title: Mentoring Hispanic undergraduate and graduate research assistants: building research capacity in nursing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article discusses and describes the experiences of five Hispanic bilingual (English and Spanish) research assistants (RAs) who were undergraduate and graduate nursing students and who were part of a research team.
  
  
  METHODS
  A capacity-building framework was used, which has six guiding principles: a whole-system approach; accommodating diversity; reducing barriers to participation; enabling collaboration; mentoring; and facilitating networking. In addition, mentorship and peer learning were essential components of building research capacity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reflections of the five RAs highlighting how these principles were applied are described. The experiences of the five Hispanic RAs and the outcomes of the projects are also described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These experiences demonstrate the importance of involving undergraduate and graduate nursing students in research, which can build research capacity and increase the number of Hispanic nurses in the workforce.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aponte
authors.forename: Brenda N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madera
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campos-Dominguez
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Panora
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
mesh_terms: D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D008611:Mentors; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D016746:Transcultural Nursing; D006801:Humans