Enhancing Success in Advanced Practice Nursing: a grant-funded project

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Workforce Diversity
• Cultural Competence in Healthcare

Background:

• The need for a diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce is critical.
• Existing disparities in nursing education limit representation of minority groups.
• Advanced practice nurses require specialized training in culturally sensitive care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase the recruitment, enrollment, and graduation of Hispanic, African-American, and Asian nurses in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.
• To develop and implement support services, including academic advising and mentoring, to enhance retention of diverse nursing students.
• To integrate cultural competence content and clinical experiences into the MSN curriculum to improve patient care.

Main Methods:

• Implementing targeted recruitment strategies for underrepresented minority nursing students.
• Providing comprehensive academic support, career advisement, and mentoring programs.
• Enhancing the MSN curriculum with culturally relevant content and clinical experiences.
• Conducting faculty development workshops on cultural competence.

Main Results:

• Tracking increases in the number of diverse students recruited and enrolled in the MSN program.
• Monitoring student utilization of ESAPN program support services.
• Evaluating retention and graduation rates of Hispanic, African-American, and Asian nurses.

Conclusions:

• The ESAPN Project is designed to foster a more diverse and culturally competent nursing workforce.
• Successful implementation is expected to improve access to care for diverse populations in New Jersey.
• The project aims to enhance the quality of healthcare through culturally sensitive advanced practice nurses.