The Department of Health and Human Services will hand out over $20 million in “diversity” grants this year aimed at increasing the number of minority nurses, even as the Trump administration has sought to crack down on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The purpose of the initiative, known as the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWP) Program, is to “increase nursing education opportunities for individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented among registered nurses).” It is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of HHS, and has distributed nearly $200 million in grants since 2008.
The program’s Notice of Funding lays out the purposes of the program, which include increasing racial minorities enrolled in nursing programs and increasing the number of minorities who receive “support” to stay in nursing programs.
The notice refers to a glossary from the Bureau of Health Workforce to define “underrepresented” racial and ethnic minorities. This definition excludes both whites and Asians, and only includes American Indians or Alaska Natives, black or African Americans, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics.
