Concurrent enrollment pathway: A model for ADN-BSN programs.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this article is to share the collaborative planning and execution of these two public universities and one community college in developing an innovative program to increase BSN-prepared nurses. The aim of the collaboration is to offer a high quality, affordable, and time-saving pre-licensure, concurrent enrollment program (CEP) which allows community college ADN students direct access to BSN study, while maintaining excellent program outcomes, and increasing diverse baccalaureate-prepared nurses in practice. METHODS: Key stakeholders in two public educational systems met to discuss the development of a regional collaboration between two state universities and one local community college. The group designed university-specific, concurrent curricular roadmaps for each university. Students admitted in ADN program chose if they want to attend a concurrent enrollment or a traditional plan of study. RESULTS: In Fall 2019, the CEP program was launched admitting 40 ADN students concurrently enrolled in one university. Subsequently, another cohort started in Spring 2020 with 39 students dually enrolled at the other state university. All students in both cohorts resided in the region. Over 75 % of the total CEP enrollees came from diverse backgrounds, 49 % Hispanics, 16 %, Asians, and 8 % African Americans and 4 % native Hawaiians. Forty-four percent were first generation college students. The average age was 25 with a range of 21-39. Twenty percent of the students were male which is above the national average of 12 %. After four semesters, students completed their ADN degree, passed the licensure exam, and transitioned to earn their BSN degree in the university for another two semesters. CONCLUSION: The literature reveals that BSN-prepared nurses contribute to safe patient care. The current number of cost-effective and accessible nursing programs are not sufficient to reach the IOM 80/20 goal, which contributes to the ongoing shortage of BSN-prepared nurses in the nation, including California. Creativity and open collaboration of nurse leaders, faculty, and staff across different levels of education was instrumental in the success of the students and the program.

Transforming Students' Educational Experience Through Cultural Mindedness, Peer Mentoring, and Student Input.

BACKGROUND: Increasing student diversity within schools of nursing requires a shift in the educational environment to consider student challenges, need for support, and other cultural variances. METHOD: This article describes a three-pronged process of instilling cultural mindfulness training to faculty, staff, and administrators, augmenting student support through peer mentoring and a new method of sharing student perspectives of the educational environment with administration to co-design new approaches to support students. RESULTS: The entire process resulted in an increased sensitization to the importance of student perspectives as key players in the pursuit of a culture of inclusion for nursing education. CONCLUSION: A sustainable model was created for ongoing cultural humility education of school of nursing personnel and a new structure for student peer mentoring and student input to ensure appropriate support, recognition, and respect for diversity. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(4):194-202.].

Enhancing the Educational Environment for Diverse Nursing Students Through Mentoring and Shared Governance.

BACKGROUND: A structured peer-mentoring program for diverse nursing students culminated in shared governance meetings between mentors and program coordinators to address mentees' concerns and issues. METHOD: After informed consent, mentees reviewed mentor profiles online and selected mentors. Baseline data were collected on ethnic identity, lifestyle, social support, and academic habits. Outcome data included mentors' self-reflective journal themes and student satisfaction surveys and focus group evaluation of the program. RESULTS: Students reported weak scores in the areas of wellness, exercise, and stress management. Journaling revealed valuable information about challenges faced by mentees that could impair their success. Mentors' proactive suggestions to handle major mentee journal themes were shared with nursing school administrators using a shared governance approach. CONCLUSION: The mentoring program supported students and culminated in a shared governance process to discuss ways to address mentee challenges that might improve the educational environment for future students. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(11):605-614.].

Professionalization and retention outcomes of a university-service mentoring program partnership.

With the use of a university-service partnership to introduce mentoring and shared governance, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of these interventions on nurse perceptions of the supportive culture of the workplace environment, professional skill development, decisional involvement, and retention and vacancy rates. A nonequivalent pretest-posttest, noncontrol group design was used with mentors of newly hired mentees to evaluate their workplace perspectives following mentor classes, ongoing mentor support, and a formal mentor-management workforce governance board. A convenience sample of 89 RNs from two acute care facilities attended mentoring and professionalization classes and worked with 109 mentees over 1-3 years. Mentors reported improved teamwork and the ability to deal with conflict but wanted more administrative oversight of the quality and scope of practice of support staff and additional interdepartmental collaboration. One hospital's vacancy rate decreased by 80%, and the other facility's retention rate improved by 21%. The data suggest that a mentor program with comprehensive education and mentor-management alliances through formal workforce environment governance enhances professionalization of frontline nurses and helps sustain a positive, constructive workplace environment. Mentoring classes on communication and cultural sensitivity skills and other leadership concepts, followed by mentor support and mentor-administrative forums, have positive implications for sustained improvement of a supportive culture as perceived by hospital-based RNs and new nurse graduates.

Nurses supporting nurses: creating a mentoring program for staff nurses to improve the workforce environment.

BACKGROUND: The hospital workforce environment has been recognized as an important factor for nurse retention and patient safety, yet there is ongoing evidence that inadequate communication, intraprofessional oppression, and lack of collaboration and conflict resolution continue to disempower nurses and hinder improvement of workforce conditions. PURPOSE: A 3-year academic-hospital partnership developed and used a registered nurse (RN) mentor and advocacy program to improve the RN work environment and selected patient outcomes. METHOD: The partnership initiated mentor-mentee teams and a Workforce Environment Governance Board, and obtained preliminary data on outcomes related to mentor-mentee teamwork, changes in the level of support within each unit, and the impact of improved working conditions on nurse and patient satisfaction, nurse vacancy and turnover rates, and 3 patient safety outcomes related to fall and pressure ulcer prevention and use of restraints. DISCUSSION: Dedicated mentors not only engaged in supporting fellow nurses but also assisted with enhancing the overall work environment for RNs. The partnership enhanced mutual respect between frontline RNs and managers, and allowed frontline RNs to improve the culture of support. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive approach to incorporating mentor-mentee teams changes the way fellow nurses and others perceive nurses, augments support by managers and coworkers, and improves patient care outcomes.