Black Nurse Scientists Mentoring Program

Of the four million professionals in the field of nursing, fewer than 10% are Black. In higher education, less than 1% of nurse scientists are Black. In response to this shortage, HEEAT Lab’s Founding Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Schenita Randolph, partnered with fellow nurse scientists, Drs. Kamila Alexander, Dawn Aycock, and Fawn Cothran to launch the Black Nurse Scientists Mentoring Program.

With a one-year grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the four nurse scientists will lay the groundwork for the program. They will gather data using focus groups and individual interviews with Black PhD-prepared nurses, HBCU schools of nursing administrators, and Black nurses contemplating nurse scientist careers.  

The longer-term goal of the Black Nurse Scientists Mentoring Program is to mentor Black nurses looking to obtain a PhD, preparing them for successful admissions to PhD programs and productive career trajectories as nurse scientists. Ultimately, with better representation in the field of nursing, the program founders aim to address racial disparities and inequities in health research, services, and outcomes. 

If you’d like to learn more about the program, please contact us.