Retention of RN-to-BSN Students: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Retention Strategies

Background:

• Student retention is a significant challenge in higher education, particularly for Registered Nurses (RNs) pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• RN-to-BSN programs must implement creative and comprehensive retention strategies to support student progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify strategies undergraduate nursing programs utilize for retaining RN-to-BSN students.
• To synthesize current literature on RN-to-BSN student retention.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review guided by Toronto and Remmington's method.
• Systematic search of seven databases for literature published in the United States (2011-2024).
• Analysis and synthesis of twenty selected articles.

Main Results:

• Synthesized findings organized using Jeffrey's nursing universal retention and success model.
• Most reviewed literature focused on environmental and professional integration factors.
• Fewer studies addressed student affective factors influencing retention.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive framework considering intrinsic and extrinsic factors is crucial for RN-to-BSN student retention.
• Addressing diverse student needs is imperative for program success.