The recruitment and retention of minorities into nursing is a pressing need given the evolving racial makeup of the U.S. A scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify and map evidence of the best practices and timing for recruitment and retention of minorities in nursing. This review utilized methods described by Asksey and O’Malley. PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane, Web of Science, and ProQuest were searched from 2000 to 2022. Data were extracted from 20 full text papers published in English in the U.S. Recruitment usually begins in middle or high school, but several authors recommended beginning as early as elementary school to establish positive views of nursing. Retention methods included multi-pronged approaches tailored by the academic institutions. Most received federal funding. Financial aid is key to the success for many minority nursing students, but must be aligned with other supports (e.g., academic, social, mentoring) in recruitment and retention efforts. Partnerships with local elementary, middle, and high schools, hospitals, community agencies and centers, businesses, and minority groups are necessary. Future research that measures outcomes of early recruitment of minorities and their choice of nursing as a career is needed. Recruitment and retention efforts should include information on potential sources of funding prior to student enrollment. More information is needed on recruitment and retention programs that are successful without funding and those that remain robust after funding ends.
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