Examining the influence of noncognitive variables on the intention of minority baccalaureate nursing students to complete their program of study

Nursing students who identify as men; efficacy and persistence

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy of nursing students who identify as men and its correlation with intent to complete their nursing program.

BACKGROUND

Men are an underrepresented population in nursing, despite mandates to improve the diversity of the nursing profession. There also exists a nursing shortage, that is worsening as nurses retire or change professions. Improving the recruitment and retention of men in nursing could have a positive impact on both of these problems.

DESIGN

Quantitative correlational research METHODS: The Belongingness Scale-Clinical Placement Experience instrument was used to measure efficacy and one item from the Undergraduate Nursing Intention Survey was used to measure the student's intent to complete their nursing program. A SurveyMonkey link was sent by the National Student Nursing Association to those students who identified in their database as men and were enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The inclusion criteria required that the participants identified as a man, were a student in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and they had one or more years of clinical experience in their nursing program. Students who have completed one or more years of clinical experience, have completed all nursing pre-requisites and a portion of their nursing courses. At this point in a nursing program, the students' age would be 18 years of age or older. Inclusion criteria or 18 years of age or older would also make the consent process easier, as the study would not include a vulnerable population.

RESULTS

There were 290 responses, 252 of which met inclusion criteria and completed the survey in its entirety. The dependent variable, student intent to complete their nursing program, was not normally distributed. For this reason, Spearman's correlation and eta squared were used for statistical evaluation. Spearman's correlation was significant at 0.05 and eta squared demonstrated effect size at 0.01, 0.06 and 0.14 for small, medium and large effect sizes, respectively. Spearman's rho, p=0.147, demonstrated a correlation between efficacy and student intent to complete their nursing program. The eta squared effect size was 0.96 which represented a large effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing students who identify as men could demonstrate improved persistence in their nursing programs if effective interventions targeting efficacy were undertaken.

Perceptions of Factors Associated With Inclusive Work and Learning Environments in Health Care Organizations: A Qualitative Narrative Analysis

IMPORTANCE

Diversifying the health care workforce remains a critical goal for health care organizations focused on reducing disparities in care. However, it remains unknown what factors create inclusive health system environments and help organizations retain a diverse workforce.

OBJECTIVE

To understand from members of the health care workforce what factors contribute to inclusive work and learning environments and what can be done to improve inclusion within health care organizations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A qualitative narrative analysis of responses to a weekly email call for narratives within health care organizations sent June 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2016. The email contained an anonymous link to 2 open-ended stimulus questions asking for stories reflecting inclusion or lack thereof within participants' work environments as well as demographic questions. The study took place at 6 hospitals, including a free-standing children's hospital and a Veterans Affairs medical center, 4 health sciences schools (Medicine, Nursing, Dental, and Social Policy and Practice), and outpatient facilities within a university-based health care system in Pennsylvania. There were 315 completed narratives submitted from health care system executives (n = 3), staff (n = 113), academic faculty (n = 97), trainees or students (n = 99), and 3 who declined to specify their positions.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Workplace experiences with inclusivity, implications of these experiences, and recommendations to improve inclusion within environments.

RESULTS

Of 315 narratives submitted from members of the health care system, in 188 (59.7%) the writer self-identified as female; in 10 (3.2%), as transgender/queer; in 38 (12.1%), as non-Hispanic black; in 152 (48.3%), as non-Christian; in 31 (9.8%), as having a language other than English as their primary language; and in 14 (4.4%), as having a disability. Analysis of the narratives revealed 6 broad factors that affected inclusion within health care organizations: (1) the presence of discrimination; (2) the silent witness; (3) the interplay of hierarchy, recognition, and civility; (4) the effectiveness of organizational leadership and mentors; (5) support for work-life balance; and (6) perceptions of exclusion from inclusion efforts. Challenges with inclusion had negative effects on job performance and well-being, with reports of stress, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness. Most respondents referenced a systemic culture that influenced their interpersonal dynamics and provided specific strategies to improve organizational culture that focused on leadership training and expanding collegial networks.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This narrative analysis provides a taxonomy of factors that health care organizations can use to assess inclusion within their learning and work environments as well as strategies to improve inclusion and retain a diverse health care workforce.

Overcoming Education Failures and Retakes: A Spiritual Process

The retention of students is a major challenge for nursing education programs. Although students who fail can often retake courses, negative internalities may occur. After a failure, students regularly present with emotional distress. A mental health practitioner, who is a nursing faculty member, is ideal to assist these students and offer support. The integration of spirituality as a coping mechanism for these students can serve as a protective factor.

A Summer Prematriculation Program: Bridging the Gap for Disadvantaged Underrepresented Minority Students Interested in a Nursing Career

BACKGROUND

The nursing and health care workforce needs diverse clinicians who can provide culturally competent and high-quality care to an increasingly diverse U.S.

POPULATION

Achieving this goal requires creating learning environments that foster the success of disadvantaged underrepresented minority (URM) students seeking nursing careers.

METHOD

This 4-week summer prematriculation program introduced 33 URM individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to nursing as a career through financial support, academic enrichment, and social support to enhance nursing program admission success. Federal guidelines were used to establish URM and economically disadvantaged status.

RESULTS

To date, one third of program participants have been admitted to nursing programs.

CONCLUSION

Fundamental reforms in pre-college education systems, such as the evidence-based strategies implemented in our summer prematriculation program, may be needed to achieve a diverse, culturally competent workforce that can help eliminate persistent health and health care disparities. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(8):471-475.].

Black African nurses educated in the United States

Black Africans are one of the fastest growing immigrant and refugee populations in the United States, having increased by 100% in the 2000s. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how Black African nurses experience nursing education within the United States. This qualitative study provided a rich description of the phenomenon. Nine Black African nurses from the midwestern United States participated. Five male and four female participants represented the countries of Sierra-Leone, Kenya, Liberia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Seven participants had been in the country less than 2 years, and two had been in the country less than 4 years. Optimistic determination was the essence of how participants adapted to challenges while in their nursing programs, and four themes emerged relating to academics, competing demands, culture, and relationships. Through an awareness of the unique needs of this student population, educators can develop strategies to improve retention.