Accelerated nursing programs have demonstrated an ability to increase the number of nurses entering the workforce. What is glaringly omitted from statistics about these programs is the rate of attrition. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National League for Nursing (NLN) are authorities on the state of nursing education programs in the U.S. Yet, these foremost authorities currently provide data on graduation rates only. A review of the literature reveals attrition rates are often speculated or unsubstantiated by data. However, when reported, data explaining the current state of attrition or retention in schools of nursing across the country is inconsistent (Lindsey, 2009; Meyer, Hoover, Maposa, 2006; Seldomridge & DiBartolo, 2005; Suplee & Glasgow, 2008). Reports indicate attrition rates internationally are as high as 27.6% (Buchan & Seccombe, 2011, Willis, 2015).
A new trend has emerged at a historically Black college and university (HBCU)
located in the southeast region of the United States; a significantly large number
of students failed or withdrew from major nursing courses (Adult Health Nursing – II)
in the terminal semester of the program. The attrition rates for this course from 2012
to 2014 were 22.7%, 9.1%, and 27.1%, respectively. Informally, many of these
students verbalized family stressors (i.e., moving, military deployment, or change
in duty station, death of a family member, childcare, and family responsibilities),
work responsibilities, and test anxiety as the major issues hindering their academic
success (Lott, S., 2016, p. 12).
Regrettably, not every student admitted to a nursing program will complete the program in the allotted timeframe. Therefore, academic success and retention of nursing students is paramount to meet the need for a more qualified nursing workforce.
The author set out to explore students’ perception of the factors, which influence their retention given the multifaceted and demanding nature of attending nursing school while maintaining balance within a family. The specific aims of this research were to identify accelerated nursing students’ perception of the restrictiveness or supportiveness of factors, determine the influence of academic variables and the correlation of demographic characteristics on retention.
Eighty-nine students enrolled in two accelerated/second-degree nursing programs identified the perceived factors, which influenced their retention. The Nursing Undergraduate Retention and Success (NURS) model was the conceptual framework that guided the research and the Student Perception Appraisal – Revised (SPA-R) was used to measure variables.
Self-reporting methodology was utilized to describe students’ perception of the most influential, restrictive, and supportive variables. Accelerated nursing students’ perceived transportation, family, and friend support as the greatest influencers of retention. The study neither substantiate students who perceived academic variables as greatly supportive would have lower grades, nor did it support the notion that underrepresented minorities in nursing would find environmental variables more restrictive of retention. Participants noted professional integration and socialization were neither supportive or restrictive of retention. Thus, strategies have been introduced to support students while matriculating and to ensure socialization and integration into the profession.