SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND RETENTION: PERCEPTIONS OF ADULTS IN AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 274
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.; Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: In order to determine perceptions of barriers to and supports facilitating students' participation and success in the Associate Degree Nursing Program (ADNP) at SUNY Farmingdale, interviews were conducted with and Personal Demographic Inventories (PDI) administered to twenty-five adult students, 25 years of age or older. Interviews with faculty members from the ADNP and two administrators from SUNY Farmingdale were also conducted about perceived barriers and supports. Interview data were recorded on audiotape, transcribed, and coded. Eighteen categories of barrier and support data were analyzed under four headings: Academic Factors, Personal Factors, Situational Factors, and Institutional Factors. Data for ranking support systems were weighted. Research instruments included a Personal Demographic Inventory, a Critical Incident Guide, and semi-structured interview guides, to elicit data from the research participants.

Findings from the study show that major barriers confronting reentering adult students included: lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, fright, poor time management, financial difficulties, family problems, and difficulty coping with the amount of course work. Major supports that helped students cope with or overcome the barriers were self-determination, perseverance, planning, taking positive action, financial assistance and childcaring support from family members, compassion and interest shown by faculty, study groups with peers, and institutional programs, including counseling, financial aid, and tutoring.

Overall, the faculty and administrators felt that SUNY Farmingdale was serving its student body well, though they acknowledged room for improvements on the institutional level--including curriculum changes, more support services, and greater understanding of the needs of adult students.

The emergent themes from the analyses and syntheses of data were used to interpret the findings, and provided a base from which conclusions could be drawn, 12 recommendations were made, including the development of a systematic support program and support services for families of students, and the establishment of a transition program for reentry students. Future research was delineated.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-07, Section: A, page: 2528.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1995.

School code: 0055.