Cabezonas con suenos: assets Latina/o nursing students used to overcome obstacles

Abstract

This study used critical ethnography to explore and document the institutional, personal, and cultural assets that Latina/o nursing students and recently graduated Latina/o RNs used to surmount obstacles to successfully navigate an accredited U.S. nursing program. Six nursing students and seven recently graduated RNs were interviewed in focus groups and semi-structured interviews about their experiences in nursing school. The data were divided into seven categories---(1) personal assets, (2) social assets, (3) cultural assets, (4) institutional obstacles, (5) cultural obstacles, (6) racism, and (7) institutional assets---from which two themes were extracted---assets used for overcoming and resistance and obstacles to be overcome. The findings were congruent with most previous research conducted, and a new understanding of the importance of the cultural assets of stubbornness and determination was gained. Participants were committed to maintaining family and cultural ties and carrying out family responsibilities. Findings regarding racism within nursing education are also reported. Recommendations for nursing educators include gaining an understanding of the issues faced by Latina/o and other racialized students and learning about antiracism, which is signified by an acknowledgement that White people will never know what it is like to be a racialized person in the United States, a commitment to overtly fighting racism, and a recognition of the significant effects of racism. Further steps include integrating antiracism into nursing curricula by teaching about both racial oppression and White privilege, as well as teaching White students how they contribute to institutional racism, and how they can become antiracist "allies." Additional recommendations are that nursing education include more content on social disparities in health; create more flexible, culturally-appropriate nursing programs; increase flexibility in admissions; remove academic barriers; and implement mentoring support for racialized students once they enter a nursing program.