Nursing Workforce Diversity Scholarship Program

The demand for culturally competent healthcare services in the state of Delaware continues to rise, while the supply of registered nurses who are culturally and ethnically diverse remains stagnant. In order to meet this urgent need, the University of Delaware School of Nursing was awarded a Three-Year Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2014.The purpose of this grant is to implement an innovative and comprehensive recruitment and retention model that will help increase the diversity of the nursing student body, as well as foster a welcoming environment that promotes interest and success for underrepresented minority (URM) and disadvantaged students.

Criteria:

1. Freshman Nursing Students from underrepresented minority groups and/or are from economically/educationally disadvantaged groups who are admitted each fall.
2. Enrolled full-time in the Traditional BSN program.

Definitions:

• Underrepresented Minority Groups - Include Black or African Americans, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, and any Asian or Pacific Islander group other than Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Asian Indian or Thai.
• Economically Disadvantaged Group - An individual who comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. Bureau of Census, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs.
• Educationally Disadvantaged Group - An individual who comes from an environment that has hindered the individual in obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school. The following are provided as examples of “Educationally Disadvantaged” for guidance only and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Examples include a person:
• From a high school with low average SAT scores or below the average State test results.
• From a school district where 50% or less of graduates go to college.
• Who has a diagnosed physical or mental impairment that substantially limits participation in educational experiences.
• For who English is not their primary language and for whom language is still a barrier to their academic performance.
• Who is first generation to attend college and who is from rural or urban area or receiving public assistance.
• From a high school where at least 30% of enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches.

The NWD grant funds nine undergraduate nursing students partial scholarships and stipends which are divided among all students participating in the program for three years. The NWD scholarships and stipends will directly support tuition, fees, books, related expenses for program participants.

The students who are awarded these scholarships will be required to participate in various activities designed to help them succeed in the Traditional BSN program, as well as be better prepared to enter the nursing workforce. Some activities may include academic support, social and cultural outings, leadership and mentoring opportunities, and other experiences that help promote the student’s professional development.

Ultimately, our goal with this program is to help create nurse leaders from diverse backgrounds who can help meet the needs of a culturally diverse and aging population.