Making nursing more diverse
Today’s episode kicks off a series of interviews in support of Black History Month. For the next four weeks, we’ll be featuring conversations with leading voices in the Black nursing community around topics like building a more diverse nursing workforce, creating inclusive workplaces and providing equitable patient care.
Our first conversation is with Dr. Rumay Alexander. Rumay is currently a professor in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing. She was also the first nurse ever to serve as the university’s Associate Vice-Chancellor/Chief Diversity Officer. Throughout her career, she’s been “the first” or “the only” in many of her roles, whether it was the first woman, the first African American or the first person ever to hold a given role. It’s a perspective that has shaped much of her career and her passion for topics like diversity, inclusion, belonging and justice.
Dan and Rumay talk in depth about how to make nursing at both the bedside and in academia more representative of the population overall. Rumay shares the strategies she used to widen the funnel of students at UNC, her thoughts on what good leadership looks like when it comes to advancing the cause of diversity, and how COVID-19 has actually been helpful in opening our collective eyes.
Links to recommended reading:
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing
- National League of Nursing
- Disruptive Demographics: Their Effects on Nursing Demand, Supply and Academic Preparation
- Diversity and inclusion research: G. Rumay Alexander (video)
- The Role of Allyship in Healthcare and Nursing
- Black History Month 2021 – Honoring Black Healthcare Leaders
The full transcript for this episode can be found here: www.trustedhealth.com/the-handoff-podcast/rumay-alexander
