Student attrition (dropping out) wastes time and resources which schools of nursing can ill afford. This study from Israel sets out to identify the reasons for student attrition and finds that academic failure is only one factor. The authors suggest some ways in which high risk students can be identified and helped.
Head nurses and faculty members have their own beliefs on and attitudes towards the process of selecting candidates to schools of nursing. Many times these are based on impressions and/or everyday experiences that might have a crucial influence on perception of the issue. These impressions are not always verified when a study is conducted. This article reports on some of the issues and findings regarding attrition in one school for registered nurses in Israel during the years 1968-1974. It also describes what head nurses and faculty members thought to be valid criteria in the selection process, though findings revealed that things are not always as they are believed to be. For example, psychological tester recommendations were thought to be crucial in selecting candidates and preventing attrition, but no significant correlation was found between the recommendations and attrition. Head nurses thought that the main reason for attrition was dissatisfaction, although this was not found to be a stated reason. This belief of the head nurses should evidently be investigated. Findings support the author's belief that local studies are important and that faculty members and head nurses should communicate on the issue of student nurse selection and education.
Psychological tests as one of the influential and, in some instances, crucial criteria in selecting candidates to schools of nursing, have long been used and during the last 25 years have been discussed in literature
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