Measuring Marginalization in Academic Nursing: Theory-Aligned and Domain-Specific Disparities

Racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) nursing faculty remain underrepresented, while theory-aligned measurement of marginalization in faculty samples is limited.

In a cross-sectional survey of faculty from CCNE-accredited programs (N = 715), participants completed demographics and the 19-item Englund Marginality Index (EMI). Welch-corrected t tests and ANCOVA with bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrapping (5,000 resamples) examined racial differences and race × age/rank interactions, adjusting for age, rank, tenure, and gender.

REM faculty reported higher EMI total scores than White faculty. Largest disparities were in intermediacy and differentiation, with smaller but significant gaps in secrecy, voice, liminality, and reflectiveness; power was non-significant. Adjusted models confirmed group differences and significant race × age and race × rank interactions. The total model explained approximately 58% of variance.

Findings localize marginalization to bridgework and hierarchy. Institutions should implement formal sponsorship, inclusive governance, and equity-aligned evaluation, with targeted support for early-career faculty.