The numbers show the gap. The U.S. Census projects the country will become majority-minority by the mid-2040s. Ethnic and racial minority groups already make up well over a third of the U.S. population but a smaller share of registered nurses. In the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey, the share of RNs identifying as White declined to 77% (down from 80% in 2022), Black or African American RNs rose to 9%, and 7.2% of RNs identified as Hispanic or Latino. American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander nurses together still represent a very small share. Women dominate the field; men account for about 10% of RNs.
Nursing leaders want this treated as a priority for schools, employers, and professional organizations alike. Craig Laser of Arizona State University and Mikhail Shneyder, president and CEO of Nightingale College, both push for concrete steps over statements. As Laser puts it, writing a diversity, equity, and inclusion policy is easy; making it a living reality through action and role modeling is the hard part, and that work falls to leaders.
How Nursing Schools Are Increasing Diversity
Real change depends on a culture that includes faculty and students of color, not just a recruiting push. Schools are starting to:
- Reexamine how they recruit, hire, and promote students and faculty across bachelor's, MSN, and doctoral programs
- Lean less on standardized test scores and adopt holistic admissions
- Create dedicated DEI positions
- Build more hospital and community programs
- Develop mentorship programs
Laser argues it starts with university leaders modeling openness and a sense of belonging, and points to DEI officers who own recruitment and hiring. Shneyder wants schools to weigh first-time NCLEX pass rates and standardized tests less heavily in admissions, calling those practices a form of systemic racism that drives "elite-ization" and "washout." They eliminate capable students before and during a program, he says, hitting people of color and lower-income students hardest, and that decades-old pattern needs to change.
Holistic admissions are the alternative, weighing life experience as a marker of potential rather than leaning on test scores and grades. Hospitals can help by running community programs that introduce children and families to healthcare and nursing careers. Laser describes clinical staff who "adopt" local schools, hold information sessions, and bring people into the hospital to see the careers firsthand. Leaders also value mentorship that connects students with nurses before, during, and just after nursing school.
What Nursing Organizations Are Doing
Professional organizations connect a diverse workforce to lower health disparities through advocacy, policy work, and resources. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing runs an annual Diversity Symposium and a Diversity Leadership Institute for DEI directors and stakeholders. The American Hospital Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives run programs linking industry leaders with minority students in healthcare management, offering internships, mentoring, and administrative fellowships that can lead to full-time work. Some groups offer fellowships aimed at nursing students from underserved communities.
The Barriers
Despite these efforts, the profession still has to build a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and unequal access to education is the hardest obstacle. Laser says the first step is making sure marginalized groups actually reach educational opportunities, scholarships, and tiered programs, and that interest in healthcare gets cultivated early. He wants more initiatives that spotlight people of color and varied backgrounds and genders to make the field feel welcoming.
Schools also need to redesign admissions so they stop favoring white, middle, and upper-class students through standardized tests and similar measures. Financial aid for minority and lower-income students, including for MSN programs, has to become a priority. Leaders who reflect the communities they serve help build respect, safety, and belonging, and hiring practices across schools, hospitals, and employers should follow the country's changing demographics, including male nurses and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Bottom Line
Many programs have stepped up to expand diversity among students and faculty, but the work is not finished. A more diverse, inclusive workforce improves both the quality of and access to care. Getting there takes broader educational access, fair recruitment and hiring, cultural competence resources, and targeted support like financial aid, internships, and mentoring for underrepresented groups. As Shneyder notes, health outcomes improve when the nursing workforce matches the communities it serves, so making it happen benefits everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How diverse is the U.S. nursing workforce today?
According to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey, about 77% of RNs identify as White, 9% as Black or African American, and 7.2% as Hispanic or Latino, with men making up roughly 10% of RNs. People of color and men remain underrepresented relative to the overall population, though diversity has grown over the past decade.
Why does diversity in nursing matter?
A workforce that reflects the patients it serves is linked to better communication, more culturally competent care, and reduced health disparities. When patients see providers who share their background and language, trust and outcomes tend to improve.
What are holistic admissions?
Holistic admissions weigh life experience, resilience, and potential alongside grades and test scores, rather than leaning mainly on standardized test results. Supporters argue this widens access for capable students from underrepresented and lower-income backgrounds who are screened out by test-heavy processes.
What are nursing schools doing to recruit underrepresented students?
Schools are adopting holistic admissions, creating dedicated DEI positions, building community and hospital pipeline programs that introduce children and families to nursing careers, and developing mentorship that connects students with nurses before, during, and after school.
What is the biggest barrier to a more diverse nursing workforce?
Unequal access to education is the hardest obstacle. Cost, limited early exposure to healthcare careers, and admissions practices that favor higher-income applicants all narrow the pipeline, which is why financial aid, scholarships, and early outreach are central to the work.