How Herzing Is Helping to Advance Diversity in Nursing
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Nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the U.S., with roughly 4.7 million registered nurses (RN) active nationwide, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)[1].
But for all its growth potential and its indispensable role on the front lines of healthcare, the nursing workforce continues to face a decades-long problem: a lack of diversity along racial, ethnic, and gender lines. The disparity is so acute that it outpaces the differences found in society as a whole.
According to 2023 U.S. Census data[2], 13.7% of the population was classified as Black/non-Hispanic. As of 2022, less than half that percentage of the nursing workforce identified as Black or African-American, per AACN data.
This shortfall has real, tangible results for patients. According to research published in 2019 by the Journal of the National Medical Association[3], health outcomes and cost savings both improve when patients receive care from nurses who understand or look like them.
Natasha Colvin, EdD, MSN, RN, is a certified nurse educator and full-time professor in the online doctor of nursing practice (MSN to DNP) program with Herzing University, a higher education system with 11 campuses in eight states and an extensive online division. Colvin recently spoke with NurseJournal about the nursing field’s persistent lack of diversity and Herzing’s efforts to advance diversity among its students — and tomorrow’s nursing workforce.
The State of Diversity in the Nursing Workforce
Data shows that a more diverse nursing workforce delivers tangible benefits across society. Quality of care and mortality rates improve, particularly among minority groups.
“We must be able to demonstrate a sensitivity and understanding of a variety of cultures in order to provide high-quality care,” Colvin tells NurseJournal.
| Race | 2023 U.S. Population by Race | 2022 Nursing Workforce by Race |
|---|---|---|
| White/Non-Hispanic | 58.4% | 80% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 19.5% | 6.9% |
| Black/African-American | 13.7% | 6.3% |
| Asian | 6.4% | 7.4% |
Diversity, of course, means more than race. Nursing workforce advocates also are calling for greater representation from groups including:
- Sexual orientation
- Age
- Disability
- Gender
- Religious and cultural backgrounds
Learn More About Herzing University’s Nursing Programs
Diversity and DEI in Nursing: Changing Times
Diversity continues to be a thorny issue nationally, and change on all sides appears to be the only constant.
In a nursing context, more nursing students from minority backgrounds are pursuing their nursing degrees. According to the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey[6], minority nurses are more likely to pursue bachelor’s degrees and higher when compared with their White counterparts. Almost 70% of White/Non-Hispanic nurses earned a nursing degree beyond the associate level, while 74% of Hispanic/Latino, 76% of Black/African-American, 84% of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 88% of Asian nurses completed advanced nursing degrees.
Some of the change comes in the form of headwinds to diversity efforts, both in nursing and beyond. A well-publicized national movement to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts[7] has gained substantial momentum. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action[8] in college admissions directly impacted colleges and universities’ decision-making process as they evaluate applicants.
In nursing, the AACN and other groups have developed initiatives to help nursing schools and programs navigate the post-affirmative action world and create strategies for continuing to advance DEI efforts[9].
“It’s important to remain committed to enhancing and protecting diversity in all its forms,” Colvin tells NurseJournal. “So I think also when you do provide for all kinds of diversity in the profession, this can also facilitate advocacy for services and programs and communities.”
Herzing’s Strategy For Advancing Diversity In Nursing
Herzing’s School of Nursing decided long ago to stay the course in advancing diversity among its students and faculty. According to Colvin, strategies for advancing diversity in nursing at Herzing University[10] are always unfolding. For instance, university leadership remains committed to Herzing’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at a time when other academic institutions[11] and corporations[12] are changing or abandoning their DEI efforts.
“We provide safe spaces to communicate and have community and provide perspective,” Colvin tells NurseJournal. The group is open to all, Colvin says. “We want all to be able to learn and have community with one another.”
In October, Herzing received $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education[13] to help support its Hispanic student community. The university is also supporting diversity efforts specific to the nursing school. For example, Herzing has allocated grant funding to support nursing students from underrepresented groups or backgrounds.
These students, in turn, have opportunities to lead discussions among their fellow students across the education continuum.
“[They serve] as speakers at things such as national minority conferences to recruit students and talk about those academic pathways that are available for them,” Colvin says.
This November, Herzing opened a multicultural center on the Minneapolis campus[14].
“[Herzing has plans] to use that as a model to expand those support structures to other campuses as well. And so that’s just the beginning of pushing that mission out there,” Colvin tells NurseJournal.
Herzing’s Approach: Advancing Diversity into the Future
Herzing’s mission statement is “to educate, support and empower all students for success in work, learning and engagement in our communities and global society.”
To hear Colvin tell it, the statement offers a guiding principle for not just the university as a whole but the school’s diversity mission.
“[Herzing should] continue to market opportunities specifically to minority populations,” Colvin says, “and provide opportunities for all to be at the table.”
Dr. Natasha Colvin (she/her) is a full-time professor in the MSN-to-DNP online program at Herzig University. She has over 22 years of combined clinical nursing and academic experience. She is a certified clinical nurse leader, nurse educator, and medical-surgical nurse. She embraces lifelong learning and has a passion for education and mentoring aspiring nurses and nurses who would like to advance their careers.
