Marketing, recruiting and retaining African American baccalaureate nursing students.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the marketing, recruitment and retention policies and practices with reference to African American nursing students in baccalaureate nursing programs. The sample consisted of top-ranked and southern nursing schools accredited by the National League for Nursing (N = 49). Findings indicate that African American enrollment in nursing schools has not changed demonstrably over the past 10 years. High schools (78%) and community colleges (61%) were the main markets for recruiting African American students. Two approaches, rated as successful in retaining African American nursing students, were use of African American counselors and student housing. The college catalog was no longer the method used most frequently for marketing nursing programs.