The attrition rate of students in master's level nurse anesthesia programs

This survey was conducted in October 1990. Survey forms were sent to all nurse anesthesia programs offering master's degrees. The purpose of the study was to determine the dropout rate of students who did not complete their programs during the period from 1985 to 1990. Directors were asked to rate their satisfaction to determine if students were more likely to leave because of clinical or academic difficulties or for personal reasons. The time frame and the circumstances surrounding the students' departures were also examined. The attrition rate of programs ranged from 0-25% (mean = 8.2%). More than half the students left for personal reasons. The remainder were almost equally divided between clinical and academic reasons. In fact, many directors had difficulty distinguishing between these two causes. Most students left during the first 12 months of their program, and more than half of them were not encouraged to resign. A large majority (78%) of directors found their program's attrition rate to be very acceptable.