1. Graduation and Success Rates of Mexican-American Undergraduate Nursing Students in an Associate Degree Nursing Program.
- Author
-
Sims-Giddens, Susan
- Abstract
A study compared graduation and licensure examination pass rates of Mexican American nursing students who spoke English as a second language and students who spoke English as a first language. Mexican American students were surveyed or interviewed concerning the effect on graduation and licensure examination pass rates of English as a second language, non-academic English proficiency, non-English speaking parents, and parental financial support. Of 67 Mexican American students who graduated from the nursing program with an associate's degree and passed the National Council Licensure Examination in Arizona between 1967 and 1995, 13 were interviewed in a focus group and 54 completed surveys. Quantitative data were collected from archival records. No significant difference in program completion was found between Mexican American students and native English speakers, while 73 percent of Mexican American graduates and 94 percent of English-as-first-language graduates passed the licensure exam on the first attempt. Spanish-speaking patients were more comfortable communicating with Spanish-speaking caregivers. Spanish-speaking students experienced difficulty reading nursing texts. Focus group participants stated that understanding how to read and comprehend multiple choice questions would have helped them on examinations. Family support was important to completion of the nursing program. Most respondents did not feel their families could have been more financially supportive, and most respondents had to work while in nursing school. Implications for educational institutions are discussed. (TD)
- Published
- 2002