Tracking students through program entry, progression, graduation, and licensure: assessing undergraduate nursing student retention and success.

In the escalating nursing shortage, nursing student retention and success (graduation and licensure) is a priority. The entry, progression, graduation, and licensure characteristics of culturally diverse associate degree nursing students (n=112) were assessed to gain insight into nursing student progress and success. In this retrospective study, data collection included student profile characteristics, academic outcomes, type of retention or attrition, program completion length, and licensure. The retention trajectory was distributed between ideal (26%), continuous (24%), and interim/stopout (25%). Attrition consisted of first semester failure (9%), voluntary (14%), and involuntary (2%). Descriptive and inferential analyses suggested several variables that influenced first time pass rate on the nurse licensing exam: course grades in three nursing courses, number of nursing withdrawals or failures (W/F), and nursing course grade average (NCGA). Implications for nurse educators are discussed.