Supporting Graduate Nursing Education for Students From Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Workforce Diversity

Background:

• The nursing workforce lacks diversity, particularly at the master's level.
• A scholarship program was created to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in nurse practitioner tracks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a scholarship and mentorship program for disadvantaged nursing students.
• To assess the program's impact on student completion and certification rates.

Main Methods:

• The Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) provided financial aid and faculty mentorship to full-time students with financial need.
• Student progress was monitored quarterly, with follow-up one year post-graduation.

Main Results:

• 45 students received the scholarship over two years, with 58% identifying as Hispanic and 24% as Black.
• 93% of SDS students successfully completed their program of study.
• All 42 students who completed the program passed their national certification exams.

Conclusions:

• The Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program is an effective model for mentorship.
• The program successfully assists nurse practitioner students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The SDS program contributes to increasing diversity in the nursing workforce.