Currently, I am trying to establish a list of the BTN representatives at all the chapters. I have assigned the task to two different members in my committee to email all the school contacts to ascertain who the local BTN representative is and their contact information. I want to be able to contact them different in the future and like the CoCR list, have a list for future BTN State representatives to use. After I find out how many schools have a BTN representative, I want to encourage all the chapters who do not have one to elect a local BTN representative.
Once I get am able to establish a contact list, I want to begin to see what they’re doing in their local chapters to promote males and minorities in nursing. I believe that reaching out to the high school level students more effectively can increase the number of potential nursing students.
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"Las Enfermeras Latinas" Overview
- Problem:
- The ratio of Latino nurses remains disproportionately inadequate compared to the growth in California’s Latino population and Latinos are seriously underrepresented in nursing programs at all levels.
- Obstacles:
- Limited financial resources
- Latino cultural values (gender roles and family support system)
- Educational preparation (Many prerequisites seem daunting)
- Very few Latino faculty and mentors
- Solution Areas
- Education
- Awareness (Community and Institutionally)
- Primary and Secondary Schools:
- Work with schools to develop age-specific programs focusing on nursing as a career.
- Provide appropriate information on the academic requirements, especially in mathematics and science.
- Emphasize Nursing as a distinguished career
- Raise awareness about Latino-friendly scholarships and groups with which they can get involved (HCOP)
- Get Families and parents involved
- Community:
- Raise awareness among Latino community of the opportunities that nursing creates
- Emphasize nursing flexibility and room for lateral growth
- Find and expose positive Latino nursing role models
- Institutionally:
- Speak with the Dean about programs specific to the needs of the Latino population
- Target Latino pre-professional and professional groups to help raise on-campus awareness of nursing as a career (HAHN)
- Provide coping and study skills classes
- Again, raise awareness of the scholarships available in the healthcare field
- Recommendations for further research
- Barriers and factors that affect Latino enrollment, graduation and retention
- The effect of work environment in providing support and encouragement for Latino nurses
- Document the benefits and effects of providing culturally competent care
National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) Website -- www.nahn-us.org
Minoritynurse.com -- "Hispanic Men in Nursing"
California Lation Medical Association (CaLMA) Website -- www.calma.org
Latino Medical Students Association (LMSA) Website -- www.lmsa.net
"Hispanic" Magazine Website -- www.hispaniconline.com
