Nursing Workforce Development (NWD) - Lehman College, a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY) located in the Bronx, New York, proposes the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) Program to strengthen the nursing workforce pipeline serving medically underserved communities disproportionately affected by chronic disease, healthcare inequities, and provider shortages. Bronx communities experience disproportionately high rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and maternal-child health disparities compounded by persistent socioeconomic inequities and barriers to healthcare access. At the same time, many nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds face significant academic, financial, employment, transportation, and caregiving barriers that may impede persistence and degree completion within rigorous nursing education programs. The proposed project will recruit, retain, mentor, and support nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in Lehman College's Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Nursing Program. The project is designed to increase the number of nursing graduates prepared and committed to serving medically underserved communities after graduation. Lehman College's longstanding clinical partnerships throughout the Bronx and surrounding region position the program to support workforce development directly within Health Professional Shortage Areas and other medically underserved communities. The project will support a minimum of 25 NWD scholars annually, for a projected total of at least 100 unduplicated students over the four-year project period. Participating students will receive comprehensive academic, financial, mentorship, and workforce-development support designed to improve retention, progression, graduation, NCLEX readiness, and workforce placement outcomes. Project services will include: targeted recruitment and admissions outreach for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; individualized advising and mentoring; academic progression monitoring; tutoring and academic support; participation in professional nursing organizations and extracurricular nursing activities; faculty mentorship; workforce-readiness activities; and clinical learning experiences across primary, secondary, tertiary, ambulatory, continuing-care, home-health, and community-based healthcare settings serving medically underserved populations. The project will also strengthen faculty and clinical-instruction capacity through faculty engagement, mentorship development, and expanded workforce partnerships. The proposed project primarily serves nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds residing in the Bronx and surrounding medically underserved New York City communities, many of whom are first-generation college students, Pell Grant recipients, and individuals balancing significant financial and family responsibilities while pursuing nursing education. By strengthening pathways into nursing education and supporting student success through graduation and workforce transition, the project seeks to improve healthcare access, workforce diversity, culturally responsive care, and long-term health outcomes within medically underserved communities.
