Increasing Latino participation in the Nursing Profession.

At more than 2.2 million strong, registered nurses (RNs) represent the largest single occupation in the health care industry (BLS 2004). Their role is increasingly sophisticated, encompassing much more than direct patient care. They manage lower level staff and serve as patient advocates. With advancing health care technology and the increasing use of prescription drugs, nursing often requires significant technical expertise. As such, nurses are the lynchpin of the highly complex health care team that currently defines today’s health care delivery system.

At the same time, the United States is in the midst of yet another nursing shortage. The current nursing workforce is aging and retiring, and not enough young people are entering its ranks. There are many
factors contributing to this gap between supply and demand: An aging population requiring skilled nursing care; a health care delivery system that has become more technologically sophisticated; and mandatory
minimum staffing ratios that stem from the correlation between staffing ratios and health care outcomes.

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