Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-171). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 28, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Edward R. Hines (chair), Kenneth Strand, Amee Adkins, Anne Gray. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-145) and abstract. Also available in print.

The problem with which this study is concerned is the attrition of freshman and sophomore students who enroll in a baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe factors that may contribute to the nursing student attrition problem at a state-supported university.

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.

The purpose of this study was to determine which academic and demographic factors predict students' achievement in the nursing major of a baccalaureate program. Records of 128 full time subjects were examined to extract the factors selected to be included in the analysis.Data pertaining to each independent variable were organized into three distinct groups based on the known performance of each subject following certification. One group passed all course work in the nursing major; one group failed one or more courses in the nursing major delaying completion; and one group was no longer enrolled. To investigate the differences in the group membership, discriminant function analyses were performed to examine academic and demographic predictors. A classification technique was utilized to test the adequacy of each discriminant function analysis. All classification analyses were 72.3 percent and above in probability level.Two null hypotheses guided this study: Hypothesis I proposed that academic factors do not predict attrition and/or retention in a baccalaureate nursing program; and Hypothesis II proposed that demographic factors do not interact with academic factors in predicting success. Hypothesis I was rejected , and Hypothesis II was not fully accepted based on discriminant function analyses.The following conclusions were identified from the findings of this study:1. Grade point averages in the required prerequisite courses predicted group membership (achievement) in the nursing major.2. Grade point averages of 3.0 during progression in the nursing major predicted membership in a group defined as continuing successfully in the first attempt of course work and graduating on time.3. Grade point averages of less than 3.0 following the first semester in the nursing major predicted membership in a group defined as failing at least one course, or perhaps predict membership in a group that will experience attrition.4. Ethnicity made a significant contribution with academic factors to predicting group membership for achievement.These results suggest that nursing educators and counselors need to consider the importance of not only closely monitoring each subject's semester grade point average, but also referring the identified problem to the appropriate service provider for intervention.3 / Department of Educational Leadership

Two major purposes existed for this study. The first purpose was to compare how persisters and nonpersisters in the first year of a two-year nursing program differed in locus of control, selected personality traits, and seven demographic variables. The second major purpose was to develop a predictive model for the persisters and the nonpersisters. The particular personality variables examined were intelligence, superego strength, extraversion, anxiety, tough poise, and independence as measured by the 16PF. The summary findings were that persisters had significantly higher scores on the NDRT and the B and G traits, significantly lower externality, and were generally younger with no previous nursing experience, and more likely not to have prekindergarten age children than the nonpersisters. The major significance of this research comes from its use of data gathered at the beginning of an educational program to make predictions which can be available to teachers, counselors, and administrators who may make use of the information to improve the chance potential nonpersisters have of completing the nursing program, or perhaps to assist students in reexamination of their career choice.

The purposes of this study are to identify student retention strategies in generic baccalaureate schools of nursing and their supporting institutions to determine if these strategies vary according to identified characteristics of the school of nursing and its supporting institution and to determine the perceived effectiveness of the strategies. Data were collected from 313 administrative heads of schools of nursing that offer generic baccalaureate programs accredited by the National League for Nursing; 217 returned usable questionnaires constituted a national response rate of 69.3 per cent. Frequency distribution and the chi-square test of independence, significant at the .05 level, were used for statistical treatment of the data.

This study is concerned with the problem of determining the status of.specific student retention efforts at the departmental and institutional levels in institutions of higher education offering baccalaureate degrees in nursing. The purposes of the study include (1) the determination of the percentages of those institutions which have specific programs to increase student retention in place and functioning at the various administrative levels, (2) the determination of those aspects of the many possible retention efforts that are being utilized, (3) identification of those retention efforts which may be most effective, and (4) comparison of retention rates between those institutions with organized retention programs and those without these programs. The population of the study is composed of all 430 of the National League for Nursing (NLN) accredited, Registered Nurse Baccalaureate Degree programs in the United States. The specially designed survey instrument produced a 62 percent response return. Response frequencies and percentages were calculated to show the relative success rates of various retention efforts. In addition, the data were subjected to several statistical procedures to determine if there were statistically significant differences between the various types and levels of retention efforts. The findings indicate that the presence of an organized and functioning program to increase student retention does produce a statistically significant increase in the mean retention rate for those institutions with such programs as compared with those institutions without organized retention programs. This significant increase was constant across the three types or levels of retention programs surveyed (departmental level only, university level only, both university and departmental levels). The majority of the respondents (55.5 percent) do have retention programs in place and functioning at some level in their institutions. Of the six major areas of retention efforts listed on the questionnaire, the area dealing the "Administrative Activities" to increase student retention was present most often among that group of respondents with the highest retention rates.

The purpose of this project is to develop a domestic violence consciousness raising-education program and a self-administered risk assessment for a population of community college nursing students. When the faculty became aware that attrition rates were rising and that a high number of requests to drop out of nursing school were disproportionately linked to recent incidences of domestic violence, a potential contributing cause of the high drop out rate was revealed.