Emotional intelligence (EI) is essential for providing quality and competent care in the nursing profession. Because nurses need to be competent in EI, it is important to determine if inherent factors and academic performance contribute to the development of EI. The purpose of this study, guided by the 4-branch ability model of EI by Mayer and Salovey, was to examine the relationship of EI levels and academic performance, gender, and ethnic background in associate degree nursing (ADN) students who attended a community college. Using convenience sampling, 110 ADN students completed the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test and sociodemographic data. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test, and analysis of variances which indicated no statistical significance between EI levels and academic performance, gender, and ethnic background. Although the findings did not show statistical significance, drawing attention to EI among nursing students and nurse educators may increase nurse educators' awareness of the importance of cultivating EI in nurses and the need to incorporate concepts of EI into the nursing curricula. Doing so can effect positive social change because nurses with higher EI may be better able to understand and manage the emotions of others and themselves in stressful situations. The concept of EI is important to incorporate into nursing curricula to provide the nursing student opportunities to practice and apply the concepts learned in an educational setting. Doing so may improve students' preparation to use EI in their nursing careers. Future research could be done to determine if EI levels change throughout a nursing program and to determine if EI skills are taught in nursing programs.

High nursing student attrition rates at a community college in a southwestern state were noted as a significant problem by nursing faculty and college administration because of a nursing shortage and subsequent health care issues in the surrounding community. The purpose of this project study was to explore the perceptions of nursing graduates regarding the influences that led to or impeded their success in completion of the associate degree nursing program. Additionally, perspectives of the usefulness of remediation sessions provided for students failing a course were investigated. This qualitative case study, guided by transformative learning theory, included a sample of 10 nursing program graduates of the community college from 2012-2015, 4 male and 6 female, 3 of which had failed at least one course and participated in remediation during their programs of study. Participants were interviewed and data were coded and analyzed for common themes. Themes included perceptions of being over stressed, awareness of the negativity of peers, the need for self-motivation, making needed changes to increase their own success, and using available resources such as the remediation program even though it was perceived by some as punitive. A professional development workshop for nursing faculty was developed as a project based on these findings to increase faculty knowledge of factors that contribute to nursing student success or failure, assist faculty in identifying and implementing supportive resources that contribute to student success, and introduce them to practices to reduce student stress such as teaching life skills and coping methods. Social change may occur from programmatic changes that enhance nursing students' success resulting in more nursing graduates to facilitate quality health care in the local community.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / For nursing students to be successful in current and future practice they must be proficient critical thinkers and be able to use reflective judgment skills to manage the daily dilemmas of healthcare practice. Critical thinking and reflective judgment are not elements of nursing curricula unless faculty explicitly design learning activities to develop these skills. This study examined the relationship between reflective judgment and critical thinking by comparing a measure of reflective judgment, the Reasoning about Current Issues (RCI) test, with a measure of critical thinking in nursing (the HESI Exit Exam) in a sample population of senior associate degree nursing (ADN) students (N = 108). The descriptive variables of individual ADN student’s age, grade point average (GPA) in nursing courses and the number of completed college/university credit hours were also examined. A modest correlation (r = .370, p < .01) was found between critical thinking and reflective judgment indicating a positive relationship between these two variables. However, the results supported the hypothesis that these are separate concepts; while the students achieved an acceptable level on the measure of critical thinking, they did not exhibit the skill level of an effective reflective thinker. Positive correlations were found between reflective judgment and individual student age and nursing program GPA (p < .01). Critical thinking was also positively correlated with age (r = .351) and GPA (r = .426). There were no statistically significant correlations noted between the number of credits or previously earned baccalaureate degrees with either reflective judgment or critical thinking. An appreciation of the unique commonalities and differences between reflective judgment and critical thinking is essential for the development of innovative strategies and pedagogies meant to advance teaching/learning within schools of nursing with an explicit focus on both concepts and an ultimate goal of improving competence in newly graduated nurses. The implication for nurse educators is in changes and innovations that can lead to more effective thinkers. Careful pedagogical planning and a mindful inclusion of learning activities to develop both reflective judgment and critical thinking skills may lead to increased competence as nursing students and as new graduate nurses.

No description available.

The purposes of this descriptive study were to identify and describe criteria used to identify students at-risk for withdrawal or failure, and strategies in place to assist and retain students. Data were collected regarding admission policies, retention strategies, assistance programs, and perceptions of the administrators regarding the effectiveness of retention and assistance strategies. A survey method of data collection was conducted using an instrument developed by the researcher for the study. A stratified random sample of 156 NLNAC accredited associate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs was carried out and program administrators were sent the survey for voluntary, anonymous participation. The study sample consisted of the 57 programs whose surveys were returned. Retention/ Assistance Programs. Similar percentages of associate and baccalaureate degree programs reported having retention/assistance programs. Programs were found more prevalent at private, secular institutions; at smaller programs; and in the Central region. A Pearson correlation determined no relationship between the existence of an organized assistance program with NCLEX-RN pass rate or retention rate. Retention/Assistance Strategies. Strategies reported available in the nursing program most often were academic advising of nursing and pre-nursing students, academic assistance in the form of a skills lab and computer access, and early notification to students when they are failing. Comparison of the mean NCLEX-RN pass rate and the mean retention rate with 29 strategies was conducted using Pearson correlation coefficients. Analysis determined a positive and statistically significant relationship between pass rate on NCLEX-RN and the presence and perceived effect of a cultural diversity program, grading options, and early notification to students when they are failing. Positive, statistically significant relationships were determined between retention rates and the presence and perceived effect of childcare, academic advising of nursing and pre-nursing students, early notification to students when they are failing, and faculty office hours. Administrators' Perceptions. Program administrators perceived the strategies financial aid, academic assistance to reinforce course content, academic advising of nursing students, and faculty mentors to have the greatest effect on student retention. Additional survey responses revealed a strong academic background and financial aid were strategies reported by administrators to affect both success and failure. Advising, orientation, and academic preparation were ranked by administrators as the top factors contributing to student retention and success. They ranked academic/cognitive variables and outside responsibilities as the top factors leading to student withdrawal or failure.

