Student success centers in nursing education: A case study example

Background: A student success center was established at an academic health science center in an effort to address student performance in a diverse undergraduate nursing program. Method: A process for determining student needs and narrowly tailored support interventions was determined through a modified Delphi focus group of students enrolled in a Hispanic Serving Institution's undergraduate nursing program. Results: Findings of this study are presented along with the 5-year outcomes associated with the center's efforts. Implementation of these narrowly tailored interventions has led to a considerable improvement in student engagement, as well as higher first-time pass rates on the NCLEX-RN® examination by graduates. Conclusion: To address the critical shortage of diverse nurses in the United States, schools of nursing must provide all necessary support mechanisms to ensure underrepresented and first-generation college students have every opportunity to graduate and enter the nursing workforce.