Abstract
This study examines a group of middle school students who are Hispanic and their interest in attending college and pursuing a career in nursing. Although males and females both participated, mostly females expressed an interest in nursing as a profession. In this study investigators examined Hispanic middle school students' knowledge and interest in attending college for a nursing degree and discussed methods to assist in developing more interest in nursing as a career choice for middle school students who are Hispanic. This project supports the need for creating a diverse nursing workforce through inclusion of underrepresented populations. The significance of this study is that it can be used to develop programs aimed at recruitment and retention of student nurses who are Hispanic.
Highlights
The healthcare needs of patients who are Hispanic (Hispanic is used throughout this article because it the term used by the US census) have received increased attention in the last decade, with focus on health disparities that effect this population (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010)
The sample size was limited in size because of the available Hispanic middle school students found in the churches and community agencies frequented in the demographic area studied
The variables are represented in the following four questions obtained from this project’s questionnaire: What do you plan to do after high school graduation? Have you ever thought of being a nurse? Is anyone in your family a nurse? Has anyone in your family gone to college? The four variables were evaluated for frequency and cross-tabulated with one another
Summary
The healthcare needs of patients who are Hispanic (Hispanic is used throughout this article because it the term used by the US census) have received increased attention in the last decade, with focus on health disparities that effect this population (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010). One of the issues of concern to the nursing profession is the discrepancy between the size of this rapidly increasing population and the size of the nursing workforce which is Hispanic. The nursing workforce is 2% Hispanic, whereas the population of the United States who are Hispanic is about 16% and increasing (US Census, 2012).These numbers reflect a healthcare employment disparity with implications for nursing schools wanting to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups. An earlier pilot study conducted by the authors (McQueen & Zimmerman,2006) as well as a later study by Knight, Abdallah, Findeisen, Melillo, & Dowling (2011) indicate that middle school is not too early to introduce nursing as a career option
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