Growth and diversification of the perinatal nursing workforce: An American Academy of Nursing consensus paper

Abstract

Perinatal care in the United States is in crisis. U.S. childbearing women are dying at higher rates than in comparable economically developed countries, despite the fact that four of every five perinatal deaths are preventable. The crisis disproportionately affects Black and American Indian and Alaska Native women, who are dying at two to three times the rate of their White counterparts. These disparities have been linked to systemic and structural racism and lack of access to care. A perinatal care workforce that reflects and meets the needs of a racially and ethnically diverse U.S. population is warranted to increase the likelihood of equitable care and decrease perinatal disparities. Using a health equity lens, this paper provides policy recommendations for a system-wide approach to growing and diversifying the perinatal nursing workforce as part of the solution to decrease disparities in perinatal outcomes.