Nursing as an Additional Language and Culture (NALC): Supporting Student Success in a Second-Degree Nursing Program

Abstract

: The nursing workforce does not represent the diversity of the United States population and while recruitment of diverse nursing students is high, so are their rates of attrition. The Nursing as an Additional Language and Culture Program (NALC) was implemented in an accelerated, second-degree baccalaureate nursing program to enhance retention by minimizing barriers and supporting activities to enhance student success. Results suggest that the NALC program was successful in decreasing the attrition rate of nursing students, including minority students.

Improved Health in Ethnically/Culturally Diverse Patients through Enhanced Cultural Competency in Nurse Wellness Outcomes Educators

“…Health and wellness among ethnically/culturally diverse populations may not be optimal for many reasons, including the lack of access to healthcare (Batykefer Evans, 2013;Chandler & Swanston, 2012;Dapremont, 2014;Esposito, 2013;Gordon & Copes, 2010;Songwathana, 2013;West et al, 2010), the lack of comfort that diverse people feel when dealing with those from the dominant culture (Songwathana, 2013), and the provision of culturally dissonant, or incongruous, healthcare (Allen et al, 2013;Arieli & Hirschfeld, 2013;Beard, 2013;Bednarz, Schim, & Doorenbos, 2010;Brooks Carthon, Nguyen, Chittams, Park, & Guevara, 2014;Cantwell et al, 2015;Carter, Powell, Derouin, & Custais, 2015;Chandler & Swanston, 2012;Dudas, 2012;Gordon & Copes, 2010;Long, 2012;West et al, 2010) as provided by nurses who do not share the patients' "ways of life, cultures, thoughts, attitudes and belief system[s]" (Songwathana, 2013, p. 111). Cultural dissonance may occur when the nurses and their patients differ in nation of origin, religion, gender orientation, language and/or other ethnic/cultural differences.…”

“…However, preparing nursing students from diverse ethnic/cultural backgrounds to successfully complete their program of study is seen as a barrier to increasing the number of diverse nurses in the global workforce, due to reasons such as: lack of support and possible lower levels of preparation (Arieli & Hirschfeld, 2013;Batykefer Evans, 2013;Brooks Carthon et al, 2014;Cantwell et al, 2015;Davis et al, 2010;Igbo et al, 2011;West et al, 2010), language and communication difficulties (Arieli & Hirschfeld, 2013;Bednarz et al, 2010;Brooks Carthon et al, 2014;Debrew et al, 2014;Greenberg, 2013;Hansen & Beaver, 2012;Igbo et al, 2011;Junious et al, 2010;Koch et al, 2014;Torregosa et al, 2015), feelings of prejudice or isolation (Arieli & Hirschfeld, 2013;Beard, 2013;Bednarz et al, 2010;Brooks Carthon et al, 2014;Carter et al, 2015;Condon et al, 2013;Debrew et al, 2014;Morton-Miller, 2013;Robinson, 2013;Veal et al, 2012), feelings of the need to act like members of the hegemonic culture (Debrew et al, 2014;Morton-Miller, 2013), lack of role modeling (Beard, 2013;Bednarz et al, 2010;Carter et al, 2015) and lack of faculty support (Ackerman-Barger, 2010;Baker, 2010;…”

“…While the issues of recruiting and graduating increased numbers of diverse nursing students must be resolved, it is also imperative to simultaneously increase the cultural competency of all nursing students (Allen et al, 2013;Arieli et al, 2012;Bohman & Borglin, 2014;Campinha-Bacote, 2011;Carter et al 2015;Debrew et al, 2014;Dudas, 2012;Dunagan et al, 2014;Esposito, 2013;Fulbright Sumpter & Brooks Carthon, 2011;Gallagher & Polanin, 2015;Gregory et al, 2010;Harris et al, 2013;Jeffreys & Dogan, 2012;Kardong-Edgren et al, 2010;Kirkpatrick, Esterhuizen, Jesse, & Brown, 2015;Koch et al, 2014;Koskinen et al, 2012;Lim et al, 2015;Long, 2012;Mayo et al, 2014;McClimens et al, 2014;Mesler, 2014;Mixer, 2011;Mixer et al, 2013;Noble et al, 2014;Perng & Watson, 2012;Starr, Shattell, & Gonzales, 2011;Strong & Folse, 2015;Westerbotn et al, 2015) across the board; because at this juncture, there is an insufficient number of ethnically/culturally diverse nursing students in many countries (Baker, 2010;Brooks Carthon et al, 2014;Cantwell et al, 2015;Carter et al, 2015;Chandler & Swanston, 2012;…”

“…Debrew et al (2014) and Koch et al (2014) mention that language and communication differences are particularly troubling in the clinical setting where healthcare workers may use an "insider language" (Debrew et al, 2014, p. 152) that may be specific to the institution. Cantwell et al (2015) mention that creating a supportive and caring environment for those nursing students with language differences is beneficial. Further, providing clear instructions, such as rubrics, permitting nursing students to submit drafts before the final work is due, and recommending resources to assist with writing (Billings, 2015) will help nursing students with language differences in their written work.…”

“…Faculty support and mentoring has been demonstrated to be a very effective approach (Arieli & Hirschfeld, 2013;Arieli et al, 2012;Batykefer Evans, 2013;Brooks Carthon et al, 2014;Cantwell et al, 2015;Dapremont, 2014;Hansen & Beaver, 2012;Junious et al, 2010;Mixer, 2011;Mixer et al, 2013;Veal et al, 2012). Socialization with faculty and fellow students (Batykefer, 2013;Igbo et al, 2011), and increasing the number of ethnically/culturally diverse faculty (Carter et al, 2015) have been shown to increase the academic success of ethnically/ culturally diverse nursing students.…”