Challenging traditional assumptions about minority students in nursing education. Outcomes from Project IMPART

In Becoming Gentlemen, Lani Guinier describes the experience of women who sit on the margin of the male dominant culture of law school. "It is time," she contends, "to use the information from the margin to rethink the whole" (I, p. 17). Application of Guinier's premise to nursing suggests that minority students exist on the margins of nursing and that understanding their experiences may yield valuable insights into nursing education and nursing practice. One possible implication for nurse educators is the importance of ensuring that nurses--the largest group of health care Providers--reflect America's rapidly changing demographics and have the experience, research expertise, and professional socialization to address the critical health care issues facing minority persons.