Academic dismissal from a baccalaureate nursing program: The student's perspective.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education
• Student Affairs

Background:

• Student dismissal from nursing programs causes distress and raises questions about admissions and support systems.
• Existing research often focuses on student characteristics, neglecting the student's lived experience of dismissal.
• A gap exists in understanding the multifaceted factors leading to nursing student academic dismissal from the student's viewpoint.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and explore the factors contributing to academic dismissal in nursing programs.
• To specifically investigate these factors from the perspective of dismissed nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing Critical Pedagogy as a theoretical lens.
• In-depth interviews conducted with nine students dismissed from a baccalaureate nursing program.
• Exploration of student experiences from initial interest in nursing through post-dismissal.

Main Results:

• Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the decision to pursue nursing require careful consideration.
• Pre-admission social and cultural factors significantly impact a student's journey and potential for success.
• Student perspectives reveal complex influences beyond academic performance.

Conclusions:

• Findings can inform admissions faculty and teams about crucial factors for evaluating prospective nursing students.
• A holistic admissions process, considering social and cultural elements, is essential for identifying readiness.
• The goal is to enhance the admissions process for better student selection into pre-licensure nursing programs.