A roadmap for the nursing scientific workforce to eliminate health and healthcare inequities

Vincent Guilamo-Ramos; Marco Thimm-Kaiser; Adam Benzekri; Marissa D Abram; Michael P Cary Jr.,

doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102272

A roadmap for the nursing scientific workforce to eliminate health and healthcare inequities

Nurs Outlook. 2024 Oct 1;72(6):102272. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102272. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Vincent Guilamo-Ramos¹, Marco Thimm-Kaiser², Adam Benzekri³, Marissa D Abram⁴, Michael P Cary Jr.,⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Policy Solutions, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC; Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC; National Advisory Council for Nursing Research, National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), Washington, DC. Electronic address: vincentramos@jhu.edu.
² Institute for Policy Solutions, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC; Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.
³ Institute for Policy Solutions, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC; Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC; Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY.
⁴ School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC.
⁵ School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC; Equity Scholar, Duke AI Health, Duke University, Durham, NC.

PMID: 39357118
DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102272

Abstract

Background: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Ending Unequal Treatment report emphasizes immediate actions to eliminate health inequities (i.e., solutions-oriented health inequity research), versus incrementally advancing health equity. Nurse scientists are uniquely positioned to lead national efforts to eliminate health inequities.

Purpose: To outline nursing science's contributions to solutions-oriented health inequity research, highlight opportunities and challenges for nursing leadership, and key competencies for which workforce support infrastructure is needed.

Methods: We draw on the landmark 2024 Ending Unequal Treatment report, supplemented by a review of the literature on scientific nursing-specific workforce challenges.

Discussion: We identify strategies for sustaining and advancing nursing science's leadership in solutions-oriented health inequity research, including objectives, competencies, and programmatic elements needed to support current and future nurse investigators.

Conclusion: Bolstering the nursing scientific workforce in solutions-oriented health inequity will elevate the critical role of nursing science in eliminating health inequities and improving population health.

Keywords: Nursing leadership; Representative workforce; Scientific workforce; Solutions-oriented health inequity research; Workforce support.