The nursing profession is one of the most important professions there is, considering how health impacts every component of life. 

While people of all backgrounds are subject to need nurses at some point in their in their lives, the fact of the matter is, that it isn’t always there.

A lack of nurses, particularly diverse nurses, can literally be a matter of life or death.

Hispanics represent about 18.1% of the U.S. population, with that percentage expected to more than double by 2050. 

“Unfortunately, Hispanic healthcare providers do not mirror this escalating number,” said Nurse Cookie Sanchez, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN).

Currently, Hispanic nurses represent only 4% of the nursing workforce in the U.S. With factors, such as language barriers, playing a huge role in some potential patients’ reasoning to not see a doctor, the need for diverse, multilingual nurses becomes much more of a priority.

“When the nursing workforce reflects its patient demographic, communication improves thus making the patient feel more comfortable,” said Sanchez. “A person who has little in common with you cannot adequately advocate for your benefit.”

“To be both a bilingual and bicultural nurse is an essential necessity to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services in areas such as Philadelphia where a growing number of Hispanic patients either do not speak or cannot communicate comfortably in English,” she added.

As a way to help address this, the Philadelphia chapter of NAHN began hosting an annual Scholarship & Awards Gala, in 2002, for diverse nursing students from across the region. This year’s gala will provide four scholarships.

“The Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) considers education a priority to empower and promote Hispanics pursuing a nursing profession,” said Sanchez.

The NAHN Philadelphia Annual Scholarship & Award Gala will take place on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019 from 7:30pm to 11:30pm at The Felt Factory in Philadelphia. To purchase a ticket, you can click here.