Creating an Inclusive Culture for the Next Generation of Nurses

Health care needs of the US population are changing, and the US population is aging in tandem. Technological and medical advances are improving the survival rate of infants, children, and adults. As a result, there are increased numbers of children and older adults with complex medical needs secondary to chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and chronic obstructive lung disease. Dementia among the adult population is also on the rise. Never have the demographics of the US population been more diverse. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans now comprise nearly 40% of the US population.1 It is projected that by 2020, more than half of the nation's children will be part of a minority race or ethnic group and that by 2060 the minority population is expected to rise to over 56% of the nation's total population.1 Significant health disparities exist among ethnic and racial minorities.2 The US Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2020 goal is to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. Nurses from ethnic and racial minority groups have lived experiences and also have an understanding of the experiences of others with their like backgrounds. These lived experiences positions them to provide care that meets these health disparities in a deeper and more meaningful way.3 A diverse nursing workforce is essential to meeting the health care needs of the nation and in reducing health disparities that exist among minority populations.