Nursing Students' Academic Success Factors: A Quantitative Cross-sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Student Success Strategies
• Academic Performance

Background:

• Nursing program attrition is a persistent challenge.
• Identifying and supporting student strengths and weaknesses is crucial for retention.
• Understanding student needs at program entry and throughout their education is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the strengths and remediation needs of undergraduate nursing students.
• To analyze these factors at program entry and across all academic years.
• To inform pedagogical approaches for enhanced student success.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Utilized the Academic Success Inventory for College Students survey.
• Collected baseline data from first-year students and data from all students at term end.

Main Results:

• Nursing students demonstrated strengths in study skills, self-organization, career goal certainty, and non-disruptive socializing.
• Areas for remediation included test-taking anxiety and perceptions of educator effectiveness.
• Strengths in motivation, confidence, and concentration were noted at certain points.

Conclusions:

• Nurse educators should leverage student strengths in their teaching.
• Targeted remediation for anxiety and learning processes is necessary.
• Developing effective pedagogical strategies can improve nursing student retention and success.