$265,000 Grant to A&M International to Address Hispanic RN Shortage - Artículo Breve

Hispanic Times Magazine, June 22, 2001

LAREDO -- A $265,000 federal grant aimed at expanding enrollment of regional Hispanic nursing students seeking RN degrees has been awarded to Texas A&M International University's Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provided the award for the Nursing Special Project, to be known as STAT-RN (South Texas Access to RN Education), effective July 1, 1999.

The project goal is to significantly expand enrollment of regional, Hispanic nursing students in professional nursing programs and shorten the time frame needed to obtain licensure as Registered Nurses in the State of Texas.

A&M International president Dr. Charles Jennett said the program is an incisive response to the needs of the University's service area.

"The healthcare industry in our region is mushrooming as is the need for culturally competent, Spanish-speaking nurses who are prepared for leadership roles in this arena. STAT-RN will enable us to directly address a crippling need and profoundly impact healthcare delivery here," Dr. Jennett said.

Dr. Susan Baker, Canseco School of Nursing Director, said the project's funding is crucial to assure greater Hispanic representation in the health professions.

"At both national and state levels, nurses from Hispanic backgrounds are seriously under-represented in comparison to other ethnic groups and to the percentage of Hispanics in the general population. In Laredo and Webb County we have a 95% Hispanic population capable of addressing this shortage," Dr. Baker explained.

The project focuses on two key factors which research shows stymie or prolong Hispanic student efforts to succeed in nursing programs.

"National research shows a 30% drop-out rate for Hispanics in nursing programs. This has been directly tied to economic hardship issues that involve the need to support the family and an educational preparation that may not have emphasized the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the selected program," she said.

In order to assure student success in coursework, and on the state nursing licensure examination, STAT-RN provides increased tutorial support, learning materials, development of on-line testing, student study skill development and faculty development.

STAT-RN also includes a collaborative research component with Prairie View A&M University's College of Nursing, another campus of The Texas A&M University System.

"This component will provide us with opportunities to compare the effectiveness of teaching strategies used to address learning needs of basic nursing students in our two schools of nursing which serve predominantly minority student populations in The Texas A&M University System," Baker explained.

The STAT-RN project director is Natalie C. Burkhalter, assistant professor in the School of Nursing.

For additional information on STAT-RN and Texas A&M International University's Canseco School of Nursing, please contact the School at 956.326.2450. Dr. Baker can also be reached by email at sbaker@tamiu.edu