The University of Cincinnati is in the process of developing a program that would increase the diversity of the nursing workforce. The task force that is proposing the plan has entitled it the “Grant for Academic Initiative in Nursing,” or GAIN for short. It is a simple plan, but if it is passed, its effects would be astronomical, according to sources. The purpose of the grant is to extend the opportunity of a nursing career to those students who are economically disadvantaged, as well as those students who are of different ethnic backgrounds. The task force members are a collection of professors and nurses from RWC, Clermont College, and the Clifton campus as well. Especially important to the project have the contributions of RWC Dean Barbara Bardes, Marisue Naber, Kim Petrie, Jenny Young, Ervena Weingartner, and Diane McPhillips, all of whom helped to make the grant possible.
The federal grant, which will hopefully be approved in Washington, D.C., in April, will allow student grant supported scholars the fundamental academic and financial support that is necessary.
Nurses are reportedly in a shortage at nearly every hospital, and the demand for new nurses has never been greater. In a field that is prominently dominated by middle class white females, it is time to extend this opportunity to all persons, both male and female, who are willing to put in the strenuous work that this profession demands.
The grant is not only about training more nurses, but raising the cultural awareness of the community here in Cincinnati and abroad as well.
It is estimated that out of the students who meet the admission requirements and enroll in the Nursing program, eight percent will be African American, two percent will be Asian, and two percent will be of Hispanic descent.
As of 2002, only five percent of the graduates from the UC Associate Degree in Nursing Program were African American, and only two percent were Asians. It is time for these statistics to change. We must increase the percentage of minority and/or economically disadvantaged students to graduate from the nursing program, and GAIN is the perfect way to do it. The goal is to increase the graduation rates of the students by twenty percent compared to that of the 2002 year.
The total amount that is being requested in the grant is $757,404, which will be used over a three-year period. The traditional amount of time for a nursing program is two years, but GAIN has extended that time by one year. This added time would ensure that all students are properly trained and are sound in their area of expertise.
The prospective nursing students will be interviewed by the GAIN Advisory Committee, which consists of five persons. Most of these students will be high school seniors and pending nursing students. Also, it is the hope to attract non-traditional students to apply for GAIN participation. It is estimated that twenty scholars will be selected each year, and they will work in the GAIN program for three years.
The selection process for possible GAIN students will be a lengthy one. Every student will be tested for placement to ensure that he or she meets all of the necessary requirements. The students will be provided with advising, support course tutoring, and monthly support group meetings with a Project Counselor. These counselors will help to increase cultural awareness, as well as making sure that all of the students in the GAIN program are understood properly. A faculty development workshop will be implemented to inform faculty of ways to promote cultural competence and the educational success of every student in GAIN.
All of the above mentioned strategies would continue to be used in the second year of the program, as well as some other added material.
In the second year, nursing course tutoring and Nurse Course Success will take place. Weekly tutoring sessions will be available to all students who feel as if they need a little extra help. The workshops will continue to be held to increase educational success to minorities and those students who are economically disadvantaged. By the third year, the goal of GAIN will have been reached by the completion of a nursing human diversity course. During this course the students will observe nurses working in diverse populations and diverse nurse settings. This gives the nurses the opportunity to see what their lives will be like upon the completion of the GAIN program.
It is expected that if the GAIN project is approved, there will be ten graduates in 2006 as a direct result from GAIN. This will be an eighty percent yearly scholar retention rate, and a twenty percent increase in the graduation of students who are of minority status and/or those who are economically disadvantaged. This will not only set a new standard and precedent for the University of Cincinnati Associate Degree Nursing Program, but for all nursing programs throughout the nation.