Recruiting students from disadvantaged backgrounds into nursing has been a challenge for the profession. Recently there has been an emphasis on developing effective programs that will increase the nursing workforce diversity and much effort has been put forth by nursing educators, nursing organizations, and business entities. One such program is the Reach for Your Dream program that targets middle school students who have high minority students and students who come from both economic and educational backgrounds. This presentation will focus on the strategies used at two middle schools in the southeastern part of the U.S. The middle school students have a new opportunity to learn about nursing as they interact with both nursing faculty and baccalaureate nursing students. In addition, parents have the chance to learn more about a nursing career for their children. A major focus is to contact the middle students prior to their making their choice of educational tracts in high school. Another positive influence of the program has been with counselors who now have a better understanding of nursing as a career. Participants will be able to identify the benefits of partnerships between academic institutions of higher learning and community entities and learn of strategies that can be used to increase the nursing workforce diversity.
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Back to 37th Biennial Convention - Clinical Sessions
Sigma Theta Tau International