Student perceptions: the influence of a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant on retention

This article reports the perceptions of Hispanic/Latino and American Indian students concerning the influence of a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant (ALCANCE) on their educational experiences in a baccalaureate nursing program. The grant provided an educational pipeline for these students, supporting them financially, personally, and academically from middle school through graduation from the nursing program. Fifteen students receiving grant services during the upper-division nursing major completed a 76-item questionnaire assessing the influence of such services at the end of each of four semesters in the nursing program. Analysis of these questionnaires and examination of responses to open-ended questions at the end of each instrument indicated a generally positive influence of ALCANCE on student experiences. However, there remains a need for the creation of additional caring educational environments and further research to better understand effective strategies for addressing recruitment and retention in American Indian and Hispanic/Latino nursing students.