Table for Nursing Student Retention Attrition may be voluntary or involuntary. Retention is strictly voluntary.

Transcription

1 Table for Nursing Student Retention Attrition may be voluntary or involuntary. Retention is strictly voluntary. Task Responsible Party Rationale Timeline Contact HS Counselors (Ongoing) Develop a self-assessment tool to identify students at risk for not succeeding Priority #1 Discuss preparation for nursing education Are they giving students accurate information? Are they giving male students encouragement? Are they discouraging females from traditional female professions (expressing disappointment, anger from feminists if female students choose nursing)? Risk Factors based on literature: Age over 24 Ethnicity and Race non European-American white heritage Gender Male. Lack support to break gender barriers, lack male role models and mentors Language ESL. Impacts not only language but cultural values Prior Educational Experience GED, gaps between educational experiences, remedial coursework Family Educational Experience First generation college student, spouse or s/o does not have a college degree Prior Work Experience no experience in the workplace, no experience in healthcare environment Enrollment Status history of being part time student Director has met with two outreach area high school counselor groups to promote program. Attempting to make appointments with two local high school counselor groups prior to end of semester. Fall 2013 Jeffrey s retention toolkit was utilized and changed to fit our program needs. Nursing faculty was surveyed to recognize own beliefs about students, culture, and retention. N1 students were surveyed about cultural beliefs, demographic information and their perceptions of their life/school role. This group will be surveyed when in N4 to see if perceptions/reality changed for them in order to identify factors that contribute directly to success or failure. Each group will be surveyed in N1 and N4 from this point forward. Goal: Identify at risk groups by demographic information. Identify factors that contribute to success/failure Use this information to tailor our program or provide resources for at risk students

2 on finances before admission on family before admission. Continuing activities after admission Faculty refer student to Financial Aid Officer Priority #4 Develop a list of financial resources college FA, workforce development, agency sponsorships. This will assist in realistic planning. Preparing a budget that demonstrates costs and changes in income allows for careful planning Advise to make alternate budget plans with family What if I quit working/worked part time? Family support is most important for older, commuting student Families are best suited to: Encourage self worth of student Believe in their ability to succeed Listen,, show concern for problems, Offer optimism, assistance, and presence Incompatible family responsibilities lead to attrition Strategies to prepare family: Family orientation Web page resources Testimonials from family members at orientation/on web page Face to face meeting with faculty, college resources Support group/follow up for family With professional guidance, devise written plan for role changes and planning for family time (time management as above) Discuss assertive communication techniques for student and family members to avoid conflict Fall 2014 Financial aid was contacted about the possibility of increasing financial aid. Detailed financial spread sheet by semester provided to financial aid department. April 2014 Director met with Director of Financial Aid, he is awaiting total financial aid budget amounts and will determine if nursing student financial aid package can be increased. Summer 2014 Nursing Program Advising session (new) Plan session for students and families to discuss rigors of program, personal accountability and financial impact. See above Nursing Advising session

3 on employment conflicts before admission Conduct faculty discussion of cultural values and beliefs from Jeffries book page Wyoming State cultural diversity class HRSA grant fund CEU? Priority #5 Encourage student to utilize support groups for some venting Faculty should provide schedule early, avoid changes to allow students to plan for family time. Advise to negotiate with employer, understand requirements of school and job. Identify specifics with employer of hours, flex, responsibilities. Get more detail than We ll work with you. Faculty function within their own cultural values and beliefs. Faculty may be undermining students with policies, advisement, and expectations. See above Ideas Fall 2013 Implementation Faculty were surveyed and data was gathered Administer self-efficacy tool by Bandura 1989 to new admissions early in the semester Mentor faculty in managing avoiders () Self efficacy confidence in ability to succeed Motivation internal power to create success Over confident leads to poor performance lack of commitment, preparation, see no need to persist decreased satisfaction, high stress Students with low efficacy benefit most from diagnostic specific interventions faculty time. Students with low efficacy practice avoidance behaviors in clinical. Faculty need to seek these students out to build competence. Spring 14 and beyond. Find continuing education opportunities for faculty and/or opportunities within our community to expand cultural knowledge/values/beliefs Information Fall 2014 Implement for incoming class Fall 2014 This was done during the surveys given to students in N1 and will continue with future students. Those students will be identified as possible high risk students. The discussions should include realistic expectations of self and realistic expectations of the nursing program Ongoing

4 Develop structured program for time management, personal study skills, learning styles, academic abilities Advise into courses on stress management (Done not consistently) Conduct post exam or unit discussion focusing on preparation strategies Establish remediation policy for academic/clinical struggles BEFORE failure Faculty/ Center Time management more important than total number of hours studying Personal Study Skills: Abilities reading, writing, note taking Attitudes responsibility, positive, adaptive, and internal locus of control beliefs versus Negative, maladaptive, and external control beliefs Promote positive, adaptive behaviors Self appraisal of study skills with guidance to provide realistic view Students can utilize stress management course content to meet needs during school. Helping students become better learners will lead to better outcomes versus reviewing content. Faculty need to be prepared with well-constructed plan that addresses poor performance early. Students need to be aware of expectations and processes if they are struggling. Using the OnCourse textbooks and ideas from educators teaching the 1 st year success courses at WWCC, a Nursing Student Success Course was proposed (will not be offered at this time). This class would focus directly on this information. This information, however, can be incorporated into the curriculum, specifically in N1 PBL cases. Will consider student success course when new curriculum initiated in Develop attendance policies, preparation requirements Time spent on learning and attendance is key to success. Develop policy for competence versus averaging scores to meet a standard Assuring competence in all areas provides success. Averaging grades to meet a standard does not address areas where students are weak and have not become competent. Those weaknesses will continue throughout program and into practice.

5 Develop schedule that is convenient and compatible to family life: Part time program over longer time Using summers Asynchronous learning Schedule matches public school schedule Consider modular increments instead of whole semesters Establish peer tutoring Establish peer mentoring first/second year pairings Establish formalized support groups Encourage/reward membership in SNA or other professional activities in nursing Waive or reduce fees, stipends for travel and attendance, and schedule to avoid conflicts so students are able to participate Develop curriculum of active learning strategies Contact students that were not accepted into the nursing program during the previous year Plan: meet with scheduling committee Balancing school with other obligations impacts attendance and time spent on learning. Traditional college schedules are not congruent with personal life. Flexibility allows students to set a pace for learning that they can manage successfully. Director Center Establish congruence between student needs and social system of the college. Faculty and peers need to provide extracurricular interaction for support, role modeling, mentoring, and connecting with students. Fall 2014 Center Value of support groups is well documented Ongoing HRSA grant? WWC Foundation? Socializing into professional activities provides another link of connection for students. Professional activities give students a glimpse into the profession they are pursuing so vigorously. Faculty role modeling and sharing views of professional commitment is influential. Active and engaged students are invested in their learning experience and see value in the time and effort spent. Personal contact with students will allow for a time for advising and will encourage students to increase GPA/TEAS test score. Students request their first choice for type (face to face or distance) and time of learning. If available, students are given their first choice for these things to fit their needs. There has been an expansion of our distance learning and lab/clinical opportunities have been offered in home communities more often. Spring 14 Director met with foundation board. Supportive of nursing program. Will accept non-traditional requests for funding students. Director will request money for students to attend Fall 14 WNA conference and SP15 Legislative conference. Every Fall semester Fall 13 Contacted all students able to be reached by phone to discuss plans for readmission, advise and listen to concerns