Clearing a path for diverse leadership

Clearing a path for diverse leadership 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 9/20/24 
Creating a diverse nurse workforce and leadership team takes intentionality. "Diversity doesn't happen by itself. It takes effort, thought and planning," Jesus Cepero, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer, senior vice president patient care services at Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Medicine Children's Health, told Becker's. Dr. Cepero first joined Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford four years ago and said part of what made him comfortable joining was seeing the diverse team of executives already at the hospital. "Since then, our diversity at the executive level has grown," he said. "This shift has transformed our culture, promoting a sense of safety and belonging, which is key to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce." Now, he oversees 3,500 employees and one of his priorities is to further diversity work at the system. Here are his three guidelines for building a more diverse workforce and leadership team:

• Removing education barriers ... One of the greatest barriers to creating a diverse executive team is education. Many executive roles require a masters or doctoral degree. Dr. Cepero has helped seven individuals earn advanced degrees by removing barriers and supporting them during their programs. 
  
• Mentoring high performers ... "I've been a CNO for 14 years, but I wouldn't be here without those mentors and coaches who supported my development," Dr. Cepero said.
• Creating a homes ... Dr. Cepero noted that creating a home for diverse employees is critical. ...