Keiser introduces two new nursing initiatives to include health challenges of women and Hispanics

Keiser University was already one of the largest producers of nurses in Florida when this year it launched two initiatives to work on some of the largest hurdles in health care: Providing specialty care to women and to address the specific challenges of Florida’s growing Hispanic population.

This fall, Keiser began enrolling students in its new master’s degree program in women’s health nursing, which is training practitioners in preventive services for women, from adolescence to the health challenges of aging. The program is especially critical in rural areas of the state, where sometimes more than 50% of the population lives without a health care provider, the university says. The program is available at Keiser’s graduate school in Fort Lauderdale.

The university also has partnered with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses to address care disparities and access. The goal is to grow Florida’s Hispanic nursing workforce, currently 15% of the state’s nurses, to match the state’s population of Hispanics, more than 26%.

The effort is lead by a new advisory council of government officials, educators and health experts. “We hope to develop at least three or four recommendations that are practical in nature, that can be implemented, that can address head-on, different issues and challenges that will help alleviate the nursing shortage,” says Belinda Keiser, vice chancellor of Keiser University.

The Florida Hospital Association reports that Florida faces a nursing deficit of nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035.

Tags: Healthcare, Economic Backbone: Nursing