Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Composition Among Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Faculty Ranks

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Workforce Diversity

Background:

• Minority nursing faculty face challenges in promotion due to lack of awareness, mentoring, and stress.
• Despite overall diversity increases, higher faculty ranks lack representation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) faculty in the United States.
• To identify diversity gaps in NNP faculty positions.

Main Methods:

• A nonexperimental survey was distributed to all accredited NNP programs in the US.
• Demographic data on NNP faculty were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• 84% of the 128 survey participants identified as White.
• Only 8 non-White respondents held Professor or Associate Professor ranks.
• The study identified only 2 male participants, both in higher faculty ranks.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights a significant lack of racial and ethnic diversity in higher-ranking NNP faculty positions.
• Findings align with previous evidence of underrepresentation in higher academic ranks across healthcare professions.
• Rectifying barriers to diversification is essential for achieving patient health equity.