Published August 30, 2026 | Version CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0
Journal article Open

Intersectionality of Alignment Between Human Capital Investment and Role Utilization of Black Women Nurses

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Student, Department of Business Administration Program at Hampton University, James T. George, Hampton, Virginia, United States of America (USA).

Contributors

Contact person:

Researcher:

  • 1. Student, Department of Business Administration Program at Hampton University, James T. George, Hampton, Virginia, United States of America (USA).
  • 2. Associate Professor and Assistant to the Dean, James T. George School of Business, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, United States of America (USA).

Description

Abstract: Diverse representation in the nursing workforce does not automatically align with equity in role utilization, advancement, compensation, or leadership. This study examines the alignment between human capital investment and role utilization among black women nurses. Along with the Nursing Human Capital Value Model, advanced degree attainment was selected as the measure of human capital investment and advanced nursing role utilization as the measure of occupational alignment. A quantitative, non-experimental secondary data design was employed to analyze a sample of 769 women nurses from the publicly available Survey of Income and Program Participation. Based on the sample, higher degree attainment was associated with advanced nursing role utilization at a notably high rate. However, race-specific results showed an alignment gap. Among White women nurses, 137 held a master’s degree or PhD, and 77 worked in advanced nursing roles. Among Black women nurses, 12 held a master’s degree or a PhD, but none were represented in advanced nursing roles. Advanced degree attainment alone may not ensure advanced role utilization across racial groups. This study highlights the necessity for health care organizations to examine internal mobility, promotion pathways, credential review, and talent management practices to ensure that advanced-educated black female nurses are equitably positioned in roles aligned with their preparation.

Files

L189512120826.pdf

Files (636.6 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:a8357e13ef565f9152d823eea7d49450
636.6 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.35940/ijmh.L1895.12120826
EISSN
2394-0913

Dates

Accepted
2026-08-15
Manuscript received on 29 July 2026 | First Revised Manuscript received on 05 August 2026 | Second Revised Manuscript received on 09 August 2026 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 August 2026 | Manuscript published on 30 August 2026.

