Other Titles
External Factors Effecting Voluntary Attrition from Four-Year Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Programs: Insights from Nursing Faculty Advisors [Title Slide]
Abstract
Background: Exploring faculty advisors' perspectives on voluntary attrition is essential to optimize resources and increase the number of nursing graduates. This qualitative study aimed to uncover nursing faculty advisors' perceptions of the extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors, and mediators that influence four-year baccalaureate students' decisions to voluntarily leave nursing programs.
Method: A qualitative descriptive design utilized Rubin and Rubin’s (2012) interviewing methodology to solicit narrative accounts from 12 experienced nursing faculty advisors in four-year baccalaureate nursing degree programs.
Results: The semi-structured interviews revealed four intrinsic themes: preparedness, fear, maturity, and personal crisis. Four extrinsic themes emerged: external motivations, interpersonal relationships, program barriers, and life circumstances. Mitigating factors identified included academic and support services, socialization and belonging, and mentoring, The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant influence across all themes.
Conclusion: Eight themes were identified in this research study. These findings highlight the need to continue to explore the perspectives of the educational professionals who have repeated, frequent contact with students considering elective attrition. Doing so will help develop a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the multifaceted factors that influence voluntary attrition.
Notes
References:
Canzan, F., Saiani, L., Mezzalira, E., Allegrini, E., Caliaro, A., & Ambrosi, E. (2022). Why do nursing students leave bachelor program? Findings from a qualitative descriptive study. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00851-z
Elkins, N. (2019). Failure to Complete BSN Nursing Programs: Students’ Views. Journal for the Advancement of Educational Research International, 13(1), 101–106. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1252119.pdf
Hamshire, C., Jack, K., Forsyth, R., Langan, A. M., & Harris, W. E. (2019). The wicked problem of healthcare student attrition. Nursing Inquiry, 26(3), e12294. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12294
Hannaford, L., Cheng, X., & Kunes-Connell, M. (2021). Predicting nursing baccalaureate program graduates using machine learning models:
A quantitative research study. Nurse Education Today, 99, 104784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104784
Harrison, J. M., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Brooks Carthon, J. M., Merchant, R. M., Berg, R. A., McHugh, (2019). In hospitals with more nurses who have baccalaureate degrees, Better outcomes for patients after cardiac arrest. Health Affairs, 38(7), 1087–1094. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05064
Lasater, K. B., Jarrín, O. F., Aiken, L. H., McHugh, M. D., Sloane, D. M., & Smith, H. L. (2019). A methodology for studying organizational performance: A multistate survey of front-line providers. Medical Care, 57(9), 742–749. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001167
Rozhenkova, V., Sato, B. K., & Buswell, N. T. (2022). My blood is boiling when I think about advising: The role of academic advising in STEM student retention. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 152102512210841. https://doi.org/10.1177/15210251221084122
Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. (2012). Qualitative interviewing: the art of hearing data (3rd ed). SAGE.
Shaver, D. E., & Viveiros, J. D. (2023). Voluntary Attrition Among Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Students: An Integrative Review. Nursing Education Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001215
Tinto, V. (1999). Taking retention seriously: Rethinking the first year of college. NACADA Journal, 19(2), 5–9. https://doi.org/10.12930/0271-
9517-19.2.5
Sigma Membership
Iota Phi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Succession Planning, Workforce, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Nursing Education, Advances in Education, Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Student Attrition
Recommended Citation
Shaver, Danielle E.; Dunbar Viveiros, Jennifer; Hunter Revell, Susan; and Devine, Christine Ann, "Faculty Advisors Perspectives of Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Attrition: A Qualitative Study" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 25.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/25
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-18
Faculty Advisors Perspectives of Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Attrition: A Qualitative Study
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Background: Exploring faculty advisors' perspectives on voluntary attrition is essential to optimize resources and increase the number of nursing graduates. This qualitative study aimed to uncover nursing faculty advisors' perceptions of the extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors, and mediators that influence four-year baccalaureate students' decisions to voluntarily leave nursing programs.
Method: A qualitative descriptive design utilized Rubin and Rubin’s (2012) interviewing methodology to solicit narrative accounts from 12 experienced nursing faculty advisors in four-year baccalaureate nursing degree programs.
Results: The semi-structured interviews revealed four intrinsic themes: preparedness, fear, maturity, and personal crisis. Four extrinsic themes emerged: external motivations, interpersonal relationships, program barriers, and life circumstances. Mitigating factors identified included academic and support services, socialization and belonging, and mentoring, The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant influence across all themes.
Conclusion: Eight themes were identified in this research study. These findings highlight the need to continue to explore the perspectives of the educational professionals who have repeated, frequent contact with students considering elective attrition. Doing so will help develop a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the multifaceted factors that influence voluntary attrition.
Description
Nursing faculty advisors play a critical role in supporting students’ academic success and professional development, yet their perspectives on the external factors influencing voluntary attrition in baccalaureate nursing programs remain underexplored. This qualitative, descriptive study used Rubin and Rubin’s responsive interviewing to conduct semi-structured interviews with twelve participants, focusing on faculty perceptions of influences on voluntary attrition. Thematic analysis revealed four key extrinsic factors: external motivations, interpersonal relationships, program barriers, and life circumstances. Among program barriers, the demands of technology emerged as a unique burden, increasing stress and contributing to students’ decisions to withdraw. These findings underscore the importance of addressing external challenges—particularly technology-related barriers—to better support student persistence and reduce voluntary attrition in nursing education.