THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STUDY SKILLS AND MENTORING INTERVENTIONS ON THE RETENTION OF LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSING STUDENTS.
Contributors: University of Houston.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 136
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Educational Psychology.
Description: Researchers in the retention of nursing students divide factors contributing to retention into two major categories, cognitive and non-cognitive factors. Cognitive factors lead to academic difficulties and non-cognitive factors are often personal factors that can lead to withdrawing from a program.

This study examined both cognitive and non cognitive or affective factors that contribute to retention of licensed vocational nursing students at San Jacinto College North, Houston, Texas.

Based upon a pilot study predicting retention newly admitted vocational nursing students (N = 60) were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups to study retention. One intervention group was trained in effective study skills, a second was mentored by faculty, and the other two groups were established to control for the effects of age upon retention. Biographical and academic data were gathered on the participants. The bioacademic data were used upon the conclusion of the study to refine the admissions criterion. Post treatment attitude surveys were administered to all of the retained participants. All students who withdrew were interviewed.

Results indicated that neither the mentoring nor the effective study skills were statistically effective in retaining students. The biographic and academic data indicated that older students, students with prior college work, and married, earn significantly higher grade point averages than students not possessing these characteristics. It was also noted that many of the students in the effective study skills group believed that those skills were so effective that a number of cohorts voluntarily and without the knowledge of the researcher, paid for and took the course sponsored by a student organization.

Based on the results, changes made to the program included stronger, clear advising to all students, especially younger students regarding program design and intensity and early identification of "at risk" students. Furthermore, it was recommended that studies be conducted in the area of academic remediation and tutoring.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-12, Section: A, page: 4668.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, 1995.

School code: 0087.