The Juncture of Access and Opportunity: The College and Career Choice for Underrepresented Minority Students Pursuing Nursing Degrees

• In Event: The Role of Geography and Circumstance in College Choice

Abstract

This case study examines the phenomenon of college and career choices of Latinx and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students pursuing a career in nursing at one public four-year minority-serving institution in Southern Nevada. Interviews with college students revealed that many of the students: a) took indirect paths to college and nursing; b) social actors were a critical source of information to pursue a career in nursing; and c) students considered the cost and benefits of their career and college choices; all of which were impacted by the geography of opportunity in Southern Nevada. The findings have major implications for the diversification of the healthcare fields which directly impacts the public good of our country as a whole.

Authors

• Cynthia Maribel Alcantar, University of Nevada - Reno

• Victoria Kim, California State University - Dominguez Hills

• Robert T. Teranishi, University of California - Los Angeles