Associated Press
The University of Alabama is launching a program to increase the number of Hispanic nurses involved in health care.
The Capstone College of Nursing has received a $1.7 million grant for the Bama-Latino Project, which aims to recruit Hispanics into baccalaureate nursing programs.
Alabama nursing professor Normal Cuellar says in a statement that the registered nurse workforce is currently 83 percent white, and those people care for a very diverse population. She says that can cause communication and cultural problems.
The Bama-Latino Project will provide scholarships to help students get into nursing programs. The school will recruit at least 20 students annually over four years, with the first group starting in the fall.
Cuellar hopes students finish their bachelor’s degrees in nursing and go on to seek advanced degrees.
