title: Racial/Ethnic Pay Disparities among Registered Nurses (RNs) in U.S. Hospitals: An Econometric Regression Decomposition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the presence of racial and ethnic pay disparities between minority and white hospital RNs using a national sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, 2008, which is representative at both the state and national level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data were analyzed using multivariate regression and regression decomposition. Differences between groups were decomposed into differences in the possession of characteristics and differences in the value of the same characteristic between different groups, the latter being a commonly used measure of wage discrimination.
  
  
  METHODS
  As the majority of minority hospital RNs are employed within the most densely populated (central) counties of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), only hospital RNs employed in the central counties of MSAs were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regression decomposition found that black and Hispanic RNs earned less than whites and Asians, while Asian RNs earned more than white RNs. The majority of pay variation between white RNs, versus Asian, black, or Hispanic RNs was due to unexplained differences in the value of the same characteristic between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in earnings between underrepresented and overrepresented hospital RNs is suggestive of discrimination.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Workforce Studies, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, The Sage Colleges, Troy, NY.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Continelli
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007750:Labor Unions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017059:Models, Econometric; D009726:Nurses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Regression decomposition; minority RNs; racial/ethnic wage disparities