Keeping afloat: student nurses' experiences following assignment referral.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Sociology
• Student Support

Background:

• Nursing student retention is a significant challenge globally.
• Limited research exists on the experiences of nursing students struggling with academic demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of student nurses referred after failing their first summative assessment.
• To identify factors influencing student nurses' persistence despite academic difficulties.

Main Methods:

• Inductive sociological enquiry approach.
• Focus groups conducted with 20 nursing students who had failed an assignment.
• Thematic content analysis used to identify emergent themes.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: desire to succeed, acceptance of personal failure, recognition of necessary personal attributes, and responsibility for success/failure.
• Students' strong motivation to become qualified nurses helped them overcome financial and personal challenges.
• The desire to succeed as a nurse was a primary driver for continuation.

Conclusions:

• Understanding student nurses' lived experiences is crucial for tailoring effective support systems.
• Appropriate support strategies, informed by student perspectives, can help prevent attrition from nursing programs.
• Addressing the specific needs of struggling students can improve overall nursing program retention rates.