Having diversity among your providers is important within the NICU. Cultural factors influence how families interact with NICU staff, including language and customs. For parents who are already experiencing the exhaustion and emotional toll of having a baby in the NICU, being able to maintain consistent communication and establish trust with their caregivers is critical. These strong patient/provider relationships can be fostered when the NICU environment is one of inclusivity, and that starts with having a diverse team of providers.
If you’re looking to increase diversity among the providers in your NICU, here are some strategies to consider.
Promote Cultural Competency
Cultural competence training can educate and engage providers to understand and embrace cultural differences to better understand their patient population. While you may wish to develop and implement training programs specific to the NICU, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services offers a free e-learning program for continuing education on culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in maternal care.
Recruit Strategically
With targeted recruitment strategies, you can attract NNPs and other NICU providers from underrepresented backgrounds to your hospital. Research indicates that feeling consulted and included in their child’s care is critically important for mothers of high-risk neonates. Having a diverse team could help to prevent language barriers as well as the racial and ethnic gaps that could affect communication between patients’ families and providers.
Support Education Opportunities
In addition to recruiting NNPs and other providers from underrepresented backgrounds, you can also advocate for greater access to education opportunities and mentorship programs for students from diverse backgrounds. Partnering with local nursing schools is one starting point to consider.
Ensure Diversity within Leadership Roles
Since NNPs will likely engage with patients’ families the most, diversity among these providers is perhaps most important for creating an inclusive environment. Yet, if NNPs are to feel supported, they must see that diversity is a priority for your hospital at all levels, not just among nurses. Diverse leadership in healthcare organizations can facilitate inclusivity and drive equitable decisions. Encourage the prioritization of diversity in recruitment for leadership roles, too.
Develop a Supportive Work Environment
It’s not enough to simply hire providers from diverse backgrounds. The workplace must also be a supportive environment where people of all cultures can thrive and pursue professional growth and development. To facilitate this, consider developing employee resource groups and mentoring programs.
Stay Accountable
Setting goals to increase diversity in the NICU is a great starting point. Yet, you’ll also need to monitor to make sure your healthcare organization is making meaningful progress in its diversity initiatives. Set measurable goals with specific milestones so you can continue to track progress and outcomes.
NICU staffing is a unique challenge, especially amid current healthcare shortages. Fortunately, Ensearch can help. Solving NNP staffing challenges is what we do. We help hospitals and other healthcare organizations grow their NICU teams with qualified talent who aligns with their workplace culture and supports their core strategy and initiatives. Get started on your search by scheduling a consultation with Ensearch today.
