title: Collaborative co-op as a means to expand BSN enrollment & diversity.
abstract: The collaborative co-op is an innovative option that emphasizes cultural competence and evidenced-based nursing care. This project provides four summers of more challenging and responsible experiences to enhance students' expertise in supervision and delegation with other members of the health care team. Through experiential learning, students develop an in-depth understanding of differentiated practice roles and the distinct and complimentary responsibilities of the nursing assistant, the practical nurse, and the professional nurse through this highly structured and mentored co-op clinical experience. The co-op students complete all requirements for the BSN degree along with the students enrolled in the traditional BSN program, but they also have the additional summer clinical experiences. Counseling, mentoring, and early identification of academic problems are important features of this structured program.
authors.affiliation: University of South Alabama, College of Nursing, USA.
authors.forename: Alethea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000407:Alabama; D002321:Career Choice; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D054521:Cultural Competency; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004518:Education, Professional, Retraining / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008008:Licensure, Nursing; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D011231:Preceptorship / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012073:Remedial Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016746:Transcultural Nursing