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Abstract: An understanding of the experiences nursing students of color have while navigating the educational system can provide insight for nurse educators, who desire, and perhaps struggle, to meet the learning needs of their students from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds. In alignment with the basic storytelling element of Critical Race Theory, narrative inquiry was used in this study to capture the educational experiences of nurses during their life journeys. Two recurring themes emerged from the data: Experiences of Exclusion and Benefits of Inclusion.
Keywords: Critical Race Theory, Inclusion and Equity, Nursing Education
"However important they are, good intentions and awareness are not enough to bring about the changes needed in educational programs and procedures to prevent academic inequities among diverse students. Goodwill must be accompanied by pedagogical knowledge and skills as well as the courage to dismantle the status quo" (Gay, 2010, p. 14).T
A diverse and culturally competent nursing workforce is essential to meet the changing demographics in the U.S. The 2010 Future of Nursing Report calls for an increase in ethnic and racial diversity in the nursing workforce, highlighting the unique perspectives of ethnically and racially diverse healthcare providers and their contributions to the advancement of the nursing profession and enhanced health outcomes (Institute of Medicine). The profession of nursing, comprised primarily of white females, does not reflect the diversity in the population. In 2012, racial and ethnic persons represented 37% of the total population in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012) yet ethnically and culturally diverse nurses represented only 19% of registered nurses (American Association of Colleges of Nurses, 2014).
Recruitment and retention of diverse and culturally competent nursing students continues as a mandate among healthcare stakeholders to address a growing diverse population and issues of health equity (Amaro, AbriamYago, & Yoder, 2006). The percentage of minority students enrolled in basic RN programs in 2012 was 26%, a decline from 29% in 2009 (National League for Nursing, 2012). Further, many of these students will not complete nursing school where attrition rates are high for students of color. Dropout rates for nursing students of color in community colleges range from 18% to 20% (Alvy, 2010). A critical examination of the diversity gap in nursing is essential. Experiences of nursing students of...