Browsing by Author "Ellis, Rebecca"

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    Career Decision-Making in Diverse Nursing Students: Choosing a Career in Nursing
    (2024-04) McCord, Geoffrey Aaron; Otte, Julie L.; Ellis, Rebecca; Carpenter, Janet S.; Schall, Carly E.
    The nursing profession lacks diversity that reflects the population it serves. The population of LPN/LVN and ADN students are known to be more diverse than BSN students. Little is known about the differences between the students in the three levels of nursing programs (LPN/LVN, ADN, BSN), including reasons for choosing nursing, and barriers and facilitators. The McCord Nursing Career and Educational Decision Pathway Conceptual Framework guided this study. A quantitative survey was conducted of current nursing students in the US. The study asked demographic information as well as motivating factors, barriers, and facilitators for choosing nursing and their program type (LPN/LVN, ADN, BSN). Responses from 741 nursing students in LPN/LVN, ADN, and BSN programs from 26 states. The study found significant differences between the students in the three educational pathways. There are significant racial and financial differences and differences in reasons for choosing nursing, educational background, commitments outside of school, and barriers to goal achievement. LPN/LVN students were more likely to be Black and ADN students were more likely to be Hispanic. There was greater racial diversity in the LPN/LVN and ADN groups. LPN/LVN students are more likely to identify nursing as their first career choice and most want to be an RN. LPN/LVN and ADN students were more worried than BSN students about their family commitments, financial obligations, and their ability to succeed in nursing school. Some of the lack of diversity in BSN programs reflects the challenges that racial minorities face in goal achievement. Identified barriers include outside financial commitments, the cost vii of nursing programs, and the length of time of the programs. The goal to increase diversity in nursing should consider the entire population of those who want to become nurses.
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    Experiences of Non-Hispanic Black and African American Women with Postpartum Healthcare
    (2025-06) Sposato, Margaret Fallon Van Brunt; Otte, Julie; Ellis, Rebecca; Draucker, Claire; Johnson, Jasmine; Tully, Kristin
    Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity are stark in the United States, especially for non-Hispanic Black and African American women who experience elevated rates of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity. Effective postpartum healthcare is essential for preventing pregnancy-related deaths, successfully managing complications, and optimizing childbearing women’s health, yet little is known about non-Hispanic Black and African American women’s experiences with postpartum healthcare in the year following delivery. The purpose of this study was to describe non-Hispanic Black and African American women’s experiences with postpartum healthcare throughout the one-year postpartum period from their perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 postpartum non-Hispanic Black and African American women in Indiana within 12 months of childbirth. The participant narratives were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Participants identified eight types of positive experiences and eight types of negative experiences interacting with healthcare providers, nine types of healthcare facilitators and 12 types of healthcare barriers encountered during the one-year postpartum period, and eight recommendations for improving postpartum healthcare. The findings revealed (1) participants’ feelings about their postpartum healthcare were primarily influenced by relational experiences with providers (e.g. feeling attended to or dismissed) and whether their care needs were or were not met by providers, and (2) participants’ experiences accessing healthcare were primarily influenced by health system factors (e.g. having or not having enough appointments), resource and practical factors (e.g. childcare), and financial and insurance factors (e.g. having health insurance). The study results provide preliminary insights into non-Hispanic Black and African American women’s experiences with healthcare in Indiana during the one-year postpartum period and suggest there may be multiple opportunities throughout the postpartum year for healthcare providers and the health system to optimize this population’s healthcare experiences.