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Mentoring: a supporting act for African American students and faculty
1University of South Alabama College of Nursing, Mobile, Alabama, USA. ofox@usamail.usouthal.edu
Summary
Mentoring significantly impacts nursing student retention, particularly for African-American students. This study identifies key characteristics of effective mentoring programs to improve nursing education outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Health Disparities
- Mentorship Studies
Background:
- Low numbers of African-American nurses are linked to nursing student attrition.
- Mentoring is a crucial support system for minority students and faculty in nursing programs.
- Limited availability of African-American nursing faculty can exacerbate attrition issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of mentoring in improving nursing student retention.
- To identify characteristics of positive and negative mentoring environments in nursing education.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of mentoring experiences in nursing programs.
- Identification of markers associated with successful and unsuccessful mentoring relationships.
Main Results:
- Effective mentoring acts as a vital support system, aiding students in overcoming educational obstacles.
- Positive mentoring relationships facilitate entry into the nursing workforce.
- Poor mentoring can hinder student progress and contribute to faculty underrepresentation.
Conclusions:
- Implementing robust mentoring programs is essential for increasing African-American nursing student success.
- Universities must actively cultivate positive mentoring environments to address diversity and retention challenges in nursing.
- Further research is needed to understand and address the systemic factors affecting minority faculty and student success.