Texas Team: Academic Progression and IOM Toolkit.

BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report, identified eight recommendations for nursing to improve health care for all Americans. AIM: The Texas Team for Advancing Health Through Nursing embraced the challenge of implementing the recommendations through two diverse projects. METHOD: One group conducted a broad, online survey of leadership, practice, and academia, focusing on the IOM recommendations. The other focused specifically on academic progression through the use of CABNET (Consortium for Advancing Baccalaureate Nursing Education in Texas) articulation agreements. RESULTS: The survey revealed a lack of knowledge and understanding of the IOM recommendations, prompting development of an online IOM toolkit. The articulation agreements provide a clear pathway for students to the RN-to-BSN degree students. CONCLUSION: The toolkit and articulation agreements provide rich resources for implementation of the IOM recommendations.

Foreign-born nursing students in the United States: a literature review.

A thorough search of the literature examined what have been reported as stressors for foreign-born nursing students living in the United States. A comprehensive review of foreign-born nursing student literature within the United States educational system was examined, reviewed, and summarized. Minimal research has been dedicated exclusively to identify those unique stressors experienced among the foreign-born student population. A review of 11 articles revealed four common results interdependent of one another experienced among this group of students. Results identified were (a) language and communication issues; (b) discrimination, prejudice, and lack of support; (c) cultural issues; and (d) loneliness, isolation, and alienation. Foreign-born nursing students may continue to experience a multitude of barriers while seeking educational advancements in the United States until serious endeavors are initiated to close the gap and address the concerns previously documented. Although the needs of this diverse population are important, this research has the potential to reveal crucial information regarding stressors specifically common to those studying abroad in the United States. This topic will provide guidance to deans, directors, and educators in identifying and establishing processes to help validate the foreign-born nursing students' experience while they are enrolled in their prospective schools of nursing within the United States.

Stress and perceived faculty support among foreign-born baccalaureate nursing students.

Using the triangulation approach at the method level, this study explored and described the essence of stress and perceived faculty support as identified by foreign-born students (N = 10) enrolled in a generic baccalaureate degree nursing program. Philosophical principles outlined by Heidegger served as the core component guiding this study. Quantitative data from a larger study examining nursing students' stress and perceptions of faculty support served as the supplementary component. Results uncovered an overarching theme of the foreign-born nursing students wanting to be valued and accepted by the nursing faculty, their classmates, and the educational institution leading to patterns of stress, strain, and cultural ignorance. Language issues, stereotyping, discrimination, cultural incompetence, financial issues, and lack of accommodation as an international student were stressors that were not captured by the quantitative measures.

Return on investment: benefits and challenges of baccalaureate nurse residency program.

There are high rates of turnover among graduate nurses within the first year of employment. As the costs of recruitment and orientation have increased, employers are examining new strategies for increasing retention among this population. The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, partnered with an academic institution and University Health Consortium to apply an implementation strategy where graduate nurses participate in a year-long residency program. The residents attended monthly sessions that addressed pertinent needs of the group. During this 1-year period turnover decreased from 50% to 13% and return on investment was 326.5%.

An evaluation of the nursing success program: reading comprehension, graduation rates, and diversity.

The Nursing Success Program was developed to enhance retention of baccalaureate nursing students. Reading comprehension scores are used to identify students who are at risk for failure and direct them into the retention program that addresses their skill deficits. To evaluate the program, the authors assessed reading comprehension, graduation rates, and ethnic diversity.

Developing and retaining expert learners: the Student Success Program.

The goal of the Student Success Program is to retain bright and capable nursing students by supporting them to become expert learners through enhancing their study, test taking, time and stress management, written and oral communication, and critical thinking skills. Students for whom English is a second language also receive instruction in accent reduction. Retention rates increased following implementation of the program. Recommendations for those considering implementing a retention program are addressed.