Diversity in Nursing
The profession of nursing recognizes that registered nurses should be reflective of the population served. A culturally diverse nursing workforce enhances the profession’s ability to provide quality and culturally competent patient care. The national nursing organizations, the federal Division of Nursing, the Institute of Medicine, and other stakeholders recognize the importance of recruiting individuals into the profession as well as retaining and supporting career advancement.
The 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses found 10.7% of the RN workforce was diverse. In contrast, the U.S. Census Bureau found 34% of the population diverse in 2007. Nursing will continue to strive to increase the diversity of the RN population to provide culturally sensitive care across settings.
Multigenerational Diversity
For the first time, four generations of nurses are working side by side in diverse practice settings. Embracing the uniqueness of individual differences and strengths across generations presents enriching opportunities to learn from each other and enhance environments of education and nursing practice.