Abstract

A large disparity exists between the number of black students that enter into predominantly white baccalaureate nursing programs and those that graduate from these programs. Empirical research efforts have dealt with the retention of blacks in higher education but have failed to recognize a very fundamental question: What is the meaning of "being black" in an educational program that is predominantly white? There was no research to date that used a philosophical inquiry into what it means to be a black nursing student in a predominantly white nursing program. Further, there was a dearth of research that included students' actual expressions of their educational experiences on white campuses. ;This hermeneutic analysis was conducted using critical hermeneutic phenomenology as the philosophical framework. Of particular concern was Jurgen Habermas' concept of "distorted communication," that seeks to uncover systems of distorted communication in an author's work or in the tradition. ;Four black nursing students were interviewed and asked to respond to the statement: "Tell me about a time, a time you will never forget, one that reminds you of what it means to be a black student in a predominantly white nursing program." The interviews were audio-taped and later transcribed for analysis using a seven stage process for hermeneutical interpretation. The text was created from the transcribed interview of one student's narrative account, as her text embraced the accounts of all four participants. ;Common patterns and themes that emerged from this study include: "Seeking Identity: Being Different/Being the Same," "Student as Teacher: Towards a Surrogate Pedagogy," and "Resoluteness: I'll See You at Graduation." The findings suggest that empirical research concerning the problem of black attrition in predominantly white nursing programs must include a description of "what it means to be black or different" in these settings. Curricular, instructional, and parental implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed