When the United States racial landscape is becoming more diverse, the continued lack of ethnic minority in nursing leadership or academic positions remains a matter of concern. While the United States is making great strides in increasing the number of blacks and other ethnic minority in nursing, their access to leadership positions continues to lag behind (Smiley et al., 2018). Discrimination, opportunity biases, and differential expectations may, in part, discourage black nurses from seeking or remaining in leadership or faculty positions (Baxter, Archibong, Likupe, & Jogi, 2015; Hassouneh & Lutz, 2013, 2013). Furthermore, other studies reported that white nurse managers branded black nurses as unmotivated, passing them over for career advancement opportunities (Baxter, Archibong, Likupe, & Jogi, 2015; Likupe, 2015). However, the paucity of existing studies prevent a good understanding of the barriers preventing black nurses to seek and apply for leadership and faculty positions in nursing.
The purpose of this study is to:
- Examine how the perception of racism or racial bias by black nurses impedes their motivation to seek and apply for nursing leadership and faculty positions, and
- Identify other perceived barriers that prevent them from moving forward with careers in academia or nursing leadership.
Methods:
A focused ethnographic study of black nurses was conducted using individual semi-structured interviews to examine their perception about racism in nursing and its effect on their career advancement. Twenty-five eligible participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Data was analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis by Burnard and colleagues (2008). Data collection and analysis were conducted simultaneously within the tradition of focused ethnography (Creswell & Poth, 2017; Higginbottom, Pillay, & Boadu, 2013).
Results:
Analysis of the data revealed interesting themes regarding opportunities, expectations, practice environment, and current leadership performance. The majority of the participants (24 out of 25) believed that racism is a barrier to career advancement. Discrimination and stereotyping play a major role in discouraging black nurses from seeking or remaining in leadership and faculty positions. These factors led to loss of confidence which in turn limited their aspiration for advancement to leadership. However, if they were offered the opportunity and support, all of them would have accepted leadership/faculty role. This study also revealed that although many participating nurses who experienced racism went back to graduate schools, they were disappointed to realize that these advanced degrees did not help to improve their chances for career advancement.
Conclusion:
Although black nurses are motivated to seek leadership position, perceived unequal performance expectations and employment bias decreased their motivation to seek these positions. Institutionalized racism in nursing is a major problem that must be addressed. It remains a cultural concept seldom discussed in nursing (Baptiste, 2015; Waite & Nardi, 2019). It is critical that nursing continue to work diligently to reverse the antiquated trend of black underrepresentation in the nursing leadership and academia. More future studies are needed to assess black nurses’ perception and motivation to seek leadership and faculty position.