Partnering in the cultivation of the next generation of ethnic minority nurse scientists: responding to a compelling national agenda.

Health disparities continue to exist between communities of color and the poor and the health of the nation as a whole. Highly competent and culturally sensitive nurse researchers are needed to contribute to the elimination of disparities. There is however, an inadequate supply of nurse researchers of color and an insufficient number of students in the pipeline aspiring to careers as nurse researchers. The purpose of this article is to analyze a partnership model between nursing programs in a Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU) with an evolving research presence and an Ivy League university with an research extensive environment. After four years of collaborating, minority undergraduate students have an increased interest in nursing research and the problems of health disparities, conduct original pilot studies, produce and deliver scholarly papers based on their pilots, publish in referred journals with their mentors, engage in networking with accomplished nurse researchers and leaders, and demonstrate increased enrollment and interest in graduate study. Faculties at both institutions exhibit enhanced competencies in the design and conduct of research related to eliminating disparities and in strengthening their respective research environments. The model demonstrates that the career trajectory of minority nursing students and the research capacity of faculty can be influenced through the deliberate application of elements of the model.

Duke Scholars

Author Catherine Lynch Gilliss School of Nursing

Author Dorothy Lewis Powell School of Nursing