Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
10:07
Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Attrition of on-line graduate nursing students before and after program structural changes
Jan Rice1, Wilaiporn Rojjanasrirat, Pat Trachsel
1Graceland University School of Nursing, Independence, MO 64050, USA. jarice@graceland.edu
Summary
Program structural changes significantly reduced online graduate nursing student attrition. Post-2008 cohorts showed lower withdrawal rates compared to pre-2008 students, with personal and academic factors cited as primary reasons.
Area of Science:
- Online Education
- Higher Education Administration
- Student Retention
Background:
- Online graduate programs face challenges with student attrition.
- Understanding withdrawal reasons is crucial for program improvement.
- Previous studies have not fully evaluated structural changes' impact on attrition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess attrition rates and withdrawal reasons among online graduate nursing students.
- To compare attrition before and after program structural changes implemented in 2008.
- To identify key factors influencing student withdrawal.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive retrospective cohort study design was employed.
- Academic and advising records of 853 online graduate nursing students (2005-2010) were analyzed.
- Three cohorts were compared: pre-2008 withdrawal, pre-2008 entry/post-2008 withdrawal, and post-2008 withdrawal.
Main Results:
- Attrition rates decreased significantly after 2008: Cohort 1 (pre-2008) had 43% attrition, Cohort 2 (pre/post-2008) had 19%, and Cohort 3 (post-2008) had 7.4%.
- Personal and academic reasons were the primary themes identified for student withdrawal.
- The program structural changes correlated with reduced attrition.
Conclusions:
- Program structural changes implemented in 2008 were effective in reducing online graduate nursing student attrition.
- Personal and academic factors remain significant drivers of withdrawal and require targeted interventions.
- Further research should explore the impact of these changes on student satisfaction and attitudes.
Related Concept Videos
01:30National Nursing Organizations II
Nursing organizations play a vital role in representing nurses working in specialized clinical settings, such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
01:28Current Trends in Nursing I
Current trends in nursing include:
01:15Nursing Evaluation
The evaluation stage signals the end of the nursing process. The nurse gathers evaluative data to assess whether or not the patient has attained the expected results. Whereas the nurse collects data in the nursing assessment to identify the patient's health concerns, the evaluation stage data determines if the indicated health issues are resolved. Evaluative data collection includes two sections: the data acquired to evaluate patient outcomes and the time criteria for data collection.
Section...
Section...
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
Trends in nursing are multifactorial and associated with changes in society, within the nursing profession, and in other professions. Notably, telehealth and remote nursing contribute to successful healthcare delivery for numerous patients and help reduce stress for nurses due to nursing shortages. Nurses can reach patients, monitor their conditions, and interact with them using computers, audio, visual accessories, and telephones—for example, remote patient monitoring systems. Likewise,...
01:15Nursing Implementation
Implementation is the execution of the nursing care plan developed during the planning phase.
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.