EXPLORATION OF SELECTED ACADEMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS INFLUENCING ATTRITION AND RETENTION OF BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS (STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, GRADE POINT AVERAGE).
Contributors: Ball State University.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 90
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.
Description: 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.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-04, Section: B, page: 1896.

Thesis (ED.D.)--BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, 1992.

School code: 0013.