Factors That Affect Success in Nursing. Research Report No. 89-28R.

In response to decreasing nursing program enrollments, less qualified enrollees, and decreasing scores on the national licensing board exams, a study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to examine factors that might contribute to success or failure among students entering the nursing program. In order to identify "high risk" students needing additional support, the study examined a number of program-entry variables, including preparatory courses taken, performance on prerequisite science courses, and scores on basic skills tests. Students were classified as having adequate preparation, having marginal preparation, or being in need of preparatory college work (CPW). Preprogram variables were then compared with such indicators of academic achievement as grades in the first core nursing course, first-semester grade point average (GPA), and status in the program after 2 years. Study findings included the following: (1) 55% of the students with adequate basic reading skills received grades of A or B in the nursing core course, while only 19% of those needing CPW performed as well; (2) 90% of the students with adequate reading basic skills obtained a 2.0 GPA or better, while only 65% of the CPW students had a 2.0 or better; (3) 50% of the students who had three or more repeats of prerequisite science courses earned a GPA of less than 2.0; and (4) the best predictor of first-term GPA was a combination of reading basic skills and the number of repeats in prerequisite science courses. Graphs, pie-charts, and detailed data tables are included. (GFW)