Exploring Grit Among Black Prelicensure Nursing Students

Abstract

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