Language Proficiency and Academic Success of Bilingual Hispanic Nursing Students along the US-Mexico Border

Background: The Texas Department of State Health Services reported an enrollment of 29.7% Hispanic heritage students in nursing schools in 2020. Hispanics comprise of 18.5% of the total US population. Hispanic communities are less likely to speak proficient English than non-Hispanic Whites due to lack of language concordance. A diverse nursing workforce is necessary to accommodate the changing community. English as an additional language is frequently identified as a barrier to a nursing degree. This study examined how English proficiency affects nursing academic success of non-BSN and BSN nursing students. Methodology: Non-experimental descriptive quantitative research with two open-ended questions were employed. Students from 27 non-BSN and BSN programs along the U.S.-Mexico border were surveyed. Participants (N = 158) self-reported Grade Point Average (GPAs) on a 4.0 scale and completed two language proficiency instruments, the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) and the English Language Acculturation Scale (ELAS). Participants responded to questions related to strategies that were either beneficial or barriers to their learning and success. Results: Regression of GPA on predictors of English proficiency yielded non-significant models. Convergent validity between the two language proficiency instruments was supported, and reliability was similarly high. MANOVA analysis revealed students on a BSN versus non-BSN program hold higher GPAs. Non-BSN students showed higher Spanish language proficiency than those on a BSN program. Seven themes emerged from the question data, three themes showed that English as an Additional Language (EAL) benefits students (support, communication, and academic resources) and four were barriers to learning (finances, time management, language, and self-perception). Conclusion: A diverse bilingual nursing workforce is essential to meet the future needs of the US. Even though language proficiency did not predict academic success, students enrolled in non-BSN and BSN students who utilized both languages were academically successful.