Since the year 1968, affirmative action requires employers to increase equality in working places. Healthcare setting at the time was a white workplace. The government has introduced various programs to support the inclusion of minority groups in healthcare including pipeline programs. Pipeline program was meant to provide educational and career support for high school and college students who are the potentials to join the health professions program. Different pipeline programs have been developed since 1968. Developing a pipeline program for high school students is complicated because the aim is to motivate potential healthcare students from underserved populations.
Pipeline Program
The pipeline program that I propose is the diversity program for potential nursing students from high school. The program will implement four major strategies to support students from minority groups. The program will aim at providing Psychological support, career shadowing, academic support and stipends and scholarship strategies ( Cordell et al., 2017) . The aim of the program is to ensure that we increase the number of students taking part in the nursing profession by demonstration channels that will attract persons from minority groups.
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Length of the Program
The length of the program will be determined by its successes to recruit the underprivileged and students from minority groups in high school into joining the program. The success will be measured by the number of students who will enroll in healthcare courses throughout the program. It is an approach that will be used for five years and if it is the number of persons enrolling for healthcare courses increases the program will be implemented for many years. After the five years a decline in the number of people recruited will mean the termination of the program.
Teaching Strategies
In high school students are still not aware of the key elements in the Nursing profession. Therefore academic support strategy will include establishing a mini-health sciences school, a bridge program, establishing introductory classes to nursing or general healthcare classes. As mentioned, students in high school are still figuring what they want in the future ( Cordell et al., 2017) . It is the right time to introduce a mini-health Sciences school where students from different backgrounds can attend. From such an institution the teachers will introduce sciences that are concerned with healthcare and it is for the students to choose the course they are most interested. The program aim at implementing a nursing bridge program for underrepresented students from minority groups. The Bridge program aims at helping these students college-level material concerning nursing. Pipeline programs provide vital orientation and encourage students from underrepresented groups the motivation to take up a nursing course.
Career shadowing strategy as an approach of outreach and recruitment strategy. One of the ways to reach high school students to take nursing courses is through job shadowing. Students from the minority are likely to gain interest when given a chance to experience firsthand ( Cordell et al., 2017) . While the high school might not take part in the work done by the nurses spending time with the nurses will provide sufficient insight into the work that nurses do. High school students have a chance to see what it is like working as a nurse. The experience creates a desire to work in nursing.
Psychological support to underrepresented high school students to show them that they have the same capabilities as all other students. Lack of psychological support for students from minority groups is one of the factors that has led to the underrepresentation of students from certain groups. The program will focus on introducing the students to nursing, preparing the students psychologically and providing the necessary support. Research indicates that students from underserved populations are likely to drop out of college after the second year because of different hardships experienced throughout the course ( Cordell et al., 2017) . However, identifying these students from high school and providing psychological support in advance will prepare these students for college life and motivate these students to take nursing courses. Psychological support is an outreach and recruitment strategy as students are likely to take a course where they can access the necessary support.
Stipends and scholarships strategies may sound illogical for high school students because they have not exactly decided on taking the nursing courses. However, promising high school students from minority groups that motivate these persons to develop the desire to join these courses ( Cordell et al., 2017) . High school students from underserved populations are likely to be demotivated by knowing that they will not afford to pursue the courses of their interest in college. However, through the pipeline program educating these students on scholarships and stipends may ignite the desire for these persons to pursue the healthcare course of their interest.
Disparities in healthcare have been a major problem. Research indicates that neighborhoods with minority groups are not well represented in healthcare and also do not receive quality care as only a few healthcare providers are willing to work in these areas. Social determinants such as education, employment, neighborhood, socioeconomic status and so forth contribute to health disparities ( Bouye, McCleary & Williams, 2016) . However, one of the ways of reducing health disparities through social determinants is by providing pipeline programs to underserved populations.
Pipeline program provides a platform where parties from underrepresented populations can complete their education and acquire employment. People who complete their pipeline program and get employed are likely to have better socioeconomic status, better education, income, housing which are key factors to eliminating health disparities ( Adler, Glymour, & Fielding, 2016) . In addition, the improved life for these persons means improved status for their families.
Four Influences That Could Increase Minority Students into Healthcare Careers
Pipeline programs play a key role in promoting diversity in healthcare settings. Healthcare providers who come to underserved populations are likely to serve the marginalized population because they have experience with the situation of the underrepresented communities. Increasing the number of caregivers from minority groups it increases the opportunity of receiving care for people from minority groups. Pipeline program enhances the recruitment of students from underrepresented populations that play a major role in increasing access to quality healthcare for populations that are vulnerable thus decreasing health disparities ( Bouye, McCleary & Williams, 2016) .
Pipeline programs help address the educational opportunity gaps that have existed and have resulted in disparities in access to healthcare ( Bouye, McCleary & Williams, 2016) . Pipeline programs are educational enrichment approaches that are meant that increase knowledge about healthcare. Students from marginalized minorities who go through the pipeline program are likely to improve the perception of health in their family and community.
Pipeline programs for college students motivate the student to come back to the community and educate the underrepresented populations on the importance of education and seeking quality healthcare ( Smith et al., 2009) . Pipeline programs are targeted to a specific community. Educating people from underserved populations is like educating the entire community on healthcare and its importance.
Recruitment Measures
Three measurement approaches will evaluate the recruitment for the less privileged students into the program. The program will include calculating the number of students who turn-up for enrollment, the students who are retained in the program after recruitments and the students who join a healthcare course after completing the program in high school.
Conclusion
The Pipeline Program will encourage the enrollment of students from underrepresented populations to take nursing courses. It will help address the underrepresented minorities in the nursing profession. For a long time, anti-affirmative actions have been a hindrance to the preparation of students to make the necessary preparations for programs that are crucial to producing nurses from minority groups. According to Bouye, McCleary, and Williams (2016), there are few caregivers of color thus reducing the number of persons who are likely to work in underrepresented communities and reduce disparities related to healthcare.
References
Adler, N. E., Glymour, M. M., & Fielding, J. (2016). Addressing social determinants of health and health inequalities. Jama , 316 (16), 1641-1642.
Bouye, K. E., McCleary, K. J., & Williams, K. B. (2016). Increasing diversity in the health professions: reflections on student pipeline programs. Journal of healthcare, science, and the humanities , 6 (1), 67.
Cordell, R. L., Cordeira, K. L., Cohen, L. P., & Bensyl, D. M. (2017). Building the pipeline: programs to introduce middle school, high school, medical, and veterinary students to careers in epidemiology and public health. Annals of epidemiology , 27 (11), 752-755.
Smith, S. G., Nsiah-Kumi, P. A., Jones, P. R., & Pamies, R. J. (2009). Pipeline programs in the health professions, part 1: preserving diversity and reducing health disparities. Journal of the National Medical Association , 101 (9), 836-851.
