Exploration of Mindfulness Among Ethnic Minority Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background: Meeting projected needs for ethnically diverse nurses depends on a strong pipeline of diverse students within nursing programs. Colleges assume students readily navigate the university; however, this may not be the reality especially among ethnic minority students. Purpose: The purpose was to explore the concept of mindfulness among ethnic minority nursing students. Exploring mindfulness, and a lack thereof, may provide strategies for overcoming challenges ethnic minority students experience in prelicensure nursing programs. Methods: A qualitative study using thematic analysis of semistructured in-depth interviews was conducted with 20 ethnic minority undergraduate nursing students. Results: Themes that emerged reveal positive associations of mindfulness and negative implications when there is a lack of mindfulness. Conclusion: Based on the findings from this study, using consistent mindfulness techniques could positively influence coping skills for dealing with the stressors of college, resulting in overall success and retention of ethnic minority and first-generation students in a nursing program.