add Asian Association and Native Alaskan chapters in OH statistical studies.

• Ohio’s statistics do not breakdown to the level that accurately identifies the number of Philippine nurses in the state.

• One year mentorship program for MSN and Doctoral students.

• Scholarship opportunities for Philippine nurses.

• Low faculty pay deters entering academia which needs to be addressed and incentives given.

• Adjust work schedules to accommodate grad school needs.

• STNA pathway alignment. Minorities often start as STNA. Mentor and foster career development.
   

Common Issues for Minority Nurses:

• Cultural competency should be included in all nursing education programs. Content on culture is currently required by OBN and accrediting agencies but should there be a required course or CEU requirement? SB33 (OH Senate Bill to be voted on) would require cultural competency training for renewal of licensures of health professionals.

• Second-degree nursing students are more diverse than traditional nursing students. Encourage adults with other degrees to obtain a BSN.

• LPN workforce is overlooked. Develop career paths from STNA-LPN-ADN-BSN-MSN-DNP/PhD.

• Of those who are 16-24 years old who enter nursing without experience as an STNA or second degree, 1/3 leave the profession.

• Associate of Technical Studies (ATS) is an option - requires 30 technical credits.

• Movement in nursing away from the bedside.

• For millennials, focus should be on hiring, not retention.
   

IV. Strategies/Recommendations for Success

• Construct an OAC diversity statement that indicates intentionality and strategic importance.

• Develop Mentoring Program Models for:

• Men in nursing

• Racial/ethnic minorities – address academic and societal issues of minority students such as transportation, childcare, etc.

• Create Career Pathways or Pipelines that foster Diverse Academic Progression in Nursing - STNA – LPN – ADN – BSN – MSN - DNP/PhD.

• Identify strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of underrepresented student populations (men, minorities) for Nursing Education Programs in OH.

• Identify specific strategies for OH Employer Nurse Orientation Programs that are gender and racially inclusive and promote a culture of diversity retention.

• Form partnerships between minority nursing organizations and employers.

• Contact the following National Nursing Associations without Chapters in Ohio:

• AAPINA: http://www.memberarea.aapina.org/ 

• Native American, Native Alaskan Nurses Association: http://nanainanurses.org/ 

• Encourage OH minority nursing organizations to work collaboratively on a regional/statewide basis.

• Consider developing a Consortium of Minority Nursing Organizations in OH.

• Map Cultural Competency Content in Nursing Educational Curricula in OH and explore the feasibility of a Continuing Education requirement for nurses.

• Promote enrollment in second degree nursing programs - students in these programs are more diverse.

• Create favorable media images of gender, racial, and ethnic minorities among OH nurses. 
   

V. Next Steps

• Follow-up meeting – Thursday, December 3, 2015 from 10:30AM – 1:30PM

• Agenda items for next meeting:

  • Prioritize identified strategies

  • Develop action steps

  • Assign responsibility for actions

  • Explore partnerships with other organizations