NBNA BRIEFING PAPER ON HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES
The disparities in health care continue to be one of the most critical issues affecting African Americans in this country. The Heckler Report of the 1980's identified ten major preventable health issues which, if properly addressed could contribute to increasing the life span of African American women, men and children. Ten years later, Healthy People 2000 provided the blueprint for addressing the devastating health problems America, and Blacks in particular, faced. Now, in 2002 there is alarming information on the widening of gaps in health care between African Americans and others. Healthy People 2010, again recommends the strategies necessary to address the continued disparities.
Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, mental health, women and children's health continue to plague minorities, specifically African Americans at alarming rates. For African Americans, when compared to whites, the infant mortality rate is twice as high, coronary heart disease is 40% more, women have a higher death rate from breast cancer, the death rate from HIV/AIDS is seven times more, and the rate of homicide is six times that of whites. Additionally, women who are poor, on welfare, less educated, unemployed and from certain racial and ethnic populations are more likely to experience depression.
The National Black Nurses Association is guided by the principle that African American nurses have the understanding, knowledge, interest, concern, and the expertise to make a significant difference in the health care status of African American communities across the nation. NBNA is committed to improving the quality of life of persons who share the African American heritage and other ethnic groups by:
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Building consumer knowledge and understanding health care
issues; |
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Educating and mentoring registered nurses, license
vocational/practical nurses, nursing students and retired nurses; |
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Facilitating the professional development and career
advancement of nurses in emerging health care systems.
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Therefore, in order to improve and enhance the health care of African Americans, NBNA recommends support of the following initiatives, which includes expanded funding for:
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Nursing education targeted to increase the number of ethnic
minority nurses at the baccalaureate degree level. |
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Education and training of health care providers who will
provide culturally competent and culturally relevant health care services. |
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Faculty development and recruitment to address the dwindling
nurse workforce. |
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Training of more nurse scientists as faculty, researchers
and health policy experts who can address the racial and ethnic health care
disparities that disproportionately impact African Americans. |
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Research to determine staffing ratios and patient outcomes,
factors contributing to patient errors and safety, and how to create a safe
health care delivery system. |
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Increased funding for demonstration programs/research for the development of cultural competency in nursing care delivery. |
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Increased funding for more ethnic minority researchers to do research with ethnic minority subjects. |
The NBNA Briefing Paper on Health Care Disparities was presented during the National Black Nurses Day on Capitol Hill on February 7, 2002.
2/6/2002
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