Interventions to Support Diversity in Nursing Education.

BACKGROUND: Despite increased awareness of the importance of cultural competence in the reduction of health care disparities, the nursing profession does not reflect the patient demographics of the United States. The purpose of this article is to report the results of a comprehensive review of the experiences of nontraditional nursing students in undergraduate nursing programs and the interventions used by nursing programs to increase their success. METHOD: Data from 13 studies were extracted, summarized, and synthesized. This review was organized using concepts from Jeffreys' nursing undergraduate retention and success model. RESULTS: Nontraditional nursing students faced unique challenges when pursuing undergraduate nursing education. CONCLUSION: This review highlighted the need for continued efforts to support nontraditional students that pursue nursing education. Future research is necessary to identify and prioritize interventions that enhance nontraditional students' experiences and improve student outcomes. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(11):641-646.].

Social Determinants and Educational Barriers to Successful Admission to Nursing Programs for Minority and Rural Students.

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine made a recommendation in The Future of Nursing Report to diversify the student population of the health care professions in order to provide increasing minority providers to meet the culturally competent needs of the growing multicultural populations of the United States (Institute of Medicine, 2010). The Nursing Network and Careers and Technology Nurse Mentoring Program provides a nursing mentor to underrepresented ethnic minority and educationally disadvantaged students and a significant scholarship and stipend for tuition and monthly living expenses. Ethnically diverse and rural students have lifelong familial and geographical educational barriers that prevent them from succeeding. There are a plethora of major environmental and familial factors that need to be addressed by society for these students to be successful. These factors include improvement of county schools by financial support, improving the home environment through social supportive services, and implementing improved parent-child bonding with nurse family partnerships. Nursing faculty must embrace new approaches for increasing the number of ethnically diverse nursing providers through novel admission criteria and collaborative cohort peer-mentoring programs.

An academic-community partnership to address the flu vaccination rates of the homeless.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this pilot research study was to explore the beliefs and barriers to flu vaccination from a sample homeless population in a small metropolitan community. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: In a collaborative academic-community partnership of a university undergraduate nursing education program, a local health department, and nonprofit agencies, a social marketing education program was developed by nursing students which included surveying the homeless for perceptions regarding flu vaccinations. There were a total of 87 homeless subjects that were surveyed. MEASURES: The measurements were obtained from various questions regarding flu vaccinations on a Qualtrics survey examining the barriers, beliefs, and practices of the homeless population. The focus addressed health disparities and barriers with nursing students serving as the catalyst to reach the homeless in an educational service-learning project. RESULTS: This project demonstrated a positive impact in meeting health care needs of homeless persons as the rate of flu vaccination was doubled from the previous year at one community day shelter. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students developed their ability to impact a hard-to-reach population with positive changes in their attitudes by increased understanding of the health needs of the homeless.

Educational innovation: collaborative mentoring for future nursing leaders.

This article discusses a unique educational partnership between nurse leaders and a university baccalaureate nursing program that nurtures future nursing administrators. A structured mentoring process in which students are guided through an internship with nursing administrators and executives promotes development of a career focus, leading novices to a more mature role on their career journeys.

International collaboration in pediatric nursing: mutual learning success.

This article describes an innovative international collaboration between a children's hospital in the United Kingdom and a university school of nursing in the United States that created opportunities for networking among nurses in similar specialties. Nurses from two countries joined in an educational partnership to share dialogue and clinical experience in the United Kingdom.

Promoting collaboration in nursing education: the development of a regional simulation laboratory.

This article describes a collaboratively developed plan for a regional patient simulation laboratory for nursing education. The Western North Carolina Regional Simulation Laboratory will be located at the Enka Campus of the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College at the Department of Nursing of Western Carolina University (Candler, NC). A proactive collaborative consortium has been established to help meet the demand for nursing education in the 13 most rural mountain counties of western North Carolina. Through a 2-year process with regional networking, the nursing administration of Western Carolina University, Mission Hospitals, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, and affiliated community colleges, consortium hospitals, and emergency care services developed a vision and a proposal for an innovative program for the nursing education of the future. The consortium proposed the establishment of a 3-year integrated educational program utilizing state-of-the-art simulation manikin technology. Financial resources were obtained from a charitable grant from The Duke Endowment (Charlotte, NC). Sustainability of funding will be ensured through university, hospital, and community college collaboration.