Reasons for student attrition on nursing courses: a study

Abstract

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.

Undergraduate nursing students' compatibility with the nursing profession

“…These characteristics are not usually tested in current selection tests for the nursing profession. Ghazi and Henshaw as well as Ehrenfeld et al have also reported this fact and have attributed to it such factors as lack of motivation during the study period, low achievement, high attrition rates, lack of interest in the job and quitting the job [2,7]. …”

“…Dornik and Vidmar reported that in Slovenia only a high school diploma is required for admission into nursing schools [6]. Similarly, Ehrenfeld et al as well as the American National League for Nursing argue that admission to nursing schools in America is based on testes similar to the ones for other programs, such as aptitude tests or teacher-made achievement tests [3,7]. Similarly, in Iran, university entrance tests measure only the theoretical knowledge and the aptitude of the applicants; whereas, requirements of the nursing profession are much different and broader.…”

“…This is why researchers have emphasized, in recent years, that applicants selected for nursing should have the appropriate psychological and personal characteristics in addition to their knowledge and aptitude. To account for this, personality tests have also been recommended to complement educational aptitude tests [7-10]. …”

Predictors of academic success in first semester baccalaureate nursing students

“…Thus, improving the ability to predict at-risk students early enough to intervene is crucial to nursing programs. Strategies for fostering student success have included early identification of students most at risk for failure and development and implementation of interventions to support these students (Ehrenfeld, Rotenberg, Sharon, & Bergman, 1997;Pimparyon, Roff, McAleer, Poonchai, & Pemba, 2000;Summers, 2003). Despite these efforts, however, attrition from baccalaureate nursing education programs continues, suggesting that we need to identify more accurate predictors of success.…”

Attrition from midwifery programmes at a midwifery school in the English midlands 1939–1973: A historical study

“…One of the major debates within contemporary midwifery and nursing education in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally concerns the rate, cause and impact of attrition from preregistration programmes (Ehrenfeld et al 1997;Green and Baird 2007;Pryjmachuk et al 2008;Urwin et al 2010;Orton 2011;Hughes 2013;Council of Deans 2013). Attrition is generally defined as the loss of students during a programme of study (Taylor 2005) and there have been suggestions that attrition from healthcare programmes in England is as high as 30 per cent (Council of Deans 2013).…”