Nursing Program Aims to Increase Diversity, Help Disadvantaged Students

A new program from Michigan State University’s College of Nursing aims to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds – including underrepresented minority students – gain acceptance to the college, graduate with a bachelor’s degree and become licensed nurses.

The Overcoming Educational Barriers program, led by associate dean Terry Viau, will provide pre-entry preparation, retention aid and stipends/scholarships to educationally or economically disadvantaged students. The program, which aims to reach more than 500 students over three years, is funded by a $933,420 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"National and state statistics show racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the registered nurse profession,” Viau said. "Increasing opportunities for disadvantaged students, including underrepresented minority students, responds to the nursing shortage as well as the need for a more culturally diverse work force to serve an increasingly diverse population.”

A number of disadvantaged students who are incoming MSU freshmen express an interest in nursing, Viau said, but many of those students are underprepared for the academic requirements of the curriculum.

"Our goal is to begin working early with students, parents and teachers to provide information about both the professional opportunities and the academic requirements for the nursing field,” she said. "This grant helps us provide the academic and financial resources needed to support these students.”

One component of the grant will establish an early access option for MSU freshmen interested in nursing by providing academic and financial support and facilitating admission for 10 disadvantaged students each year.

This pre-college preparation program, as well as a retention program, will be created to provide support services, stipends and scholarships to the students, helping them through graduation and successful completion of the nursing licensure exam.

Also as part of the grant, the college is partnering with the Lansing School District to work with middle and high school students each year. The pre-entry preparation program aims to increase student interest in the nursing profession and provide mentoring and academic support to encourage academic preparation, college attendance and admission to the nursing major.

Viau said the pre-entry component is a natural extension of an existing relationship with the Lansing School District: The college places nursing students in the district for as part of its clinical practicum and also has had nurses from the school district serve as faculty members.