The voice of Black academic nurse leaders in the United States: A qualitative study

Black and African American people make up a little over 13% of the United States population. Black nurses represent 7.8% of US nurses and 8.7% of nursing faculty. The exact percentage of Black nurses in academic leadership cannot be ascertained. Studies indicate the need to diversify nursing at every level including academic nursing leadership.

The purpose of this study is to examine the everyday lived experiences of Black academic nurse leaders in the United States through the Critical Race Theory perspectives.

A qualitative narrative research study design was employed for the study. Data were collected from 34 Black academic nurse leaders using unstructured interview.

The findings of the study were classified under six major themes; the path to academic leadership, we need trust and support, the pressure for positive representation, uppity Black nurse, and treading a thin line.

This study provides an insight into the insights into the intersection of race and gendered experiences of Black academic nurse leaders. Nursing education is in a unique position to maximize the human capital potential of Black nurses in the workplace, especially those graduating from graduate programs around the country.