Linguistic diversity as sociodemographic predictor of nursing program progression and completion

Abstract

Attrition from undergraduate nursing programs continues to warrant investigation particularly in the climate of nursing shortages and fiscal reflection on academic institutional programs. This three-year study used a prospective longitudinal survey design to determine entry characteristics of students, attrition, progression and completion in an undergraduate program. Students were surveyed in the first three weeks of commencing their program and gave permission for academic grades to be collected during their six session, three year Bachelor of Nursing program. Of the 740 students enrolled 48% (357 students) were surveyed and 352 students (99%) gave consent for their grades to be collected. One-third of the student cohort graduated in the expected three-year timeframe, one-third had dropped out and one-third was still completing their studies. A higher Grade Point Average and being a native English speaker were most predictive of students completing their course in the minimum expected timeframe.

A Correlational Study of a Reading Comprehension Program and Attrition Rates of ESL Nursing Students in Texas

“…Students who were off track or out of the program were more likely to be older, male, ESL, first generation college students, and Black, Asian, or Native Hawaiian/Other Islander, than the students who were on track. This is consistent with what has been reported in the literature, in which several combinations of the effect of these variables on student attrition have been evaluated (Abele et al, 2011;Jeffreys, 2007;Salamonson et al, 2008;Salamonson et al, 2011;Uyehara et al, 2007).…”

“…Only language acculturation was identified as a significant predictor of course grades. In another Australian study, being a native English speaker was the only significant predictor of course completion (Salamonson et al, 2011). Native…”

“…The factors contributing to the nursing shortage in the U.S. are also causing international nursing shortages (Salamonson, Andrew, Clauson, Cleary, Jackson, & Jacobs, 2011). Researchers in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are focusing on nursing student attrition and its effect on nursing shortages in their countries (Jalili-Grenier & Chase, 1997;Pryjmachuk, Easton, & Littlewood, 2008;Salamonson et al, 2011).…”

“…Researchers in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are focusing on nursing student attrition and its effect on nursing shortages in their countries (Jalili-Grenier & Chase, 1997;Pryjmachuk, Easton, & Littlewood, 2008;Salamonson et al, 2011). As in the U.S., many researchers from other countries in which English is the primary language have recognized the higher attrition of ESL nursing students and have begun to attempt to understand the factors which contribute to this (Donnelly, McKiel, & Hwany, 2009;Salamonson et al, 2011;Salamonson, Everett, Koch, Andrew, & Davidson, 2008;Weaver & Jackson, 2011).…”

An overview of data-based papers on undergraduate nurse education recently published in Contemporary Nurse: Progress, challenges and the need for a strategic agenda

“…Single-site, preand post-test design (N = 219) Nursing students in Australia 'Outcomes of a clinical partnership model for undergraduate nursing students' (Newton et al, 2011) How clinical partnership placements assist undergrad students transition to graduate nurses Single-site, mixed methods (N = 28) Nursing students in Australia 'Linguistic diversity as sociodemographic predictor of nursing programme progression and completion' (Salamonson et al, 2011) Factors contributing to students' completion of nursing programmes (Wilson et al, 2011) To identify factors influencing retention of Indigenous and minority nursing students Multi-site, nonexperimental cross-sectional survey (N = 108) Maori nursing students in New Zealand 'Tjirtamai -"To care for": A nursing education model designed to increase the number of Aboriginal nurses in a rural and remote Queensland community' (West et al, 2010) Review of a nursing education model aiming to increase the number of Aboriginal nursing students Single-site, review of model (N = 38)…”