Factors related to academic success in at-risk senior nursing students

The disposition of at-risk students who fail to meet nursing program progression standards is a challenging predicament for both students and faculty. There is little evidence to inform progression decisions regarding remediation and/or probation. More needs to be known about the phenomenon of at-risk students, and the interventions that can transform these individuals into successful graduates and nurses. The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate factors related to academic success for at-risk senior nursing students. Sixteen at-risk senior students, enrolled in a nursing course called Academic Improvement Strategies, participated in the study which included faculty mentoring, journaling, tutorials, and various self-directed student activities. The mean semester grade point average significantly improved by the end of the semester, increasing from 2.48 to 2.92 (Z = -4.26, p <.0001). Upon graduation, 87% of the participants successfully passed the NCLEX-RN examination. The study findings suggest that faculty mentoring can facilitate behavioral changes that may contribute to academic success for at-risk nursing students.