Sociocultural Influences and Academic Disparities in Hispanic American Female Nursing Students

The number of students enrolled in community colleges in the United States grew from 6.7 million in 2017 to nearly 8 million in 2019 (Community College Research Center, 2022). Hispanic Americans, the largest diverse ethnic population, accounted for nearly 30% of the student population in community colleges in 2020 (American Association of Community Colleges, 2020; Noe-Bustamante et al., 2020). Community colleges, the college of choice for most Hispanic Americans, offer flexible and cost-effective programs in nursing and other on-demand professions (Murphy & Murphy, 2018). Although data indicate an expected growth in this diverse student population, Hispanic Americans have lower degree attainments than their non-Hispanic counterparts in institutions of higher education (Murphy & Murphy, 2018).

Hispanics were also the second largest student population enrolled in pre-licensure nursing programs in the United States from 2015 to 2019 (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2020). Female nursing students have outnumbered their male counterparts for decades, being that the nursing discipline is a female-dominated profession (AACN, 2020; National League for Nursing, 2022). However, Hispanic women face high attrition rates in pre-licensure nursing programs for undetermined reasons (Condon et al., 2013; Murphy & Murphy, 2018). While researchers have attempted to reduce attrition rates in nursing academia, few investigators have addressed increased rates in Hispanic American female nursing students (Barbe et al., 2018; Harris et al., 2014).

Traditional gender roles in the Hispanic culture could negatively influence academic outcomes in Hispanic American female nursing students. Women face high social expectations in the Hispanic culture. A strong sense of responsibility to the family, known as familismo, holds Hispanic women accountable for the well-being of relatives, including extended family members (Murphy & Murphy, 2018; Purnell & Fenkl, 2021). Marianismo, or the moral obligation to sacrifice for the family and their needs, also emphasizes the significant role of Hispanic women in the protection and care of relatives (Leal-Unmuth, 2012).

Such factors could compel women to focus on traditional female roles in the Hispanic culture rather than education, although these beliefs may not be shared among acculturated Hispanic American females (Murphy & Murphy, 2018). The inability to fulfill these roles or maintain loyalty to the family within the Hispanic culture could result in guilt and emotional distress, especially in Hispanic immigrant females, as well as tension within the woman’s family, creating barriers to academic success (Leal-Unmuth, 2012; Purnell & Fenkl, 2021). Furthermore, other factors such as immigration status, discrimination, employment opportunities, financial constraints, poverty, lack of transportation or resources, as well as language or literacy barriers could negatively affect academic outcomes in this nursing student population (Barbe et al., 2018; Condon et al., 2013; Leal-Unmuth, 2012). Single mothers and Hispanic women of childbearing age could face more obstacles to academic success than Hispanic men due to increased work, household, and family demands (Murphy & Murphy, 2018).

Academic disengagement from a lack of diverse nursing workforce in the United States may also contribute to low educational outcomes in this student population (Campaign for College Opportunity, 2018). A deficiency in diverse health care professionals could be reflected in the lack of culturally sensitive care in the nation, which may indirectly account for poor patient outcomes, health disparities, and high health care costs (Brach & Fraser, 2002). In 2017, Hispanic nurses represented 5.3% of the estimated 4.6 million registered nurses in the United States (Smiley et al., 2018). This statistic may have negative repercussions in the development and provision of culturally tailored nursing care for Hispanic Americans. Nurses have an ethical obligation to assist students of all ethnic groups to acquire the knowledge and characteristics of professional nurses, as well as to eliminate health disparities and inequities among diverse populations (AACN, 2020; Condon et al., 2013). Nurse faculty, administrators, and researchers are urged to address academic disparities and social determinants that may contribute to decreased educational attainment in Hispanic female nursing students to potentially improve health outcomes in the Hispanic American population (Barbe et al., 2018). If the nursing discipline does not find effective solutions to this problem, then the profession could fall short on a diverse nursing workforce, potentially neglecting the cultural and spiritual care needs of the Hispanic American population.