Effective Retention Strategies for Ethnic Minority Nursing Students at Predominately White Institutions

BACKGROUND: Predominately White colleges and universities recruit and enroll underrepresented ethnic minority students to help meet the health care needs of the nation. To be successful in the retention of ethnic minority students, predominately White institutions (PWIs) must employ innovative, targeted retention strategies designed to promote successful outcomes in undergraduate nursing programs. METHOD: A descriptive research design, 14-item survey examining perceptions of effective retention strategies was sent to ethnic minority nurses who attended an undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program at a PWI. RESULTS: Retention strategies that included faculty availability were highly effective for student success among ethnic minority nursing students. Financial aid was found to be especially important to younger students. CONCLUSION: Nursing programs must integrate retention strategies that ensure faculty are both academically supportive and consistently available to students.