Sacramento-zone nurse made it his purpose to diversify his field of healthcare

May 9, 2023 : National Nurses Day was Saturday and the official beginning of Nurse Appreciation Week.

A Sacramento-region nurse has made it his mission to diversify his healthcare area. For Carter Todd, a nurse manager at Kaiser Roseville and ex PICU nurse, it’s a devotion.

“We are type of the glue to the healthcare system,” Todd stated.

Creating the pipeline to get more minority nurses in the field is why he established the Capitol City Black Nurses Association.

“Gatherings of color, our expression historically has not been there,” Todd declared.

Data indicates only about 5% of California nurses are Black.

“The proof shows when you have healthcare professionals that look like you, comprehend where you’re from, speak the same vocabulary, you’re going to get better supervision,” Todd displayed.

Differences stem from lacking stem classes in many middle and high schools with fewer aids. Todd says getting rigid science and math courses for all pupils is where change begins.

“If you are in a school that historically doesn’t welcome the same budget as a school district right next to you, it’s hard to get that same entry,” he sounded.

When it reaches to making a change in the nursing field, Todd stated he wants it to “help everybody” and “be for everybody.”

A stunning report released in April by the California Hospital Association discovered 1 in 5 hospitals in the state are at risk of closure. One of the multiple factors is workforce shortages.

For Todd, his position is more crucial now than ever.

“Burnout on the front line for healthcare specialists is real. This last three years it really just boosted how tough it is,” Todd stated.

Todd said he’s transforming the narrative and pushing his career to young people who may not know it’s possible.

“Nursing is for everybody. It should be an opportunity for everybody. I think we are reaching there. I’m really proud of the purpose we are leading and work we have been doing over the past five years,” he said.

On a mission – to bring more minorities in medicine – and not quitting – until barriers are split down.

Scholarships are public for new students in nursing meant to invest in the next generation.