AIM: To evaluate the effects of a retention intervention program on nursing students' persistence in obtaining an associate's degree. BACKGROUND: An associate degree nursing program at a large community college used a three-year grant from the US Department of Labor to create a program to improve retention of nursing students. METHOD: Seven retention interventions (stipends, learning communities, comprehensive orientation, individualized academic planning, counseling, peer tutoring, and community nurse mentoring) were provided to participants. Correlational analyses were conducted between demographic variables and degree completion and between individual intervention program participation and degree completion. RESULTS: The program produced a statistically significant improvement in retention, but no specific intervention or mixture of interventions was significantly correlated with retention. CONCLUSION: Retention programs must be comprehensive, integrated efforts in order to increase the degree completion rate.
AIM: To evaluate the effects of a retention intervention program on nursing students' persistence in obtaining an associate's degree. BACKGROUND: An associate degree nursing program at a large community college used a three-year grant from the US Department of Labor to create a program to improve retention of nursing students. METHOD: Seven retention interventions (stipends, learning communities, comprehensive orientation, individualized academic planning, counseling, peer tutoring, and community nurse mentoring) were provided to participants. Correlational analyses were conducted between demographic variables and degree completion and between individual intervention program participation and degree completion. RESULTS: The program produced a statistically significant improvement in retention, but no specific intervention or mixture of interventions was significantly correlated with retention. CONCLUSION: Retention programs must be comprehensive, integrated efforts in order to increase the degree completion rate.