Attrition in nursing among Black and White nurses

Fundamental to dealing with the problems associated with attracting and retaining nurses during a tight labour market are issues centreing upon attrition from the field. In the United States, attrition has become such a significant issue that efforts to attract individuals to the field and recruit them to positions in the health care industry are not adequate to offset the flow of individuals from the field, much less bring in the additional nurses who are needed for an ageing population with increasing health care needs. As an example of the seriousness of the problem, it is probably safe to say that of the students who graduate from nursing schools each year and who enter the field of nursing, a significant number will no longer be practicing after 5 years in the profession. In a high attrition environment, even if many individuals were entering nursing, these losses will potentially offset any gains that are made. From the perspective of this study, it is important to know what is leading nurses to leave their careers. Do all nurses face the same challenges in the course of their careers, or is the pattern of turnover somewhat different for different groups of nurses or those in different stages of their careers? In this study, we consider what career differences may exist between the two major groups of nurses in the USA today -- Black and White nurses -- and ask whether there are differences between the two groups in terms of 'whether' and 'why' they may be leaving the field. Our primary purpose was to determine if differences in attrition exist between Black and White nurses, and if so, where in the career process are those differences most pronounced. Based on our analysis of data from the National Science Foundation, we do find significant differences in patterns of attrition for the two groups and we suggest what we believe may be their implications for policy.