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Tennessee Center for Nursing
545 Mainstream Drive, Suite 406
Nashville, TN 37228
615-242-8205
Fax: 242-8207
African-American Nursing Data

African American Nursing Data

TABLE 1: PERCENT OF REGISTERED NURSES AND LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES, BY RACE TENNESSEE, 1986 to 2000*

RACE 1986   1989   1991   1994   1996   1999   2000  
  RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN
                             
BLACK 5.9 14.7 6.2 14.7 6.8 14.4 6.9 14.2 6.8 14.2 7.0 14.8 7.1 **
                             
WHITE 91.8 83.9 91.5 83.9 91.1 84.1 91 84.4 90.8 84.5 90.6 83.9 90.6 **
                             
OTHER 2.4 1.5 2.3 1.5 2.1 1.4 2.1 1.4 2.4 1.4 2.4 1.3 2.4 **
                             


TABLE 2: COMBINED PERCENT OF BLACK RNS AND LPNS REPRESENTED IN NURSING
TENNESSEE, 1986 to 2000*

RACE 1986   1989   1991   1994   1996   1999   2000  
  RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN RN LPN
                             
AFRICAN AMERICAN 5.9 14.7 6.2 14.7 6.8 14.4 6.9 14.2 6.8 14.2 7.0 14.8 7.1 **
TOTAL COMBINED                            
  20.6   20.9   21.2   21.1   21   21.8   ?  



TABLE 3: BLACK POPULATION AS PERCENT OF TOTAL POPULATION
TENNESSEE, 1990 to 2001***

YEAR            
  1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
            
TENNESSEE 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3 NA

 

TABLE 1: From 1986 to 2000, the percentage of black RNs has increased 20 percent.
However, black RNs are still underrepresented by 3.2% in the professional nursing population.

TABLE 2: During the same period, the percentage of black LPNs did not change significantly. They are overrepresented in vocational nursing by 4.5%.

SUMMARY: Developing a career pathway from LPN educational programs to RN educational programs would not only increase the supply of RNs, but could also increase the diversity of the RN population.