References

  • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The future of nursing 2020–2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25982
  • Health Resources and Services Administration. (2025). Health workforce projections. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/data-research/projecting-health-workforce-supply demand
  • Woo, B. F. Y., Lee, J. X. Y., & Tam, W. W. S. (2017). The impact of the advanced practice nursing role on quality of care, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost in the emergency and critical care settings: A systematic review. Human Resources for Health, 15, 63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0237-9
  • Iheduru-Anderson, K. (2020). Barriers to career advancement in the nursing profession: Perceptions of Black nurses in the United States. Nursing Forum, 55(4), 664–677. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12483
  • Nelson, Y. M., Bundy, J., Harmon, E., Hammond, L., Robinson, K., Lyons, N., Vessels, R., Bush, K., & Thomas-Payne, D. (2023). Factors affecting the advancement of Black nurses into leadership roles: A scoping review. Nursing Outlook, 71(4), Article 102000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102000
  • Health Resources and Services Administration. (2024). 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses snapshot. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/ Nurse Survey-Fact-Sheet-2024.pdf
  • Siira, E., Linden, K., Wallström, S., & Björkman, I. (2023). Intersectionality in nursing research: A systematic review. Nursing Open, 10, 7509–7527. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2021
  • Carthon, J. M. B., Nikpour, J., Rettberg, G., Thomas-Hawkins, C., Henderson, M. D., Agor, D., & Villarruel, A. (2024). Addressing burnout among nurses of colour: Key priorities and calls for action. Nursing Outlook, 72(6), Article 102297. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102297
  • Yakusheva, O., Lee, K. A., & Weiss, M. (2024). The nursing human capital value model. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 160, Article 104890. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104890
  • U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics. (2025). Nurse anaesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-mid wives and-nurse-practitioners.htm
  • Sherman, A. D. F., Febres-Cordero, S., Bonds Johnson, K., Clark, K. D., Klepper, M., Duroseau, B., Lin, Y., Zhang, W., Coleman, M., Prakash, D., Daniel, G. A., Chand, A. T., Kalu, U., Tarter, R., Allgood, S., Cohen, S., Kelly, U., & Balthazar, M. (2023). Intersectionality in nursing research: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 5, Article 100155. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2023.100155
  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). Survey of Income and Program Participation. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sipp.html
  • Li, L. Z., Yang, P., Singer, S. J., Pfeffer, J., Mathur, M. B., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2024). Nurse burnout and patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), Article e2443059. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.43059
  • Raghu, N., McNamara, M., Bettencourt, E., & Yingling, C. (2022). Cultivating diversity in the advanced practice registered nurse workforce: An exemplar from an advanced practice registered nurse fellowship program. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 34(3), 542–549. DOI: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000679
  • Travers, J. L., Rosa, W. E., Raval, A., Montgomery, T. M., Deng, R., Gatica, J., & Aronowitz, S. V. (2024). Racial and ethnic diversity in academic nursing leadership: A cross-sectional analysis. Nursing Outlook, 72(4), 102182. DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102182
  • Johnson, J., Mitchinson, L., Parmar, M., Opio-Te, G., Serrant, L., & Grange, A. (2021). Do Black, Asian and minority ethnic nurses and midwives experience a career delay? A cross-sectional survey investigating career progression barriers. Contemporary Nurse, 57(1 2), 99–112. DOI: 10.1080/10376178.2021.1927775.
  • De Silva Pincha Baduge, M. S., Garth, B., Boyd, L., Ward, K., Joseph, K., Proimos, J., & Teede, H. J. (2024). Barriers to advancing women nurses in healthcare leadership: A systematic review and meta synthesis. eClinicalMedicine, 67, 102354. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102354.
  • Brown-DeVeaux, D., Jean-Louis, K., Glassman, K., & Kunisch, J. (2021). Using a mentorship approach to address the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in senior nursing leadership. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(3), 149–155. DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000986
  • Adhikari, R., Corcoran, J., Smith, P., Rodgers, S., Suleiman, R., & Barber, K. (2023). It's ok to be different: Supporting Black and minority ethnic nurses and midwives in their professional development in the UK. Nurse Education in Practice, 66, 103508. DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103508.
  • Russell, N. C., & Wallington, S. F. (2022). Structural racism in America: A summative content analysis of national nursing organisation statements. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 23(2), 85–97. doi: 10.1177/15271544221089657.
  • De Silva Pincha Baduge, M. S., Mousa, M., Garth, B., Boyd, L., & Teede, H. J. (2023). Organisational strategies for women nurses to advance in healthcare leadership: A systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management, 2023, 2678916. DOI: 10.1155/2023/2678916.
  • Dunkley, D. (2024). Outsiders within: The lived experience of being Black and female when becoming a nurse executive. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 48(1), E1–E13. DOI: 10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000622.
  • Bannister, G., Bollinger, J., Scott, T., Washington, L., Gainer, D., Dorsinville, M., et al. (2024). Racism and nursing leadership in Massachusetts: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Nursing Administration, 54(3), 167–171. DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001401.
  • Gould, W., & Hu, J. (2024). Underrepresented nurses' perceptions of a mentorship program supporting their applications for advanced practice nursing programs: A descriptive cross-sectional survey study. Nursing Outlook, 72(4), 102202. DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102202.
  • LaForest, S. P., & Jadunandan, S. (2023). Smashing the "Black ceiling": The Black Nurses Leadership Institute. Nursing Leadership, 35(4), 8–13. DOI: 10.12927/cjnl.2023.27077.
  • De Silva Pincha Baduge, M. S., Garth, B., Mousa, M., Boyd, L., Adesina, I., Joseph, K., & Teede, H. J. (2025). Systemic and organisational barriers and facilitators to the advancement of ethnic minority women nurses in healthcare leadership: A meta-synthesis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 166, 105052. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2025.105052.
  • Mousa, M., Boyle, J. A., Skouteris, H., Mullins, A. K., Currie, G., Riach, K., & Teede, H. J. (2021). Advancing women in healthcare leadership: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of multi-sector evidence on organisational interventions. EClinicalMedicine, 39, 101084. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101084.
  • Mousa, M., Garth, B., Boyle, J. A., Riach, K., & Teede, H. J. (2023). Experiences of organisational practices that advance women in health care leadership. JAMA Network Open, 6(3), e233532. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.3532.
  • Ainslie, M., Bigley, M. B., Yingling, C., Hooks, J. D., & DeClerk, L. (2024). The National Organisation of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Leadership Mentoring Program: Ten years of positive outcomes. Journal of Professional Nursing, 54, 249–256. DOI: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.08.001.
  • Fisher, N., Bramley, L., Cooper, J., Field-Richards, S. E., Lymn, J., & Timmons, S. (2022). A qualitative study exploring the influence of a talent management initiative on registered nurses' retention intentions. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(8), 4472–4479. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.13885
  • Kallio, H., Liljeroos, H., Koivunen, M., Kuusisto, A., Hult, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2024). Organisational support for nurses' career planning and development: A scoping review. Journal of Nursing Management, 2024, Article 8296762. DOI: 10.1155/2024/8296762
  • Şenol Çelik, S., Sarıköse, S., & Çelik, Y. (2024). Structural and psychological empowerment and burnout among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Nursing Review, 71(1), 189 201. DOI: 10.1111/inr.12878
  • Ejebu, O. Z., Dall'Ora, C., & Griffiths, P. (2024). A narrative review exploring the push-pull factors during nurses' career stages. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 160, 104908. D O I : 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104908
  • Patton, T. T., Najd, N., & Ford, J. (2023). The impact of race on healthcare coverage for women in Louisiana and Mississippi. International Journal of Management and Humanities, 10(1), 19–26. DOI: 10.35940/ijmh.A1653.0910123
  • U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics. (2025, August 28). Nurse anaesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. Occupational Outlook Handbook. www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists nurse-mid wives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm