The purpose of this study was to explain factors that encouraged and discouraged the participation of Black women in RN completion programs. A qualitative design and a Black feminist theoretical framework guided the study. Ten Black women were interviewed: 7 attended RN completion programs, and 3 were recent graduates. Factors that encouraged the participation of Black women can be grouped into two areas: intrapersonal and cultural factors. Factors that discouraged participation of the Black women in the study can be grouped into two areas: the experience of being the "other" and the culture of racism. The study concludes that Black women in RN completion programs are constantly aware of themselves as the "other" in the classroom as well as in practice and that individual and institutional racism is a barrier in RN completion programs.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aiken, L. C. (2000). Weathered by their experiences: Black women returning to RN completion programs (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Georgia, 1999). Dissertation Abstracts International, 66(11), 3868.
2.
Aiken, L. C.
, Cervero, R. M., & Johnson-Bailey, J. (2000). A structural analysis of the experiences of Black women who return to RN completion programs. Thresholds in Education, 26(2), 40-46.
3.
Barbee, E.
(1993). Racism in U.S. nursing. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 7(4), 346-362.
4.
Barbee, E.
(1994). A black feminist approach to nursing research. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 16(5), 495-506.
5.
Beer, C. T.
(1989). Returning women: Their perceptions of the social environment of the classroom. Initiatives, 52(1), 11-17.
6.
Bogdan, R.
, & Biklen, S. (1992). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
7.
Boyd, J. A.
(1993). In the company of my sisters: Black women and self-esteem. New York: Penguin.
8.
Briscoe, D. B.
, & Ross, J. M. (1989). Racial and ethnic minorities and adult education. In S. B. Merriam & P. M. Cunningham (Eds.), Handbook of adult continuing education (pp. 583-598). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
9.
Chornick, N. L.
(1992). A comparison of RN to BSN completion graduates to generic BSN graduates: Is there a difference?Journal of Nursing Education, 31(5), 203-209.
10.
Collins, P.
(1990). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. New York: Routledge.
11.
Collins, P.
(1995). The social construction of black feminist thought. In B. Guy-Sheftall (Ed.), Words of fire: An anthology of African American feminist thought (pp. 337-357). New York: New Press.
12.
Collins P.
(1999). Reflections on the outsider within. Journal of Career Development, 26, 85-88.
13.
Collins, P. H.
(1999). Learning from the outsider within: The sociological significance of Black feminist thought. In S. Hesse-Biber, C. Gilmartin, & R. Lydenberg (Eds.), Feminist approaches to theory and methodology: An interdisciplinary reader (pp. 155-178). New York: Oxford University Press.
14.
Cookson, P. S.
(Ed.). (1989). Recruiting and retaining adult students (New Directions for Continuing Education, No. 41). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
15.
deBeauvoir, S.
(1968). The second sex (H. M. Parshley, Trans.). New York: Modern Library. (Original work published 1949)
16.
Donaldson, J. F.
, Graham, S., Kasworm, C., & Dirkx, J. (1999, April). Adult undergraduates participation and involvement: Future directions for theory and research. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.
17.
DuBois, W. E.B.
(1953). The souls of Black folk. Greenwich: Fawcette. (Original work published 1903)
18.
English, L. M.
, & Gillen, M. A. (2000). Addressing the spiritual dimensions of adult learning: What educators can do (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No. 85). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
19.
Etter-Lewis, G.
, & Foster, M. (1996). Unrelated kin: Race and gender in women's personal narratives. New York: Routledge.
20.
Fleming, J.
(1984). Blacks in college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
21.
Glaser, B. G.
, & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago: Aldine.
22.
Gluck, S. B.
, & Patai, D. (Eds.). (1991). Women's words: The feminist practice of oral history. New York: Routledge.
23.
Harrington, T. S.
(1993). Why they stay: A study on the persistence of reentry women. Initiatives, 55(4), 17-24.
24.
Hayes, E.
, & Colin, S. (Eds.). (1994). Confronting racism and sexism (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No. 61). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
25.
Hayes, E.
, & Flannery, D. (1995, April). Adult women's learning in higher education: A critical review of scholarship. Initiatives, 57(1), 29-39.
26.
Hine, D. C.
(1989). Black women in white: Racial conflict and cooperation in the nursing profession 1890-1950. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
27.
Hochschild, A.
(1989). The second shift: Working parents and the revolution at home. New York: Viking.
28.
hooks, b.
(1984). From margin to center. Boston: South End.
29.
hooks, b.
(1989). Talking back: Thinking feminist, thinking Black. Boston: South End.
30.
Horne, C.
(1993). Ideological barriers to nursing education for returning RN students. In N. Diekelmann & M. Rather (Eds.), Transforming RN education: Dialogue and debate (pp. 61-78). New York: National League for Nursing Press.
31.
Hull, G. T.
, Bell-Scott, P., & Smith, B. (Eds.). (1982). All the women are white, all the blacks are men, but some of us are brave. New York: Feminist Press.
32.
Johnson-Bailey, J. (1994). Making a way out of no way: An analysis of the educational narratives of reentry Black women with emphasis on issues of race, gender, class, and color. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens.
33.
Johnson-Bailey, J.
(1999). Participation and retention concerns of Black women adult learners. In D. W. Ntiri (Ed.), Pedagogy for adult learners: Methods and strategies (pp. 7-34). Detroit, MI: Wayne State University, Office of Adult and Lifelong Learning Research.
34.
Johnson-Bailey, J.
(2000). Sistahs in college: Making a way out of no way. Malabar, FL: Krieger.
35.
Johnson-Bailey, J.
, & Cervero, R. (1996). An analysis of the educational narratives of reentry Black women. Adult Education Quarterly, 46(3), 142-157.
36.
Johnson-Bailey, J.
, & Cervero, R. M. (2000). The invisible politics of race in adult education. In A. L. Wilson & E. R. Hayes (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education: New edition (pp. 147-160). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
37.
Kasworm, C. E.
(1990). Adult undergraduates in higher education: A review of past research perspectives. Review of Educational Research, 60(3), 345-372.
38.
Levine, A.
, & Cureton, J. S. (1998). What we know about today's college students. About Campus, 30(3), 4-7.
39.
Lewis, L. H.
(1988). Addressing the need of returning women. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
40.
Lorde, A.
(1984). Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Freedom, CA: Crossing.
41.
Mathews, M.
, & Travis, L. (1994). Research on the baccalaureate completion process for RNs. Research on Nursing Education, 12, 149-171.
42.
Mattson, S.
(1990). Coping and developmental maturity of RN baccalaureate students. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 12(4), 514-524.
43.
Maykut, P. E.
, & Morehouse, R. (1994). Beginning qualitative research: A philosophic and practical guide. London: Falmer.
44.
Merriam, S. B.
(1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education: Revised and expanded from case study research in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
45.
Merriam, S. B.
, & Brockett, R. G. (1997). The profession and practice of adult education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
46.
Merriam, S. B.
, & Caffarella, R. S. (1999). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
47.
Moses, Y. T.
(1989). Black women in academe: Issues and strategies. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 311 817)
48.
Roueche, J. E.
, & Roueche, S. D. (1993). Between a rock and a hard place: The at-risk student in the open-door college. Washington, DC: Community College Press.
49.
Scott, K. Y.
(1991). The habit of surviving. New York: Ballantine.
50.
Sokoloff, N. J.
(1992). Black women and white women in the professions. New York: Routledge.
51.
Spanard, J. M.
(1990). Beyond intent: Reentering college to complete the degree. Review of Educational Research, 60(3), 309-344.
52.
Tisdell, E. J.
(2000). Spirituality and emancipatory adult education in women adult educators for social change. Adult Education Quarterly, 50, 308-335.
53.
Vaz, K. M.
(Ed.). (1997). Oral narratives research with Black women. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
