Long, Lee AnnKeelen, Mengesha2024-04-252024-04-252024-04-22http://hdl.handle.net/10342/13367This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aims to increase the knowledge, awareness, and intent to pursue advanced practice nursing degrees among nurses and future nurses of all non-European people. Moreover, a secondary expectation of this DNP project, although not an outcome, aspires to reduce health disparities and improve patient outcomes through a more diverse and multicultural advanced nursing practice profession. Through mentorship, exposure, and access, the number of advanced practice nurses of color can increase, thus decreasing provider-to-patient ratios and increasing positive patient outcomes. Approximately seventy students, including both males and females, participated in implementing the DNP project over ten weeks. The implementation occurred at a community college in North Carolina. The Associate’s Degree program breakdown of students was as follows: 28 first-year, 19 are 2nd year, and 24 are transitioning from Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to an associate degree in nursing (ADN). Of these students, only five are male, and the rest are female. Regarding race/ethnicity, the collected Fall data of students were thirty-seven African American, thirty-two White, four Hispanic/Latino, and four Multiracial. The implementation project, which focused on exposing LPN and associate degree nursing students to DNP and master-prepared nursing fields, has been successful. The intent is for these students to pursue these degrees eventually. Ninety-nine percent of students who previously had minimal exposure to the degree and process now express a willingness to consider an advanced degree in nursing, demonstrating a significant increase in their awareness.en-USDNP, advanced practice nursing degree, People of color, Diversity in nursing, DNP in rural USDNP Scholarly Project