Addressing the challenges of nursing student attrition.

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act and as the number of aging and diverse individuals in society increases, access to health care will expand and the need for more competent and diverse nursing graduates will increase. An adequate number of nurse graduates is imperative to meet societal demands; however, this is complicated by high nursing student attrition rates. This article examines the need for more nurses (including those from diverse backgrounds), current attrition rates among schools of nursing, at-risk student characteristics, and previous attempts to increase student success. Applying the evidence to practice, findings from a multipronged approach to increase student success within an associate degree nursing program located within a historically Black college and university in the midwestern United States are discussed. The program's successes and opportunities for improvement are examined, as well as the recommendations for other nursing programs facing issues with student attrition.

The diversity pyramid: an organizational model to structure diversity recruitment and retention in nursing programs.

The literature on increasing the diversity of individuals who enter and practice the nursing profession comes with sound argument, yet we have seen only modest gains in diversification over the past 10 years. This article addresses how to develop a sustainable program to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students. The diversity pyramid is suggested as a conceptual planning model for increasing diversity that is matched to an institution and its resources. The foundation of the pyramid is an organizational commitment to attracting and retaining diverse students. The middle level addresses financial support for underrepresented students. From the top of the pyramid, one chooses appropriate media and relational tactics necessary to attract the underrepresented students a program seeks. All three elements of the pyramid-organizational commitment to diversity, significant financial support, and a targeted use of resources-play important and sequential roles in building a sustainable diversity initiative.

Matching a graduate curriculum in public/community health nursing to practice competencies: the Rush University experience.

An evidence-based approach to Public/Community Health Nursing (P/CHN) requires that P/CHN educators prepare practitioners with the relevant skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Such education should be competency-based and have measurable outcomes to demonstrate student preparation. In 2003, the Quad Council competencies were developed to be applied at two levels of public health nursing practice: the staff nurse/generalist role and the manager/specialist/consultant role. This paper describes a process for evaluation and revision of a graduate curriculum to prepare Advanced Practice Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) in P/CHN, to ensure that the educational program addresses and develops knowledge and proficiency in all relevant competencies. This paper documents the process of integrating the competencies throughout the P/CHN graduate curriculum at varying levels, guiding students to achieve proficiency in each competency by the end of the program. Measurement of achievement in these competencies will be discussed, and examples provided. Advanced Practice Public Health Nurses educated via this competency-based approach will be prepared to sit for national certification as a CNS in Public/Community Health, and to assume leadership roles in public health nursing.