Organizational Initiatives for the Recruitment, Retention and Advancement of Black Nurses: A Rapid Review

Black nurses are under-represented in the Canadian nursing workforce. A legacy of discrimination and systemic barriers reinforce the under-representation of Black nurses in the nursing workforce throughout the health system.

The objective of this study was to identify and describe organizational initiatives for the recruitment, retention and advancement of Black nurses in the healthcare system.

We conducted a rapid review of peer-reviewed and grey literature regarding the recruitment, retention and advancement initiatives for Black nurses, in North America and the UK.

Thirty-eight sources were included in this review. Majority of the included sources focused on leadership initiatives that described a multi-pronged approach for recruitment, retention or advancement. Examples of useful initiatives included mentorship, dedicated leadership and advancement programs, as well as supportive institutional policies. In addition, several Black nurse-led organizations/initiatives were identified.

These findings highlight the importance of multi-pronged approaches to enhance and support the Black nurse workforce. In addition, implementing and evaluating initiatives is critical to understanding how workforce representation and inclusion is strengthened.