College students' perceptions of their experiences: what do minority students think?

Despite substantial evidence that a diverse nursing workforce is needed, slow growth continues in the number of ethnically diverse RNs. This study examined whether students' race/ethnicity was associated with perceptions about institutional, dispositional, and situational factors and whether perceptions differed by college. African American, Latino, Asian, Filipino, Southeast Asian, and non-Latino White nursing students (N = 1,377) reported their perceptions. Seven regression models were estimated to assess the association of race/ethnicity with these factors. Being a minority was associated with negative perceptions of institutional diversity. African Americans had fewer peer and faculty interactions. Filipinos reported less work interference with attending classes. Students' ethnicity is important to institutional and situational outcomes. Adding school-level variables to the regression models helped explain some additional variance in student perceptions. A comprehensive, long-term commitment to the retention of students from diverse backgrounds is needed.