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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Kathleen L. Gilchrist, PhD, FNP-C, CCRN, Department of Nursing, California State University, Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Highway, RNEC #132, Bakersfield, CA 93311, 661-654-3229, kgilchirst@csub.edu and Cherie Rector, PhD, RN-C, Department of Nursing, California State Universty, Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Highway, RNEC #133, Bakersfield, CA 93311.

California State University Bakersfield, a Hispanic Serving Institution, is located in the largely rural southern San Joaquin Valley, an area of farming and industry in California noted for poverty, inadequate access to health care, and low levels of K-12 education. The Department of Nursing the INCREASE NURSES NOW (INN) Program's purpose is to increase recruitment, retention, and successful completion of nursing students from ethnically diverse, educationally, and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Currently, over 65% of the sophomore BSN students are ethnically diverse or classified as disadvantaged. An educational pipeline has been established by partnering with two high school Health Careers Academies in Bakersfield and Visalia, and a local RN Explorer Post. The grant has provided supplementary equipment and field trips to improve students' knowledge of nursing. High school students will continue to utilize Kids Into Health Careers information for presentations to elementary and middle school students at feeder schools. Another program component included recruitment, admission, and graduation of RN to BSN students from community colleges in three rural medically underserved communities (Bakersfield, Visalia, and Lancaster). Forty-five sophomore BSN and 30 RN to BSN disadvantaged students were accepted into the INN Program and provided $250 monthly stipends over a three year period. A support group/course was developed and implemented to assist BSN students to cope with academic stress and other issues that interfere with student success. A comprehensive testing program was utilized to measure student success and identify areas of academic concern during the nursing program. Students reviewed the results of the test with faculty identifying strengths and weaknesses. The summer enrichment activity offered selected readings related to health care and students responded in a discussion and journal format concerning what they learned from the materials. The INN Program provided distance learning for RN to BSN students, and maintained the INN web page that provided advising and financial aid information, and links to local PHN job openings. Advisors were available to students in person, by telephone and by email. Workshops were presented to nursing faculty by experts in the field of cultural competence and disadvantaged student education.

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of this presentation, the attendee will be able to describe at least three methods to attract and retain disadvantged nursing students.
• By the end of this presentation, the attendee will be able to articulate what portions of the INN project worked best.

Keywords: Nursing Education, Minorities

Related Web page: www.csub.edu/INN

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation