BIPOC Nursing Students’ Perceived Barriers to Help-Seeking When under Stress

Abstract

Achieving diversity in the nursing workforce is dependent upon the success of BIPOC nursing students. Help-seeking is an adaptive process that nursing students can engage in to facilitate success. BIPOC Bachelor of Science in Nursing students construct knowledge about barriers to help-seeking based on their experiences. Method. This research was not meant to provide a solution to a specific social problem but merely to add to the theoretical knowledge about the experiences of baccalaureate BIPOC nursing students with help-seeking when under stress. Therefore, a qualitative descriptive design comprised of semistructured interviews was implemented. Results. The lack of BIPOC educators, absence of campus diversity, and perpetuation of microaggressions emerged as themes that describe the barriers to help-seeking when under stress. Conclusion. The study results indicate the need for ethnic and racial diversity amongst nursing faculty and the need for faculty, staff, and students to engage in professional development programs about implicit bias and microaggressions.