Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Nursing Workforce: One Pediatric Hospital's Strategic Approach.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Workforce Diversity
• Health Equity Initiatives
• Nursing Recruitment Strategies

Background:

• The "Future of Nursing Report 2020-2030" emphasizes racial and ethnic diversity in nursing as essential for achieving health equity.
• Growing diversity in the nursing workforce is a recognized imperative for equitable healthcare.
• Addressing the need for a diverse nursing population is critical for future healthcare landscapes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate strategies for increasing racial and ethnic diversity in nursing recruitment and hiring.
• To foster a more diverse nursing workforce within a major pediatric academic medical center.
• To identify effective methods for enhancing diversity in healthcare employment.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year initiative at Boston Children's Hospital focused on strategic diversity in nursing recruitment and hiring.
• Key strategies included cultivating partnerships, building candidate relationships, and supporting transition into practice.
• Evaluation of implemented strategies assessed their impact on workforce diversity metrics.

Main Results:

• Achieved significant increases in racial and ethnic diversity in nursing recruitment and hiring over three years.
• In 2019, a 6% overall increase in diverse registered nurse hires and an 18% increase in new graduate hires were observed compared to 2018.
• Racially and ethnically diverse registered nurses constituted 16.2% of all hires in 2019, with sustained success in subsequent years.

Conclusions:

• Intentional, strategic diversity recruitment and retention actions are imperative for nursing and healthcare leaders.
• Prioritizing a racially and ethnically diverse nursing workforce is essential to advance health equity.
• The projected growth of minority populations necessitates proactive measures to ensure a representative healthcare workforce.