Research report (MPhil (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this research report I have argued that postgraduate student retention and completion rates in nursing education can be enhanced by attending to the following actions: increased institutional support, initiating students into an ethics of care, and engaging students and lecturers in some form of dialogical communication. In order to ensure that students do not prematurely depart from their programme of study, I have shown that it is not sufficient to offer merely institutional (mostly administrative) support to students, but also cultivating caring and dialogical communication in teaching and learning activities. My argument in defence of caring and dialogical communication is corroborated by an empirical investigation which confirms students’ non-completion and retention in the non-clinical postgraduate nursing education programmes offered by Stellenbosch University’s Nursing Division in 2008. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie navorsingsverslag het ek geargumenteer dat die nagraadse studentebehoud- en voltooiingkoerse in verpleegonderwys versnel kan word deur aandag aan die volgende aksies te skenk: toenemende institusionele ondersteuning, inisi¸ring van ’n etiek van omgee ten opsigte van studente en die betrokkenheid van studente en dosente in ’n vorm van dialogiese kommunikasie. Om te verhoed dat studente nie voortydig die studieprogram verlaat nie, het ek aangedui dat dit nie voldoende is om slegs institusionele (meesal administratiewe) ondersteuning aan studente te verskaf nie, maar ook om ’n kultuur te skep van omgee en dialogiese kommunikasie in onderrig- en leeraktiwiteite. My argument ter stawing van omgee en dialogiese kommunikasie word ondersteun deur ‘n empiriese ondersoek van studente se nie-voltooiings- en retensiekoerse in die nie-kliniese nagraadse onderwysprogramme wat deur Universiteit Stellenbosch se Verpleegkunde-afdeling in 2008 aangebied is.