On September 10-11 the AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing^SM (A-CHEN) hosted a workshop at Morgan State University in Baltimore on nursing school mentoring programs. The 2024 Mentoring for Success with Schools of Nursing was co-hosted by Morgan State University and Coppin State University. 

The workshop was a continuation of work initiated in 2018 by the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health. The goal of the workshop was to improve retention, graduation, and National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) passage rates among underrepresented students enrolled in nursing programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving and American Indian and Alaska Native-serving institutions.

Through interactive workshops and panel presentations, participants learned to: 

• Enhance grant writing skills.
• Optimize NCLEX preparation and student remediation. 
• Promote health equity initiatives. 
• Reinvigorate mentoring programs. 

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Funding Opportunities from HRSA (PDF)

Presenters:

• Leah FitzGerald, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, Director, Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration
•  Tara Spencer, MS, RN, Deputy Director Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration

Objectives:

• Discuss funding opportunities for nursing education through the Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration.
• Share information on other governmental agencies that offer funding opportunities for nursing schools.

Fundraising and Grant Writing Skills Workshop

Presenters:

• Audrey Snyder, PHD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Academic Partnerships, UNC Greensboro School of Nursing [would link to Audrey’s full presentation by linking the PPT to her name]
• Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, FAAN, Associate Professor, Duke University School of Nursing

Objectives:

• Describe the key elements that constitute a successful grant application.
• Facilitate the development of a preliminary grant application by participants based on a conceptual paper they prepare before the Summit.
• Provide guidance to nursing schools on overcoming challenges and barriers in the application and approval process for grant funding.
• Review and discuss preliminary grant applications developed through group work.
• Illustrate the benefits of strategic partnerships in the context of applying for funding.

NCLEX Outcomes and Successful Strategies

Presenters:

• Mary Martin, DNP, AGCNS, CMSRN, Clinical Liaison/Coordinator, Alaska Native Medical Center
• Twanda Gainer, RN, MSN, Founder and CEO, RN Reach, LLC 
• Maija Anderson, DNP, APRN, FNE-A/P, Chair, Department of Nursing, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University 
• Jason A. Schwartz, MS, Director of Outreach, Marketing and Advocacy, National Council of State Boards of Nursing (PPT PDF)

Objectives:

• Review national outcomes and lessons learned with the launch of the revised NCLEX examination.
• Discuss the advantages of using evaluative data to enhance NCLEX performance.
• Explore strategies for promoting student success and academic advancement.
• Describe effective approaches to increase student success in preparing for and passing the NCLEX examination.

Addressing cultural qualities for successful nursing programs

Presenters:

• Sadie Anderson, MSN-FNP, RN, President, National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association, Inc. 
• Sheldon D. Fields, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, National Black Nurses Association, Inc.
• Veronica Vital, PhD, MSN, RN, President, National Association of Hispanic Nurses

Objective:

• Discuss the influence and impact of culture on student learning and the mentoring process.

Changing Landscape and Strategic Approaches: Navigating Public and Institutional Policies

Presenters:

• Mary-Margaret Finney, MSN, RN, CNE, Clinical Associate Professor, St. David’s School of Nursing, Texas State University Round Rock Campus
• Wanda Thruston, DNP, PNP, RN, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C (Moderator), Associate Dean, Equity Diversity, and Inclusion and Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing

Objectives:

• Provide an overview and discussion of current economic and socio-political changes affecting student enrollment.
• Compare and contrast different approaches to mitigate the impact of economic and socio-political challenges on marginalized students.
• Provide examples of Holistic Admissions in navigating admission.  

Envisioning Students as Future Faculty

Presenter:

• Brigit Carter, PhD, RN, FAAN, Chief Diversity Officer, American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Objective:

• Explore opportunities for early mentoring and recruitment of students to develop potential future faculty members.

Mentor Recruitment Initiative

Presenters:

• Jazmine Cooper, MBA, Senior Advisor, AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing
• Vernell DeWitty
• Nerissa Malloy, MSN, RN, Nurse Mentor Volunteer, AARP
• Donna Newman, RN, MSN, Nurse Mentor Volunteer, AARP

Break-out Sessions

American Indian Alaska Native-serving Institutions

Mentoring Refresher

Presenters:

• Sadie Anderson
• Regina Eddie, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Northern Arizona University, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Senior Advisor, Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action

Objectives:

• Discuss participant experiences with implementing mentoring programs.

