In a rapidly growing world, it’s clear that healthcare employers are looking for a diverse group of nurses and midwives to meet the growing demands of care. Diversity in healthcare renders it essential for nursing students to be versatile and exhibit the ability to interact with patients and providers from all cultural backgrounds. Frontier Nursing University (FNU) implemented the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) with the goal of ensuring students, faculty, and staff be provided with an environment that promotes DEI and encourages the success of all community members.

As people of different backgrounds and cultures increasingly come in contact with one another, the need for cultural diversity in healthcare is vital. Diversity in healthcare will help fill in the gap for groups that otherwise would go unnoticed. Without adequate representation of minority healthcare professionals in birthing centers and other environments, health disparities will widen and people of color will continue to slip through the cracks when receiving medical attention. One FNU alumni Diego Acero, FNP, shares about his involvement in the diversity program… “Being that I am Latino, which makes me part of an underrepresented population, I’ve realized the importance of increasing the awareness about cultural differences in healthcare…how medical outcomes are different depending on the race of the patient makes me realize the importance that culture and diversity have on our healthcare.”

In meeting the demand for more diversity in communities across the nation, institutions like Frontier Nursing University know that a more diverse group of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners is needed. Through FNU‘s diversity initiative, the university has been recognized for preparing their nursing and midwifery students to meet the growing cultural landscape of the populations they serve. The program encourages students to think beyond their experiences to create a culture of transparency. Students strive to discover themselves in a world filled with cultures beyond their own. This allows them to rebuild perceptions of others while connecting their academic studies with positive health outcomes for their communities and families.

Increasing diversity in nursing education helps link FNU faculty, staff, alumni and students to cultivate relationships within their communities where nursing students are taught to provide culturally competent care to rural and underserved populations.

Each year FNU hosts its Diversity Impact Program that is designed to assist in promoting an inclusive learning and workforce enviornment at FNU, with a goal to increase diversity in the nursing and midwifery professions by recruiting and retaining underrepresented studets and employees. Awareness sessions address a range of diversity topics from obesity, health disparities, ageism, gender, family wellness, to nutrition and physical fitness. Participants leave this event feeling empowered and ready to create change in their communities through their enhanced cultural awareness and newly developed perspectives.

As the cultural demographics of America continue to evolve and grow, healthcare will continue to be one of the leading topics as it relates to diversity. With that comes assurance that academic institutions like Frontier Nursing University are preparing nursing and midwifery students to meet the demand of the diverse populations they serve.


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About Frontier Nursing University

FNU is a graduate school of nursing, located in Versailles, KY which offers distance education programs for nurses to obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with specialty tracks for nurse-midwifery, family nurse practitioner, women’s healthcare nurse practitioner, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.

To learn more about Frontier Nursing University click here!

 

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