Hate the course or hate to go: semester differences in first year nursing attrition

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Studies

Background:

• Student attrition is a significant issue in nursing programs, primarily occurring in the first year.
• Understanding the reasons for student departure is crucial for developing effective university retention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the reasons for nursing student attrition differ between the first and second semesters of the first year.
• To identify distinct factors influencing early versus later first-year departures.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving telephone interviews with 17 students who had withdrawn from a nursing course.
• Participants were categorized based on withdrawal timing: seven from the first semester and ten from the second semester.

Main Results:

• First-semester leavers reported feeling unprepared for university, balancing external roles, and developing a strong dislike for nursing, leading to a quick decision to leave.
• Second-semester leavers expressed a desire to continue but experienced life events causing crises that impeded their studies; they often hoped to return to nursing.
• Students leaving in the first semester showed little inclination to return, unlike those leaving in the second semester.

Conclusions:

• First-semester attrition may stem from unsuitability or lack of commitment, making retention efforts potentially futile.
• Second-semester attrition, driven by external crises, presents a greater opportunity for successful student retention and re-engagement with the nursing program.