APU Cultural Safety & NCLEX pass rates

• Annette Rearden, MS, RN, Associate Professor Nursing, Alaska Pacific University

Objective

• Explore key success factors when implementing mentoring programs at nursing schools.

APU NCLEX success: 64% to 100% pass rate

• Annette Rearden

Objective

• Discuss strategies for increasing pass rates with the NCLEX examination.

How do we use the AIAN Curriculum?

Presenters:

• Regina Eddie, PhD, RN
• Carrie Barr, MSN, RN, BSN Programs Director and Associate Lecturer, University of Wyoming
• Tiara “Ti” Ruff, Coordinator of Native American Advising and Outreach, Undergraduate Nursing, Native American Nursing Education Center

Objective:

• Describe outcomes of successful mentoring programs for AIAN nursing students.

Practice Partners: Partnerships with Schools and Health Systems

Presenters:

• Mary Martin
• Annette Rearden, MS, RN

Objective:

• Explore practice partnerships that support the academic success of AIAN nursing students.

Hispanic-serving Institutions

Mentoring Refresher

• Mirian Zavala, DNS, RN, FNYAM, President, National Association of Hispanic Nurses-New York Chapter

Objective:

• Discuss participants’ experiences with implementing mentoring programs.

Successful Strategies: Enrollment and Retention

• Lucia J. Alfano, EdD, MA, RN, Director of Clinical Affairs, School of Nursing, Mercy University
• Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FAAN, Dean and Chief Nursing Officer, School of Nursing, Mercy University

Objective:

• Describe key success strategies with enrollment and retention of Hispanic nursing students.

Successful Strategies: Collaboration and Partnerships

• Catherine Alicia Georges, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Chairperson Emerita, Lehman College-CUNY

Objective:

• Explore approaches to developing collaborative partnerships between academic and practice partners.

Successful Strategies: CliftonStrengths

• Francisco Diaz, DNP, RN, NP-BC, CDCES, Member, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, New York Chapter

Objective:

• Describe the use of CliftonStrengts as one assessment tool for student success.

Circle of Mentorship & Student Testimonies

• Veronica Vital

Objective:

• Explore the lived experiences of students as a strategy for implementing successful mentoring programs.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Mentoring Refresher

• Vernell DeWitty

Objectives:

• Describe current or past mentoring programs at each school.
• Discuss challenges and/or barriers with the implementation of mentoring programs.

Their Voice, Their Story: Student Videos and Scenario Role Plays

• Monica J. Harmon, MSN, MPH, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor, Drexel University (video)
• Vernell DeWitty

Objective:

• Review pre-recorded student perceptions of mentoring programs, focus on benefits.

Student Success Strategies: Pathway Programs, Student Retention, and Gender Divide in the Profession

• Deborah Stamps, EdD, RN, FAAN, Chief Equity through Nursing Advisor to the AARP Public Policy Institute
• Twanda Gainer, RN, MSN
• Tonya Jackson, MSHA, BSN, RN, Executive Director, National Black Nurses Association, Inc.

Objectives:

• Discuss program recruitment and retention strategies.
• Identify critical success factors for student retention and completion
• Discuss successful recruitment strategies to increase male enrollment. what have schools collected, successful programs that focus on recruitment.
• Describe the state of gender in the nursing workforce and nursing school enrollment and overall trends.

The Value of Membership

Presenters:

• Sadie Anderson
• Sandra Bibb, DNSc, RN, FAAN, President, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
• Karen Faison PhD, APRN-BC, CNE, Member, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.
• Sheldon D. Fields.
• Veronica Vital
• Danielle McCamey, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC, FCCP (Moderator), Founder, President, CEO, DNPS of Color

Objective:

• Disseminate information about the national ethnic nursing organizations.
• Organization representatives will briefly describe the organization’s benefits and support for students.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration and partnerships.