What works in promoting and maintaining diversity in nursing programs.

Background: The presence of a registered nurse (RN) workforce that is culturally and linguistically familiar with underrepresented minorities promotes effective health care for patients. A lack of diversity in the nursing education pipeline has led to a lack of diversity among registered nurses.

Methods: This qualitative descriptive study explored faculty perceptions of factors that attracted and maintained a diverse nursing student body at three different universities with large percentages of minority students.

Preparing Nursing and Social Work Students to Care for Patients in Acute Alcohol Withdrawal.

Alcohol and other drug abuse has become a national crisis with approximately 26% of general medical patients having alcohol-related problems. New nurses and social workers are often not prepared to care for patients with severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms because they lack experience in actual crisis situations. The purpose of this study was to prepare nursing and social work students to care for a patient undergoing an acute alcohol withdrawal process.