Supporting Student Nurses at Risk of Leaving the Programme Study
Principal Investigator(s): Professor Catherine Henshall, Dr Clair Merriman
Contact: cmerriman@brookes.ac.uk
Project start: March 2023
Project finish: September 2024
Funded by: HEE
About us
Attrition rates for student nurses are high and escalating, with around one in three nursing students in the United Kingdom failing to complete their degree programmes. Higher educational institutions strive to recruit and retain student nurses into pre-registration programmes to support a sustainable nursing workforce.
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention package aimed at reducing pre-registration nursing student attrition rates at a Higher Education Institute in Southeast England.
Risk factors for student attrition include the attributes students bring to their study environment, as well as their behaviours and academic outputs. Modern learning analytics engagement tools can monitor attrition risk through tracking students as they engage with learning resources and other institutional opportunities.
Research impact
Our study found that the learning analytics engagement tool was able to identify students who were struggling and/or disengaging with their academic studies. Our evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention package in reducing pre-registration nursing student attrition rates revealed valuable insights. Findings revealed that a lack of trusting relationships with intervention facilitators is likely to diminish engagement with such interventions.