Increasing Diversity in the Advanced Practice Nursing Workforce Through Partnerships With Historically Black Colleges.

Health inequities have enhanced efforts to diversify the nursing workforce. Despite recruitment strategies, the percentage of Black nurse practitioners (NPs) lags in comparison with the populous.Barriers to improving workforce diversity can be traced to academic nursing's lack of diversity in faculty, under-resourced education opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds, and historical hurdles.One systems-level approach to increasing NP workforce diversity is developing pathway programs aimed at preparing, recruiting, and supporting Black students into advanced practice nursing education. Current undergraduate RN students from 2 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) attended a 1-week summer immersion program at a graduate school of nursing at a predominately White institution.Pathway programs for Black undergraduate RN students show promise for increasing awareness of graduate nursing, offering race and ethnicity concordant mentorship, and cultivating deep awareness for health equity.

Duke Scholars

Author Brigit Maria Carter School of Nursing

Author Anne Lynn Derouin School of Nursing

Author Ragan Johnson School of Nursing