Student nurse non-attendance in relation to academic performance and progression

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Studies
• Healthcare Professions

Background:

• High non-attendance rates in nurse education programs contradict national guidelines for mandatory student presence.
• Pre-registration undergraduate nursing programs face challenges with student engagement and attendance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between undergraduate student nurse non-attendance and academic performance.
• To analyze the relationship between non-attendance and student progression in nursing programs.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative study utilizing audit methods.
• Analysis of records from 1347 undergraduate student nurses.
• Descriptive and chi-square analyses of non-attendance rates, demographics, and academic outcomes.

Main Results:

• Significant associations found between age/entry qualifications and degree classification.
• Non-attendance rates showed significant associations with degree classification across all three program years.
• Majority of students were female, under 21, with 'A' level qualifications.

Conclusions:

• Non-attendance is positively associated with degree outcomes throughout the nursing program.
• Findings support the need for revised student attendance policies in nursing education.
• Results offer insights for national and international nurse education institutions.