C.A.R.E.E.R. DISCOURSE COMMUNITY CONTRATACION, AYUDANDO, RETENCION, ESTUDIANTE ENFERMERA RECURSO = RECRUITING, HELPING, RETAINING, NURSING STUDENT RESOURCES. MARK RUIZ. 1

DEFINING A DISCOURSE COMMUNITY The 6 characteristics defining a discourse community: 1) It’s the general consensus of a set of people that brings them together, “A discourse Community has a broadly agreed set of common public Goals” (Swales 471, p.11). The C.A.R.E.E.R. program is a diversity grant funded program designed to help high school, pre-nursing, and nursing students improve academically(College of Nursing and Health Sciences, N.D.). To allow for a higher percentage of acceptance into the nursing program. Also, it was funded with the purpose of expanding on and representing diversity within the program with factors such as race/gender/ethnicity. 2

DC CONT’D 2) The ability to share these goals throughout the structure of the community allows for a shared mindset to the communities purpose, “A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members” (Swales 471, p.12) Flyers: (CAREER Program: College of Nursing & Health Sciences, 2011). Mandatory updates of progress-..\..\How's it going -Rubric.pdf 3

DC CONT’D 3) Consistently communicating with other members of the community allows for improvement of the group as a whole and an active membership, “A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback” (Swales 472, p. 12). Meetings, Mandatory update s, and walk-ins with the First year administrator to provide a more personal environment. CarrerPic.png 4) “A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims” (Swales, 472, p. 15) Flyers and CAREER website to attract new members revealing application process 4

DC CONT’D 5) Only active members participating within the group can only truly understand the topics and discussions of meaning within the meetings, “In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis”(Swales 473, p.16) S.N.A. program, T.A.C.K.L.E., Health Fitness Exams. (Student Nursing Association, 2011). p (Texas A&M University Corpus Christi -Recreational Sports, 2011) p 5 T.A.C.K.L.E. Take an Active Challenge to Keep Life Exciting

DC CONT’D 6) Hierarchy separating leaders and positions of authority from members determine a community as well, “A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise” (Swales 473, p.17) High school, pre-nursing, nursing levels within the program. Administrative positions of membership. (Ex: Johanna Dubose, FY coordinator, administrator.) 6

OBSERVATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. In my observation I observed that: Most members were female. 6/25 were male. Most members were a minority in some fashion. 5/25 were white. Meaning the minorities, are the majority. Women dominated most of the conversation, and the discussion. As there were more of them in number, it began to feel a bit of a feminine environment. Academics led the discussion topics. 7

GOALS OF DC The goal of the discourse community and its members are share, but the DC has its own agenda by which it follows. In an interview with Johanna Dubose, the First Year CAREER administrator in charge of all freshmen members, when asked about the main objective for the students within the program she replied, “ to be successfully accepted in the Nursing College. And to adjust from high school to college” (Dubose, 2011). Goals of the DC, being that it’s a program funded with the purpose of emphasizing on diversity within the nursing program, I’d say it is to attract diversity to the program and hopefully into the college. 8

THE “TYPICAL” NURSE Most people see the title of a nurse and automatically associate it with a women. And as far as race, I’d say it would be related to a white female. Reasons for this correlation? I believe its is because the act as an aid or a job that is dependent upon caring for someone is associated with a women’s position. Race? Since white Americans have, for the most part, been the majority the job as a nurse is represented by a white female to reflect the face of society. 9

CHALLENGING THE STEREOTYPE “Approximately 5.4% of the 2.1 million R.N.s employed in nursing in the United States are men, according to the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses conducted in March 1996” (Chung, 2011). Typically, the position of a nurse has been associated with a female, and for good reason. Most RN’s are women, but the point of the community is to challenge this association of females=nursing. This program’s partial goal is to aid students in there academics as students, but it’s “intended audience” as far as those that it intends to attract this CAREER program are minorities in different areas. 10

MINORITY IMPORTANCE?? As this trend of minority growth continues I feel its important to be have a staff able to care for all types of ethnically varied sorts of people. “In general, what nurses really bring to the table is an ability to help identify the health care needs of the patients and families in our communities. If we are not representative of our [patient population], then it becomes a lot more difficult to identify and meet those needs” (Chung, 2011) 11

GRAPH Hispanic and Latino Americans by race (2010)[37] RacePopulation Percentage of all Hispanic and Latino Americans White26,735, % Some other race /18,503, % Two or more races3,042,5926.0% Black1,243,4712.5% American IndianAmerican Indian and Alaska Native Alaska Native 685,1501.4% Asian209,1280.4% Native HawaiianNative Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Pacific Islander 58,4370.1% Total50,477, % 12 Hispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic and Latino Americans by race (2010) ( Humes, K., Jones, N., & Ramirez, R. 2011)

REFERENCES College of Nursing & Health Sciences. (n.d.). Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. Retrieved October 13, 2011, from CAREER Program: College of Nursing & Health Sciences. (n.d.). Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. Retrieved. October 13, 2011, from Chung, Vicky. "Minority Nurse." Men in Nursing. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct College of Nursing & Health Sciences. (n.d.). Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. Retrieved October 13, 2011, from Humes, K., Jones, N., & Ramirez, R. (2011). Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: census briefs. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from Johanna Dubose. October 13, Personal Interview. Keith, G. (2011). Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents. Writing about writing: a college reader (p. 101). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. "PmWiki | StudentNursingAssociation / StudentNursingAssociation browse." College of Science & Engineering - Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct < "Texas A&M University Corpus Christi -Recreational Sports." Texas A&M University Corpus Christi -Recreational Sports. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct < 13