What Are Schools Doing To Increase Diversity In Nursing?

A nursing workforce that mirrors its patients delivers better, fairer care, and nursing is not there yet. The profession has made progress, but it still struggles to draw underrepresented groups into programs and careers.

The numbers show the gap. The U.S. Census projects that underrepresented populations will become the majority by 2043. Ethnic and racial minority groups already make up over one-third of the U.S. population but only 19.2% of registered nurses. White nurses make up over 80% of the RN workforce, Asian Americans 7.5%, African Americans 6.2%, and Hispanics 5.3%. American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander nurses together represent less than 1%. Women dominate every field; men account for 9.1% 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 AACN 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.