Gap or change opportunity in measurable terms

Sample Solution

  Gap or Change Opportunity The gap or change opportunity that I am interested in is the lack of diversity in the nursing profession. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, only 13.5% of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States are Black or African American, and only 8.9% are Hispanic or Latino. This is significantly lower than the proportion of Black or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos in the general population, which are 13.4% and 18.5%, respectively.

Full Answer Section

    Quantifiable Current State The current state of diversity in the nursing profession can be quantified by looking at the number of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino RNs. As of 2019, there were an estimated 3.2 million RNs in the United States. Of these, 438,000 were Black or African American and 282,000 were Hispanic or Latino. This means that Black or African Americans make up 13.5% of the RN workforce and Hispanics or Latinos make up 8.9% of the RN workforce. Quantifiable Desired Condition The desired condition for diversity in the nursing profession is that the proportion of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino RNs should be equal to the proportion of Black or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos in the general population. This means that there should be 432,000 Black or African American RNs and 344,000 Hispanic or Latino RNs. Quantifiable Gap The quantifiable gap between the current state and the desired state is 94,000 Black or African American RNs and 62,000 Hispanic or Latino RNs. This means that there are 94,000 fewer Black or African American RNs and 62,000 fewer Hispanic or Latino RNs than there should be, based on the proportion of Black or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos in the general population. Methods Used to Identify the Gap The gap between the current state and the desired state was identified by using the following methods:

• Data analysis: The data on the number of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino RNs was analyzed to determine the current state of diversity in the nursing profession.
• Comparison to the general population: The data on the number of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino RNs was compared to the data on the proportion of Black or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos in the general population to determine the desired state of diversity in the nursing profession.

Conclusion The gap between the current state and the desired state for diversity in the nursing profession is significant. There are 94,000 fewer Black or African American RNs and 62,000 fewer Hispanic or Latino RNs than there should be, based on the proportion of Black or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos in the general population. This gap needs to be addressed in order to ensure that the nursing profession is representative of the population it serves. There are a number of things that can be done to address the gap in diversity in the nursing profession. These include:

• Recruiting more Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students into nursing programs: This can be done by reaching out to Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino communities and by making sure that nursing programs are welcoming and inclusive.
• Providing scholarships and financial assistance to Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students who are interested in nursing: This can help to make nursing education more accessible to these students.

  Providing mentorship and support to Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino nurses: This can help to ensure that these nurses feel supported and that they have the resources they need to succeed in their careers.