Wanted: Innovative Approaches to Increasing Diversity of Health Professionals

1
Wanted Innovative Approaches to Increasing
Diversity of Health Professionals

• Olivia Carter-Pokras, Ph.D.
• University of Maryland School of Medicine

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Why is Racial and Ethnic Diversity Important in
Health Professions Fields?

• Minority health care professionals are more
  likely to serve minority and medically
  underserved communities
• Minority patients who have a choice are more
  likely to select health care professionals of
  their own racial/ethnic background greater
  satisfaction with care
• Interaction among students of diverse backgrounds
  may assist in efforts to improve cross-cultural
  training and cultural competencies of all
  trainees.

SOURCE National Academy of Sciences, 2004. In
the Nations Compelling Interest Ensuring
Diversity in the Health Care Workforce
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In the Nations Compelling Interest Ensuring
Diversity in the Health Care Workforce

• Improving admissions policies and practices
• Reducing financial barriers to health professions
  training
• Encouraging diversity efforts through
  accreditation
• Improving the institutional climate for diversity
• Applying community benefit principles to
  diversity efforts
• Mechanisms to encourage support for diversity
  efforts

SOURCE National Academy of Sciences, 2004.
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SOURCE HRSA. March 2000 Findings from the
National Sample Survey Of Registered Nurses
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Addressing Nursing Shortage

• Costly nurse importation from Philippines, Europe
  and other non-Latin American countries
  short-term efforts to retain nurses already in
  the workforce, such as delay in retirement and
  incentives to encourage retired nurses to go back
  to work grants and scholarships to promote
  recruitment of high school students into the
  nursing workforce
• Maryland has large number of foreign-trained
  Latina nurses who have requested assistance in
  acquiring a nursing license to work as nurses
• Montgomery Countys Latino Health Initiative
  decided to identify steps needed for
  foreign-trained Latina nurses to become licensed
  to practice in state of Maryland.

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Obtaining State License

• Contact the Maryland Board of Nursing
• Validate educational credentials through the
  Commission on Graduates and Foreign Nursing
  Schools (CGFNS) 225.00
• Take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) 125.00 OR
  the Inter-American Language Associates Oral
  Proficiency Interview (OPI) 135.00
• Take the National Council of Licensure Exam
  (NCLEX) 200.00

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Long and Complex Process

• Mail service, which is the only communication
  method used to transfer documents between the
  applicant and the different agencies
• Contacting foreign nursing schools, which CGFNS
  is responsible for, and then collecting
  credentials to later transfer these into U.S.
  equivalencies to evaluate, can take months, and
  in some cases even years.
• Time it takes the license applicant to study and
  prepare for the required exams is considerable
  because it involves learning a new language and
  adapting to U.S. culture and nursing methods

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Model Programs in CA, NY, OR, TX, FL

• A central location of operation where program
  participants could receive help with paperwork,
  referrals, counseling and other services
  available.
• English courses that emphasize medical
  terminology.
• Refresher courses in nursing for participants who
  had stopped practicing for a significant amount
  of time.
• Mentoring, counseling and group seminars that
  encourage participants throughout the process and
  facilitate networking and study groups.
• Financial assistance to help participants balance
  the costs associated with licensure.

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Essential Components

• Collaboration of colleges and universities,
  hospitals, state nursing boards to deliver an
  integrated and coordinated program.
• Involvement of community based organizations,
  government-funded organizations embedded in the
  Latino community that aim to improve the quality
  of life for community residents.
• Offer input on effective ways to build programs
• Participate in outreach efforts, program design,
  implementation, evaluation and service delivery

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Barriers and Possible Solutions

• Main challenges and barriers in obtaining a
  nursing license for all groups included lack of
  English proficiency, lack of information about
  the licensure process and economic difficulties.
• Possible program components
• Economic assistance
• English classes with an emphasis on medical
  terminology and
• A central location to distribute info about
  licensure process
• Internships, entry-level jobs and/or health care
  contacts
• Help with immigration/legal status documentation
• Preparatory courses for the NCLEX exam and
• Assistance with childcare.