title: College students' perceptions of their experiences: what do minority students think?
abstract: Despite substantial evidence that a diverse nursing workforce is needed, slow growth continues in the number of ethnically diverse RNs. This study examined whether students' race/ethnicity was associated with perceptions about institutional, dispositional, and situational factors and whether perceptions differed by college. African American, Latino, Asian, Filipino, Southeast Asian, and non-Latino White nursing students (N = 1,377) reported their perceptions. Seven regression models were estimated to assess the association of race/ethnicity with these factors. Being a minority was associated with negative perceptions of institutional diversity. African Americans had fewer peer and faculty interactions. Filipinos reported less work interference with attending classes. Students' ethnicity is important to institutional and situational outcomes. Adding school-level variables to the regression models helped explain some additional variance in student perceptions. A comprehensive, long-term commitment to the retention of students from diverse backgrounds is needed.
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia School of Nursing, Culture, Gender, and Health Research Unit, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, T-161, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. wong@nursing.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Sabrina T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jean Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Seago
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grumbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002140:California; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009341:Negativism; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011287:Prejudice; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology