title: Using social determinants of health to link health workforce diversity, care quality and access, and health disparities to achieve health equity in nursing.
abstract: It is widely accepted that diversifying the nation's health-care workforce is a necessary strategy to increase access to quality health care for all populations, reduce health disparities, and achieve health equity. In this article, we present a conceptual model that utilizes the social determinants of health framework to link nursing workforce diversity and care quality and access to two critical population health indicators-health disparities and health equity. Our proposed model suggests that a diverse nursing workforce can provide increased access to quality health care and health resources for all populations, and is a necessary precursor to reduce health disparities and achieve health equity. With this conceptual model as a foundation, we aim to stimulate the conceptual and analytical work-both within and outside the nursing field-that is necessary to answer these important but largely unanswered questions.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Shanita D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smithey
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Josepha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burnley
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koplitz
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakos
mesh_terms: D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009729:Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D014481:United States; D014488:United States Health Resources and Services Administration / Q000458:organization & administration