Summer program for pre-matriculating nursing students.
The National League for Nursing reported in 1984 that while Black nursing students represent 15.89% of admissions to baccalaureate programs in the southern region of the United States, they represent only 8.17% of the graduating nursing students. The average percentage of enrolled Black nursing students at the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing for 1981-85 was only 7.68%. In view of the need for minority nursing students, it is necessary to increase the number of minorities enrolled and to improve retention rates of these students. A Nursing Student Educational Enrichment Program (S.E.E.P.), a summer pre-matriculating curriculum, was developed for minority nursing students which utilized a variety of campus-wide services and was based in the School of Nursing. The S.E.E.P. nursing students attended classes with all campus S.E.E.P. students who were enrolled in other health profession classes, and also completed two courses specific for nursing students: Decision-Making and Therapeutic Communication. This article examines the development and implementation of the nursing courses, with a focus on the curriculum design, program evaluation, and program specifics.