DEI and our Nation’s Health: Strengthening the Nurses of Color Workforce

Dr. Danielle McCamey is the founder, president, and CEO of DNPs of Color (DOC). This national nonprofit organization is dedicated to addressing the country’s most complex health inequities by increasing the number of nurses of color and supporting and empowering this underrepresented segment of the healthcare workforce. 

Launched in 2020, DOC has steadily expanded its efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion as vital tools for improving the nation’s overall health. Dr. McCamey discussed with the Click what has been achieved so far, and why organizations like DOC are crucial to our nation’s health. 

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

The Click: What led you to found DOCs? 

“As an African American nurse, pursuing a doctoral degree was both transformative for my career and extremely challenging,” Dr. McCamey said. “I felt invisible, isolated, and that there were many opportunities for mentoring and professional development that I was not getting.”  

She quickly realized she was not alone. This inspired her to create an online Facebook group, where the response was overwhelming. According to Dr. McCamey, many nurses of color share similar experiences, and because of this, they decided to turn words into action. 

Why focus on DNP nurses of color? 

Based on 2023 data from the American Association of Colleges of  Nursing, more than 80 percent of nurses are white. The nursing workforce is the largest group of healthcare professionals, with 4.7 million workers in the United States.

 “The lack of diversity and inclusion is most evident at the highest levels of nursing education, where nurses earn doctoral degrees,” Dr. McCamey said. 

Doctor of nursing practice or DNP programs train nurses  to become leaders and to innovate  healthcare systems at the most senior levels. 

According to Dr. McCamey, the underrepresentation of DNPs of color weakens the healthcare workforce’s ability to address population health. 

What has DOC accomplished to date? 

“DOC’s greatest achievement is the annual national conference, which draws over 300 in-person attendees each year and is now in its fifth year”, she said. 

Dr. McCamey shared how DOC has also built a mentorship network to help DNP nurses navigate their careers. Additionally, DOC supports DNPs of color in transforming their written work into peer-reviewed, clinically impactful publications. 

“Much of this professional writing focuses on underserved, marginalized, and minoritized patient populations. The limited presence of this research in peer-reviewed clinical journals creates gaps in the knowledge needed for effective care of underserved communities,” Dr. McCamey said. 

Dr. McCamey also shared that DOC has launched a program specifically to support male nurses, who are greatly underrepresented in the profession.

Why do organizations like DOC matter for the nation’s health

Without an inclusive and representative workforce, the health needs of our nation cannot be met, Dr. McCamey explained.  

In 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) study entitled  Ending Unequal Treatment found that at both the individual and population levels, Black and other patients of color experienced better clinical outcomes when their providers were also Black and/or shared other critical aspects of their identities. 

The underlying reasons for this are not completely clear. However, factors such as racism in healthcare have been suggested. 

 ”I think that the data has been there consistently for decades. The stories are there. That can’t be denied (…)  a whole host of folks that were impacted by racist structures that have resulted in severe [negative health] impacts for them.”

Dr. McCamey will continue to support the professional development of DNP nurses of color, and in doing so, improve health for everyone.