Relationship between retention and peer tutoring for at-risk students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Student Retention Strategies

Background:

• Healthcare systems face nursing shortages, prompting calls for increased enrollment in nursing programs.
• High student attrition rates in nursing education hinder efforts to meet workforce demands.
• Medical-surgical nursing courses are critical but often present significant challenges for students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-tutoring program in improving the retention of at-risk nursing students.
• To identify strategies for reducing student attrition in medical-surgical nursing courses.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a structured peer-tutoring program for students identified as at-risk in a medical-surgical nursing course.
• Monitoring of student performance, engagement, and retention rates before and after program implementation.

Main Results:

• The peer-tutoring program demonstrated a positive impact on student retention.
• Students participating in the program showed improved academic performance and engagement.

Conclusions:

• Peer tutoring is a viable and effective intervention for enhancing student retention in challenging nursing courses.
• Addressing student attrition is crucial for increasing the overall supply of qualified nurses.