As the U.S. Hispanic population’s growth spurt continues, healthcare organizations increasingly ponder how they’ll attract much-needed “culturally competent” staff, especially when Hispanics remain so underrepresented across most healthcare careers.

New nursing school graduates often face a steep climb in their first hospital jobs. To fully ready themselves for those positions, they typically must “shadow” an experienced RN for up to 18 weeks. That means more preparation time for novice nurses, and a hefty expense for healthcare organizations.

What can universities do to motivate a generation of young Latinas to pursue STEM careers?

Written By Michael O'Neill

As a profession, as a school, we are committed to our work with vulnerable populations. That extends to the issue of diversity – in our student body, in our workforce, in our faculty. Whether we’re talking about minorities in general or Latinos in particular, there is a persistent gap in nursing that must be addressed by diversifying the workforce – at all levels.