Success in Nursing School: Black Nursing Students' Perception of Peers, Family, and Faculty

Blacks comprise 12.3% of the U. S. population and only 4.6% of registered nurses nationally. Moreover, Blacks have the highest percentage of nongraduates among nursing students compared with other U.S. racial/ethnic groups. This descriptive qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences that contributed to success for Black graduates, ages 18 to 50, who attended nursing degree programs with predominantly White students and identified the experiences students credited for their success. Data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 participants. Categories and patterns were established using content analysis. Findings suggest that the Black students valued peer support, interactions with White students' study groups, family support, and faculty encouragement and support as factors that enhanced success. This article focuses on those supports students identified as essential to graduation. The findings of this study demonstrate that it takes a community to create a nurse. Specific implications for student retention are discussed.