title: Racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. national nurse workforce 1988-2013.
abstract: The objective of this article is to examine the racial and ethnic diversity profile of the nurse workforce over time and by geographic region. We conducted survey analysis using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses from 1988 to 2008, and further supplemented our trend analysis using published findings from the 2013 National Workforce Survey of Registered Nurses. The gap in racial/ethnic minority representation between the RN workforce and the population has been persistent and has widened over time. This diversity gap is primarily due to underrepresentation of Hispanics and Blacks in the RN workforce, which varied across states and regions, with the largest gaps occurring for Hispanics in the South and West and for Blacks in the South. Greater levels of sustained and targeted support to increase nurse workforce diversity are needed and should be geared not only to specific underrepresented groups but also to the regions and states with the greatest needs.
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester School of Nursing, NY, USA ying_xue@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: University at Buffalo School of Nursing, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009726:Nurses / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: diversity; minority; nurse workforce; nursing shortage