A Summer Prematriculation Program: Bridging the Gap for Disadvantaged Underrepresented Minority Students Interested in a Nursing Career.

Background: The nursing and health care workforce needs diverse clinicians who can provide culturally competent and high-quality care to an increasingly diverse U.S.

Population: Achieving this goal requires creating learning environments that foster the success of disadvantaged underrepresented minority (URM) students seeking nursing careers.

Method: This 4-week summer prematriculation program introduced 33 URM individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to nursing as a career through financial support, academic enrichment, and social support to enhance nursing program admission success. Federal guidelines were used to establish URM and economically disadvantaged status.

Results: To date, one third of program participants have been admitted to nursing programs.

Conclusion: Fundamental reforms in pre-college education systems, such as the evidence-based strategies implemented in our summer prematriculation program, may be needed to achieve a diverse, culturally competent workforce that can help eliminate persistent health and health care disparities. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(8):471-475.].