Administrators of nursing programs in community colleges are aware of the need to retain and to graduate students to meet the growing demand for licensed practical nurses (LPNs). High attrition in a 2-year nursing program in South Carolina affected the number of students either graduating as a LPN after completing the third semester, or continuing in the program to become a registered nurse (RN). Guided by Jeffreys's nursing undergraduate retention and success model, this causal comparative study investigated the differences between students who were and were not successful in the initial 3 semesters of the program. Archival student records for all students entering fall 2012 through fall 2013 (n = 373) were analyzed using multiple ordinal logistic regression. The independent variables were demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity), admissions qualifications (SAT/ACT scores, prior degree, or pre-nursing certificate), and academic performance (GPA in prerequisite courses, final course grades, and Kaplan standardized test scores). The dependent measure, student success, was defined by Jeffreys's pathways: attrition, failure, and retention (interim or continuous). Data analysis indicated GPA in prerequisite courses and grade in the first medical-surgical course were significant factors in predicting students successfully passing the initial 3 semesters. There were no other significant findings. Findings were incorporated into a recommendation for a policy change to increase the prerequisite GPA admissions requirement. Implications for social change include increased retention and graduation rates, thus preparing more students to enter the workforce as LPNs and contribute to reducing the nursing shortage.

Effective nursing care can be threatened when nurses are not culturally attuned with their patients. Associate degree nursing (ADN) students receive information about diverse ethnicities in the nursing curriculum, but it may not be sufficient to provide the expertise necessary to care for patients of various cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the 2nd year ADN students' levels of cultural competence and their perceptions of self-efficacy in working with Caucasian, African American, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian ethnicities. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to determine if a relationship existed between the students' reported cultural competencies and their self-efficacy scores while providing care to patients of these diverse cultures. The process of cultural competence in the delivery of health care services was used as the theoretical framework for this study. A volunteer convenience sample of 64 2nd-year ADN students completed the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale and the Cultural Self-Efficacy Scale. The Pearson-Product Moment correlation revealed a significant negative, moderate relationship between self-efficacy and the students' perceptions of cultural competence. A project was designed to enhance skills and knowledge to improve the students' cultural competency while caring for patients of Asian, Native American, and Hispanic cultures because minimal familiarity of those cultures contributed most to the negative correlation. Research on methods to improve cultural competence among health care professionals should be continued. Positive social change will occur as nursing students gain proficiency in their abilities to provide culturally appropriate care to patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

No description available.

The WSCC ADN program had 66.57% persistence rate between the years 2000-2004. This retrospective study analyzed 28 demographic, pre-clinical, and clinical variables to identify correlates for persistence within the WSCC ADN program. The population size was 730 first-time candidates or the entire population of five consecutive clinical classes graduating between the years of 2000-2004. The candidates were identified and the variables tabulated using the WSCC student information system. SPSS 13.0 software was employed to conduct descriptive, frequency, multiple regression, multivariate analysis of variance, and univariate analysis of variance tests. The criterion variables included persistence within the entire population, gender-specific persistence factors, and age-specific factors within the traditional and non-traditional populations that persisted. Descriptive and frequency analysis found that most candidates were female (90.82%), Caucasian (96.44%), and classified as non-traditional (63.97%). Females and particularly non-traditional females maintained the highest persistence rates. The mean pre-clinical and clinical admittance ages were 25.04 and 28.39 years. Seventy percent of the candidates lived within the WSCC service area. The mean distance commuted was 37.71 miles. Statistical tests revealed that nine predictor variables influenced persistence within the entire population. The largest contributors of variance were 2nd semester clinical GPA (η2 = .33), cumulative pre-clinical GPA (η2 = .15), and grades in microbiology (η2 = .14). These variables along with the number of course withdrawals and/or grades of “F” were found to be major indicators for persistence within the female and male sub-populations. The number of full-time semesters was a more significant contributor in the male population (η2 = .12) than the female population (η2 = .02). Data analysis revealed that non-traditional students who persisted had higher human anatomy and physiology II grades while the traditional students had a higher rate of transferring coursework into the nursing program. These findings will aid in the direction of the recruitment, evaluation, and selection of potential candidates for this very demanding program of study while validating the importance of prerequisite core knowledge. The findings should serve as predictive evidence to better identify and inform potential “at-risk” candidates of the factors that affect persistence in this nursing program.

No description available.