Barriers and Facilitators to Completion of an Undergraduate Nursing Program: Exploration of Mindfulness, Mindlessness, and Retention Among Ethnic Minorities

As the United States population continues to grow and diversify, so too must the nursing workforce in order to meet the challenging healthcare needs of a diversifying population. Currently the nursing profession is overwhelmingly White, with only 25% of registered nurses identifying as ethnic minority (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), 2016). Research suggests that a diverse nursing workforce benefits many segments of the population, where better care is provided because the nurse reflects the ethnic or racial background of their patient (Glazer, Clark, & Bankston, 2015; RWJF, 2016). In order to continue to diversify the nursing profession, a pipeline of qualified ethnic minority students must be recruited and trained by colleges and universities. The challenge however, is to ensure ethnic minority students that are recruited in these programs are provided adequate resources to assist them in completing their program of study. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of barriers and facilitators to successful completion of an undergraduate nursing program among a sample of ethnic minority undergraduate nursing students. Suggestions of strategies to enhance retention and completion of an undergraduate nursing program were also gathered from participants. Because many of these young adults are faced with a myriad of challenges in completing their nursing program, some of which may be developmentally and psychologically related, a secondary aim of this study was to explore the concepts of mindfulness and mindlessness within the context of ethnic minority nursing students’ struggles and successes while enrolled in a nursing program. Cross-sectional qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with undergraduate nursing students (N=20) who self-identified as ethnic minority. Participants were recruited from a large Midwestern urban university’s college of nursing and were interviewed. The transcripts of interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings emerging from data analysis were grouped into three broad themes: 1) Barriers to successful completion of an undergraduate nursing program; 2) Facilitators to successful completion of an undergraduate nursing program; and 3) Strategies to assist in program completion. While experiences in their nursing programs were positive, the study findings captures a process of traveling to a foreign country unprepared and not knowing all of the rules that govern the country. Participants shared stories of feeling lost and isolated and having some difficulties in navigating the ‘country’ of college and a larger university with only a faulty compass to guide them. Having a map to ease their navigation would help alleviate the barriers they encountered moving through their nursing program. With the current implementation of the Affordable Care Act in which many individuals including ethnic minorities are now beginning to have access to health care, there is a need for diversifying the nursing workforce (American Nurses Association, 2014). Recruiting and training more ethnic minority nurses will also be critical in caring for an aging diverse population. Amidst the budget cuts at many state universities, one finding from this study suggest the need to maintain and expand existing support services for ethnic minority students in order to increase the number of ethnic minority students graduating and entering the nursing workforce. Finding ways however, to ensure that these programs are cost-effective is an important factor to consider. Gathering information from the students themselves is an important way for university administrators to develop culturally appropriate programs that would provide rich learning experiences to support and retain ethnic minority students

Exploration of Mindfulness Among Ethnic Minority Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background. Meeting projected needs for ethnically diverse nurses depends on a strong pipeline of diverse students within nursing programs. Colleges assume students readily navigate the university; however, this may not be the reality especially among ethnic minority students. Purpose. The purpose was to explore the concept of mindfulness among ethnic minority nursing students. Exploring mindfulness, and a lack thereof, may provide strategies for overcoming challenges ethnic minority students experience in prelicensure nursing programs. Methods. A qualitative study using thematic analysis of semistructured in-depth interviews was conducted with 20 ethnic minority undergraduate nursing students. Results. Themes that emerged reveal positive associations of mindfulness and negative implications when there is a lack of mindfulness. Conclusion. Based on the findings from this study, using consistent mindfulness techniques could positively influence coping skills for dealing with the stressors of college, resulting in overall success and retention of ethnic minority and first-generation students in a nursing program

Being Invisible: Stereotype Threat in an Undergraduate Nursing Program

Background: Nursing programs continue to be challenged to increase recruitment and retention of ethnic minority nursing students to meet the needs of a diversifying population. Ethnic minority students face a cadre of barriers, one of which is the negative implications of their own identity. This article describes a qualitative study that explored the experiences of stereotype threat among a group of ethnic minority nursing students at a large urban university. Method: Semistructured, one-time in-depth interviews were conducted. Result: Three themes emerged: A Sense of Uncertainty About Abilities, Avoidance, and Vigilance for Signs of Failure. Conclusion: Nursing faculty and administrators may better support ethnic minority nursing students through graduation by having an awareness of the implications of stereotype threat. Top of For

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Exploring Grit Among Black Prelicensure Nursing Students

Unequal representation of black nurses in the workforce continues to plague the nursing profession. Preconceptions and understandings of the discipline are underpinned by the dominant white racial makeup, which may challenge ethnically diverse nursing students’ perceptions of their ability for success. The need for a diverse nursing workforce includes the challenge of enticing minority students into and successfully through prelicensure programs. This study of attributes of grit in the lived experiences of black nursing students revealed evidence including consistent efforts and perseverance to reach goals in the participants’ stories

Comprehensive Onboarding and Orientation to Support Newly Hired Faculty in a Nursing Program

Background: Nursing programs are challenged with retaining nurse faculty due to many complex factors, one being the problem of suboptimal transition to the role. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to assess the impact of an onboarding and orientation program, the Teaching Excellence Program (TEP), on the transition of newly hired nurse faculty. Methods: Program assessment data, including quantitative and qualitative measures of 14 participants\u27 needs and experiences, were collected over one academic year. Results: A Wilcoxon signed-rank test found no discernible difference between the preprogram and postprogram survey responses. Qualitatively, participants reported positive experiences with the TEP, highlighting the value of being in a cohort that created a sense of belonging within the college and university. Conclusion: The inclusion of programming such as the TEP can be used as a recruitment and retention tool, especially as we navigate faculty shortages and develop clinicians as faculty members

Sex differences in oncogenic mutational processes

Funder: Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002790Funder: Genome Canada (Génome Canada); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100008762Funder: Canada Foundation for Innovation (Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000196Funder: Terry Fox Research Institute (Institut de Recherche Terry Fox); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004376Abstract: Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Sex differences in oncogenic mutational processes

Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research.Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research.Peer reviewe

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts.The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that -80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAFPeer reviewe