Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue of attrition of undergraduate participant nurses has remained a concern for an extremely long time. Attrition has been labelled as complex and in order to understand attrition it is important to pay attention to the rate, reasons and trends in South Africa. To understand attrition in South Africa, the trends internationally need to be taken into account to determine whether South Africa has a unique problem. Due to the enormous financial cost to the state and the students’ self-confidence, as well as their belief and understanding of why all the systems that have been put into place fail, it has become a concern. The reasons why students choose nursing and their academic progress throughout secondary schooling should give a clear indication to the educational authorities how successful the students could be. The aim of this study was to determine possible reasons for attrition in students who do the undergraduate diploma nursing course. The objective was to determine the attrition rate of students in the undergraduate course. Reasons for attrition involve a close investigation into age, home language, subjects taken in secondary school, family support, reasons for going into nursing, problems experienced, reasons for not completing the course and how these affected them. The objectives was met through a descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The target population (N=260/100%) consisted of all students that had not completed their undergraduate diploma nursing course over four years between the years 2007-2010, from a Nursing College in the Western Cape. The sample population (n=58/22%) voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. A telephonic questionnaire was administered with closed-ended questions and a small section which had a likert scale. Data was collected by the researcher and a trained field worker. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University. Permission was also obtained from the Western Cape Provincial Administration to conduct the research. Informed consent was obtained from the students. Reliability and validity was supported by a pilot study conducted on (n=10/10%) of the students at the Western Cape College of Nursing to ensure feasibility of the study. The data was analysed by a statistician and presented in tables and graphs. Statistical analysis was determined by ordinal and nominal data. The results showed that there were numerous factors that contributed to the attrition of undergraduate nursing diploma students. The results showed that the majority of the students’ home language was Xhosa 43% (n=25/58) with the majority being female, single with one child. The main reasons for choosing nursing was because it was a vocation/calling. The recommendations were to ensure that all nursing colleges be integrated into institutions of higher education, thereby ensuring more stringent selection criteria. There needs to be a bridging year where the students are taught to improve their literacy and numeracy so that this will give the students a better understanding of the lectures being delivered in English. There needs to be systems in place to assist the students that are mediocre or struggling. The conclusion was that attrition is complex and requires more concrete systems to stem the rate. A total reformation of undergraduate diploma nursing programmes needs to be addressed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kwessie van attrisie by voorgraadse diploma student verpleegsters is al vir ’n geruime tyd kommerwekkend. Attrisie word as kompleks bestempel en om dit te begryp, is dit noodsaaklik om aandag te skenk aan die tempo waarteen dit vookom, asook die redes en tendense in Suid-Afrika te bepaal. Om attrisie in Suid-Afrika te kan begryp, moet die internasionale tendense in ag geneem word om te bepaal of Suid-Afrika ’n unieke probleem het. Weens die enorme finansiële onkoste wat die staat het ten opsigte hiervan en die student se selfvertroue, asook hulle geloof en begrip in al die sisteme wat in plek is wat gefaal het, word dit ’n bekommernis. Die redes waarom studente kies om verpleging te doen en hulle akademiese vordering gedurende hulle sekondêre skoolopleiding, behoort ’n duidelike aanduiding aan die onderwysowerhede te wees hoe suksesvol die studente kan wees. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die moontlike redes vir attrisie by studente wat die voorgraadse diploma kursus in verpleging volg, te bepaal. Die doelwit is om die attrisie-tempo by studente in die voorgraadse diploma kursus, te bepaal. Redes vir attrisie verg ’n indringende ondersoek van die ouderdom, huistaal, vakke geneem in die sekondêre skool, familie-ondersteuning, redes waarom verpleging as loopbaan gekies word, probleme wat ondervind word, redes waarom die kursus nie voltooi word nie en hoedat dit hulle geaffekteer het. Die doelwitte is behaal deur ’n beskrywende studie met ’n kwantitatiewe benadering te volg. Die teikenbevolking (N=260/100%) het bestaan uit alle studente wat nie hulle voorgraadse verpleegkursus binne vier jaar tussen die jare 2007-2010 aan ’n verpleegkollege in die Wes-Kaap voltooi het nie. Die steekproef bevolking (n=58/22%) het vrywillig ingestem om aan die studie deel te neem. ’n Telefoniese vraelys met geslote vrae is geadministreer en ’n klein gedeelte het ’n likertskaal bevat. Data is gekollekteer deur die navorser en ’n opgeleide veldwerker. Etiese goedkeuring is verkry van die Gesondheidsnavorsing se Etiese Komitee aan die Fakulteit van Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Toestemming is ook verkry van die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Administrasie om die navorsing te doen. Ingeligte toestemming is van die deelnemers verkry. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is ondersteun deur ’n loodsondersoek wat uitgevoer is op (n=10/10%) van die deelnemers aan die Wes-Kaap Kollege vir Verpleging om die uitvoerbaarheid van die studie te verseker. Die data is geanaliseer deur ’n statistikus en in tabelle en grafieke aangebied. Statistiese analise is bepaal deur ordinale en nominale data. Die uitslae het bewys dat daar ’n aantal faktore is wat bygedra het tot die attrisie van voorgraadse studente wat die verpleegdiploma doen. Die uitslae het bewys dat die meerderheid van die studente se huistaal Xhosa 43% (n=25/58) is, waarvan die meerderheid vroulik en enkel met een kind is. Die hoofredes waarom verpleging gekies is as loopbaan, is omdat dit ’n beroep/roeping is. Die aanbevelings is om te verseker dat alle verpleegkolleges geïntegreer word by instellings vir hoër onderwys, daardeur word strenger seleksie-kriteria verseker. Daar behoort ’n oorbruggingsjaar vir participante te wees om hulle geletterdheid en syfervaardigheid in so ’n mate te verbeter dat hulle lesings in Engels verstaan wanneer dit aangebied word. Daar behoort sisteme in plek te wees om participante te help wat gemiddeld presteer of sukkel. Die gevolgtrekking is dat attrisie kompleks is wat meer konkrete sisteme verg om die tempo waarteen dit plaasvind, die hoof te bied. ’n totale transformasie van voorgraadse diploma verplegingsprogramme behoort aangeroer te word.