806 - Why So Few . . . in Nursing?

In a world where diversity and inclusion is becoming recognized for its value in creating a healthy, dynamic, and productive workplace, significant disparities continue to exist that impede the benefits of diversity from being realized. Nationally, Asian, Black, and Hispanic minorities comprise 27% of nursing students from a 2017 NLN study, while US Census data from 2019 shows that minorities represent 37.8% of the population. When looking at the binary gender-based disparity, females represent 87% of nursing program students (51.8% US Census), while males comprise only 13% (49.2% US Census). Actionable measures to increase diversity and inclusion are needed for this paradigm shift to solidify changes in the way that nursing recruitment and retention occur. At a community college, the number of nursing students were not fully representative of its community population. Specifically, male nursing students comprised only 18% of program enrollment but represented over 38% of failure rates.

To address this disparity, a chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing was founded to establish a college-level focus on this area of needed support, while providing mentorship to at-risk students. An unexpected benefit was that other underrepresented groups have joined the chapter and are reaping the benefits. Chapter members are involved in ongoing recruitment efforts to reach out to local junior high and high school students to encourage nursing as a profession, helping to generate an increase in the number of males admitted into the nursing program. Beyond mentorship, using an evidence-based process of dynamic goal setting that was shown to increase academic retention rates by 30% overall, and up to 54% for male minority students, is an avenue currently being explored. Ultimately, implementing equitable practices to foster diversity and inclusion is necessary for nursing programs and the profession to meet the ever-changing needs of our communities.