Students' stories: how faculty help and hinder students at risk

Students who are at risk for academic problems and failure are not new to faculty. However, with society's need for competent nurses and fewer students choosing nursing as a career, retention of qualified students remains a priority. Teachers ask, "How can students be enabled to succeed?" Many interventions have been suggested to help the at-risk student, yet rarely are students asked to share what has been helpful for them. In this study, 20 students told stories of their academic struggles in nursing school and how teachers helped and hindered them. These stories revealed a pattern of "expecting." In addition, several themes related to helping and hindering emerged. The authors discuss these themes and their implications for nurse educators.