Description
College completion and developmental education have been in the national spotlight and efforts to increase the number of graduates remains a priority. Within nursing education, attrition from nursing programs has been problematic, and impacts completion rates, and workforce supply. Program readiness in the area of reading, writing, and Math may impact completion. In this study the researcher used an ex post facto design to determine if program readiness had an impact on nursing program completion. The study included 453 nursing students from Fall 2011 through Winter 2014 at a community college in Michigan. The study identified that program readiness did statistically impact program completion and these findings were consistent in reading, writing, and Math. Completion rates among minorities and men showed no difference in completion when compared to Caucasian and female students. Students who completed the nursing program, regardless of program readiness, successfully passed the NCLEX-RN exam equally. Students who were not program-ready did complete indicating that other factors like intrinsic motivation or “grit” play a part in completion. Efforts to enhance academic preparedness, providing advising and orientation, and increased support for minorities and men in nursing may positively impact completion. Further research that focuses on pre-program GPA, non-academic factors, and enrollment patterns and the impact on program completion will be beneficial.
