Despite ongoing engagement to enhance workforce diversity in health care, many challenges exist that is rooted in historic and contemporary inequities. Efforts to diversify the health care workforce need to include robust strategic plan to diversify the health care faculty (Kaufman, 2007; Nivet et al., 2008; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [RWHF], 2007). The findings from the National Center for Education Statistics revealed that while nearly 30 percent of undergraduate students around the nation are considered minorities, only 12 percent of full time faculty come from minority backgrounds (Musu-Gillette et al, 2010). Additionally, the full -time professors of color are just around 9 percent (Musu-Gillette et al, 2010). The composition of the faculty does not mirror the changing demographics in academia, especially within nursing discipline as even less evidence of diversity exists among nursing faculty positions (Phillips, & Malone, 2014; National Advisory Council for Nursing Education and Practice [NACNEP], 2013).
The importance of a diverse faculty and their abilities to attract and recruit students from underrepresented minority groups play an important role in promoting diversity (Stanley, Capers, & Berlin, 2008). In addition, minority faculty can be mentors, role models and create a sense of belonging and community that can encourage retention of the underrepresented minority students. In the discipline of nursing, there is a greater urgency as there is a significant shortage of nursing faculty (Peter, 2014). In particular, the shortage of nursing faculty from minority backgrounds is alarming (Stanley, Capers, & Berlin, 2008). National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice reported that the lack of diversity among nursing faculty lags behind overall minority representation among U.S. faculty across disciplines (NACNEP, 2010).
A great need for a body of research exists to further understand the desired and received support as shared by the minority nursing faculty to facilitate their success in academia. Understanding the issues minority faculty face can help in creating successful recruitment and retention efforts, targeting potential under-represented minority educators who can better meet the changing landscape of the student demographics and contribute to the health equity efforts.
Purpose: The purpose of this online survey is to examine the desired and received support for racial and ethnic minority nursing faculty in the U.S. to facilitate their success in academia. We hope this study contributes to enhance the satisfaction, retainment and promotion of minority faculty in nursing schools throughout the U.S.
Methods: In this descriptive survey study, we developed an 18-item online survey in Qualtrics and pilot tested in two racial/ethnic minority faculty at Seattle University College of Nursing for content validity. The survey was also reviewed by three senior faculty members with expertise in instrument tool development. After modifications, the survey was distributed to racial and ethnic minority faculty in the U.S. via email by contacting Deans/Chairs/Directors of 83 nursing schools with potentially high numbers of racial and ethnic minority faculty. The research team searched racial and ethnic minority faculty of the nursing schools’ website by name and picture, and contacting the President/Key Personnel of other professional organizations such as National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Association, Asian American Pacific Islander Nurse Association, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, American Nurse Association, American Association of Nurse Practitioner. Racial and ethnic minority faculty in nursing schools throughout the US at all levels who are full time or part time, non-tenure track and tenure track/tenured with various teaching years are invited to participate. Racial minority faculty include American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and Mixed Race. Ethnic group include Hispanic or Latino. Any faculty not meeting the inclusion criteria filled out the survey will be excluded from our analysis. The survey will be available for 16 weeks from September 2018 - December 2018. Data analysis will occur in January 2019. Descriptive statistics will be used to analyze the data. A summary of themes will be identified from the qualitative open-ended questions.
Results: We have over 110 participants so far. The survey will be closed in December of 2018.
Conclusion: pending