Creating Collaborative Relationships With Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An Approach to Diversifying the Nursing Workforce.

BACKGROUND: The lack of a diverse nursing workforce and inclusive nursing student pipeline initiatives can impact existing health disparities in the United States. PROBLEM: Gaps in the representation of future Black nurses in schools of nursing provide missed opportunities for cultural congruence and awareness. APPROACH: Developing collaborative relationships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for recruitment is a mutually beneficial strategy. Undergraduate interns from 3 HBCUs attended a 6-week summer nursing immersion program at a graduate school of nursing on the campus of a predominately White institution. The aim was to provide awareness of the nursing profession and mentorship for further exploration into the profession. CONCLUSIONS: The program managed by Black nurse faculty provides a recruitment strategy that serves as a framework to support the financial, emotional, and social needs of prospective Black nursing students.

A Summer Professional Immersion in Nursing Program for Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Students.

BACKGROUND: By 2044, more than 50% of the U.S. population will consist of ethnic/racial minorities. To facilitate optimal health, the projected nursing workforce should mirror this statistic. This pilot study examined the effects of a Summer Professional Immersion in Nursing Program (SPIN) on confidence in career decision making of under-represented minority undergraduate students. The 4-week program exposed participants to various nursing experiences. METHOD: The Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale was administered pre- and post-SPIN to measure level of confidence in career decision making. RESULTS: The sample included eight women, with an average age of 19.63 years (SD = 0.52). Comparative analysis was performed using a reliable change index. The pre- to post-SPIN change was 0.38, indicating a meaningful significant increase in confidence. CONCLUSION: SPIN is an example for nursing programs interested in attracting undergraduate underrepresented minority students. The program positively influenced self-efficacy toward career selection and may positively influence enrollment of underrepresented nurses in the future. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(11):631-636.].