Student experiences in an academic support program to diversify the nursing workforce

The current demographic of the Nursing workforce in the United States suggests a need to increase the percentage of minority nurses in practice. Diversifying the nursing workforce may change patient perceptions and improve the quality of care received by underserved patients. A college of nursing created the Nursing Endeavor Program to support first generation, low income, and/or underrepresented students from the point of acceptance in the nursing program to graduation. Nursing Endeavor students are guaranteed acceptance into the nursing major upon successful completion of these preliminary nursing courses. Despite application of some Jeffreys interventions, only 50% of Nursing Endeavor students enrolled in the preliminary nursing courses qualified to enter the major and graduated. One hundred percent of all Nursing Endeavor students who successfully transitioned into the final two years of the major had graduated. Therefore, this study focused on the efficacy of NEP interventions to support students in the first two years. The aim of this study was to analyze student perspectives of the efficacy of interventions in the Nurse Endeavor Program designed to facilitate successful completion of the first two years of preliminary courses in the nursing major, which equates to a successful transition to student nurse.

This study used a Qualitative Phenomenographic research design. Eleven students who continued in the Nursing Endeavor Program to graduation, and eight former Nursing Endeavor students who withdrew from the nursing major during preliminary nursing courses. Meleis transitions theory guided the study design. Institutional Review Board approval for study 17.272, and participant consent were obtained. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in the Principal Investigator's office and were transcribed verbatim. Phenomenographic methods were used for narrative analysis. Students reported nine interventions facilitated transition from preliminary nursing courses to the nursing major. Students reported three factors hindered transition: academic rigor, isolation, and living at home. Attendance at professional events was not mentioned. Students credited Jeffreys' interventions for successful transitions. Additional factors influencing transition identified by students merit further study.

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