Creating diversity in a baccalaureate nursing program: a case study

Minority groups in the United States experience disparity in the health care services they receive and in their health related outcomes. Minority healthcare providers are more likely to serve minority under-served populations, thus addressing this healthcare disparity in an effective culturally competent manner (Robert Wood Johnson 2005; Sullivan, 2004). The purpose of the project was to increase the number of racial and ethnic minority students who are successfully recruited and admitted to the nursing program at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. The project involved the identification of perceived barriers to increased minority participation in nursing at the college, review of the literature to identify evidence-based interventions, and implementation of selected interventions to overcome the identified barriers. Implementation and evaluation are still on-going but showing early success.