by Minority Nurse Staff | Apr 15, 2013 | Hispanic and Latino Nurses, Magazine, Nursing Students
In Oklahoma, the minority population is increasing faster than the majority, but its nursing workforce does not reflect this trend.
In hopes to better mirror the state’s growing Hispanic population, Oral Roberts University places a special emphasis on recruiting Hispanic students.
Dr. Kenda Jezek, Dean of the Anna Vaughn College of Nursing, says the rapidly increasing Hispanic population has made recruitment in this community a priority.
In order to more effectively do so, the University recently opened the ORU Hispanic Center, the first of its kind not just in Oklahoma but at any Christian university in the nation. The center will be a place for Hispanic students, and prospective students in general, to access resources to help them achieve academically at ORU.
In 2009, 31% of the nursing majors were of an ethnic minority. That same year, the School of Nursing celebrated 100% of its 2009 graduating class passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
In order to encourage more students to study nursing, ORU is also developing a partnership with local high schools that have high Hispanic and African American representation in their student bodies. As a part of the program, ORU nursing students will teach health services and assist students with lab projects.
Oral Roberts University, as the Senior Educational Partner of the Hispanic Evangelical community, is committed to reflecting the multiethnic culture around them, said Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
ORU believes that increasing diversity and culture on campuses across the country will enrich and empower communities around the world.
by Minority Nurse Staff | Apr 15, 2013 | Magazine
This summer, the University of North Dakota College of Nursing conducted three four-day tours across North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska, visiting American Indian reservations in an effort to recruit potential nursing students. Sponsored by the University’s Recruitment and Retention of American Indians into Nursing Program (RAIN), the tours gave students on the reservations a glimpse at the nursing program and all it has to offer, says program coordinator Deb Wilson. In turn, faculty and staff participating in the visits gain a better understanding of the reservations and students’ cultural backgrounds.
Native Americans and Alaskan Natives comprise about 6% of North Dakota’s population, according the U.S. Census Bureau, compared to less than 2% of the U.S. population as a whole. Federally recognized tribes in the state are the Spirit Lake Tribe (formerly the Devil’s Lake Sioux), the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.
by | Apr 3, 2013 | Magazine
The Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky, is launching a new campaign to increase diversity in nursing. The PRIDE Program has a good acronym for an even better cause: Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse Practitioner Education.
“The ultimate goal of the PRIDE program is to recruit and retain qualified underrepresented students in our graduate school of nursing who will meet the health care demands of an increasingly diverse population,” the school says. They kicked off the campaign this past June with its first annual Diversity Impact weekend. The tight-knit, intimate event of 16 students held diversity forums and networking opportunities. They discussed and debated issues such as “Resources on Racial Disparities,” “Surviving Distance Education,” and “What’s Race Got To Do With It: A Courageous Conversation About Race.”
The weekend also included presentations regarding cultural beliefs and health conditions specific to certain demographics—even a potluck dinner of recipes from different cultures. All visiting students were given a $500 travel stipend, funded by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The Frontier University (formerly Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing) has been educating nurse practitioners and nurse midwives to work in rural and otherwise medically underserved communities for 70 years. For more information regarding the PRIDE initiative and a summary of the weekend’s events, visit www.frontier.edu/diversityimpact.
by | Apr 2, 2013 | Magazine
This past summer, 10 college seniors took part in Making a Difference in Nursing II Scholars (MADIN II), spending six weeks at Duke University School of Nursing. MADIN II is a federally funded nursing work force diversity program that strives to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in nursing. The program attracts minority students from less fortunate backgrounds that could potentially enroll in Duke’s School of Nursing program. The participating undergraduates are pursuing degrees in a variety of fields, but MADIN II allows the students to work with faculty to explore the many specialties in nursing and the skills needed to pursue them. Additionally, the students participate in academic and professional development activities that stress teamwork and leadership skills.
Although there are many similar federally funded programs out there, Duke believes theirs is unique, from recruiting high-achieving students to basing their teaching on an exemplary model that prepares students for Ph.D. programs.
If you would like more information on Making a Difference in Nursing II, contact Julie Cusatis at 919-681-9051 or [email protected].
by | Mar 31, 2013 | Certification, Magazine
According to a report published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, results of a study found that women and minorities going through general surgery training are relatively underrepresented among general surgeons, particular those certified by the American Board of Surgery (ABS).
Study authors Dorothy A. Andriole, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Donna B. Jeffe, Ph.D. researched 3,373 medical school graduates between 1997–2002 who had planned on becoming board certified in surgery after graduation, and followed the graduates for seven years or more, depending on general surgery residency training. The research looked at women and men who intended on getting certified for surgery after graduation, and found that women were more likely to leave surgery and pursue certification in other specialties. Women make up about 50% of total U.S. medical graduates.
In the study, 60% of the graduates achieved ABS certification, 10% were certified by another American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board, and 30% were not certified by any ABMS member board.
Researchers, however, did not evaluate why the medical school graduates chose to become certified in other specialty areas, or why some remained in surgery but didn’t become board certified.
