Nursing 911

With great demand and opportunity, the nursing field is wide open.

The good news for women in the workforce: over the last few decades, women have broken barriers that once limited their career choices and kept them from participating equally with men. The bad news: as working women have dispersed into a variety of fields, professions traditionally dominated by women have suffered shortages.

Nursing is one such occupation currently lacking qualified employees and the faculty to train new students—especially Latinas. According to the National Society for Hispanic Professionals (NSHP) and Walden University, there is a great need for Hispanic bilingual nurses who can serve the growing community. “In the United States, Hispanics continue to be underrepresented in the healthcare field. With the population of Hispanics rising every year, the gap will continue to climb and an ever-increasing number of Hispanics will be facing a lack of healthcare professionals who speak their language.”

“We would like to say that the population of Hispanic nurses mirrors the overall U.S. population,” says Marion G. Anema, Ph.D., RN, faculty chair, M.S. in Nursing, School of Health and Human Services at Walden University. While Hispanics make up approximately 14 percent of the U.S. population, only about 2 percent of registered nurses are Hispanic. According to Anema, if the trend continues, the language barriers and lack of cultural understanding will lead to substandard healthcare for the Latino community.

A Career with Benefits
While some myths, such as low-income and long hours, may persist about nursing as a career, the truth is, it is an excellent time to enter the field. Salaries have been on the rise steadily. In fact, data from Nursing Spectrum illustrate gains in nurses’ inflation-adjusted income after years of staying flat. Also, hourly wages have increased more than all white-collar workers between 2000 and 2004.

In addition, it is a field with endless opportunities. “If you go into accounting, you may work for different companies, but you know you’re going to be doing accounting,” Anema says to illustrate the flexibility of her field. “[In nursing,] you may start as a floor nurse, but you can also work in schools, hospices, become teaching faculty, a specialty nurse for practically any disease, or a traveling nurse, educate families, or do research. Over 10 to 20 years, you can do so many different things, advance your career, and earn more credentials and opportunities.”

With such an array, nursing can also fit many lifestyles. Some shifts work long hours a few days a week while others work regular day shifts. Evening hours or school nurse schedules often help families balance child care.

Nursing, First-hand
Hector Murillo, R.N., a transport nurse for the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, says he knew when he graduated from high school that he wanted to go to college. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to study, but he became interested in nursing because of the many options it offers. He started as a part-time clinical technician, during which time he was exposed to pediatrics and decided to pursue the line of work. “Kids are very resilient,” he says. “I would see them in their sickest state and then see them recover.”

As a pediatric transport nurse, Murillo is part of a two-person team that travels by ambulance, airplane or helicopter to transfer children from one site to a medical facility that is equipped to care for children. The job can be equally exciting and demanding, he says, but the rewards are numerous. Murillo enjoys the opportunity to educate families. “Where I am, there is a high percentage of Spanish speakers. It is a luxury to be able to speak in Spanish and put them at ease by explaining what is going on [in their own language].”

Rosalinda Mireles, R.N., who also works at Dallas’ Children’s Medical Center, says she always knew she wanted to enter the medical field. “I thought I could make the most impact in nursing,” Mireles says. “I spend more time with the patients. I’m a people person, and I get to see the improvement right in front of me.” Mireles also saw nursing as her personal way of serving the Hispanic community. “I saw big language barriers,” she says. “I can talk to families without waiting for a translator. I can see that they are relieved. That makes it rewarding.”

“Where there are rewards,” she says. “There also are challenges.” Although the education required to be a nurse begins with as little as two years of college (an Associate’s degree) and ranges to four or more years of schooling, the road to becoming a nurse and serving in the position is physically and emotionally demanding. “Nursing isn’t just about the medicine. You deal with all aspects of the person—physical, psychological, even spiritual,” Mireles says. “But to see patients go from frightened and ill to healthy and ready to go home is well worth it.”

Filling the Gap
Communicating the many positive aspects of nursing is going to be essential to the future of healthcare for Latinos in the United States. The Cultural Access Group reported in 2004 that 69 percent of Hispanics “prefer to speak Spanish when consulting a physician or healthcare professional. In addition, Otto J. Rodriguez, author of How Latinos Approach Healthcare Issues writes, “Most Latinos would prefer to visit a doctor and/or hospital with a diverse bilingual staff. In addition to the language preference, Latinos often feel that they are treated better by another Latino.”

However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012 and that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 800,000 nurses. With such high demand and incredible advantages there may be no better time for nurses.

“You truly can make a difference and improve the health of all age groups of the Latino community.” Anema says.

 

Hispanics and the future of the Nursing Profession In the United States, Hispanics continue to be underrepresented in the healthcare field. With the population of Hispanics rising every year, the gap will continue to climb and an ever-increasing number of Hispanics will be facing a lack of healthcare professionals who speak their language. Hispanic Facts: Despite being the largest minority group in the United States, Hispanics are vastly underrepresented at a mere 2 percent of the registered nurse population compared to the 14.2 percent of Hispanics which make up the total U.S. population. (2004 National Sample of Registered Nurses) 69% of Hispanics prefer to speak Spanish when consulting a physician or healthcare professional (“The Hispanic Market and Pharmaceutical Drugs”, Cultural Access Group, 2/04) Most Latinos would prefer to visit a doctor and/or hospital with a diverse bilingual staff. In addition to the language preference, Latinos often feel that they are treated better by another Latino. (Rodriguez, Otto J. How Latinos Approach Healthcare Issues. 3/02) Nursing Facts: More than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012 (2/04 Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS Monthly Labor Review) By 2020 there will be a shortage of 800,000 nurses (2003 BLS estimate) In 2004-2005, 32,797 eligible candidates were denied admission into nursing programs (American Association of Colleges of Nursing AACN) In 2004 over 123,000 qualified applicants could not be accommodated in associate’s diploma, and baccalaureate RN training programs (National League for Nursing)

By Diana A. Terry-Azios