Development of a plan for improved recruitment and retention of Hispanic practical nursing students.

In 2007, Hispanic Americans represented 14% of the US population, but only 5.8% of licensed practical nurses (US Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007). The lack of diversity in the nursing workforce results in disparities in healthcare delivery. Nursing educators are challenged to develop strategies to recruit and retain a more diverse student population. This article focuses on the development of a plan to improve recruitment and retention of Hispanic practical nursing students at an urban community college in Northern New Jersey. The first step of the project was to complete a needs assessment to understand the disproportionately low numbers of Hispanic students enrolled in the practical nursing program as compared with other majors. Phase two of the project was to identify best practices nationally that have proven to be successful in recruiting and retaining Hispanic students. Data obtained from phases one and two were used in phase three of the project to develop specific recruitment and retention strategies.