Abstract
Purpose Statement: This study examines the transformative impact of combining faculty mentorship with technological innovations to enhance resilience in nursing students and promote long-term success.
Problem: High turnover rates among nurses and NCLEX failure are contributing to a critical shortage in the nursing workforce (Opoku et al., 2021). Many nurses leave bedside roles within 3 to 4 years due to burnout and poor work-life balance (Gamble, 2024). Additionally, 29% of students who took the NCLEX between January 2022 and June 2024 failed, limiting the flow of new nurses into the field (NCSBN, 2024). These challenges intensify staffing shortages in healthcare and pose a risk not only to quality care but to overall client and staff safety (Lindquist, 2023). Strengthening resilience in nursing students through mentorship and technology is essential for improving licensure success and increasing bedside retention.
Method: The study employed a dual approach, combining structured mentorship with an innovative performance analytics dashboard. Starting in February 2022, groups of 20 students participated in a 6-week program. An entrance survey assessed baseline stress and academic preparedness. Faculty mentors provided personalized guidance, while the dashboard tracked performance and identified weak areas for targeted interventions. At the program’s conclusion, an exit survey assessed changes in student anxiety and self-confidence.
Results: Exit surveys revealed a significant reduction in student-reported anxiety. Students noted that personal mentorship and real-time performance tracking helped them feel more prepared, reducing anxiety and improving performance in high-stakes exams. NCLEX pass rates, previously declining, increased from 79.90% in 2022 to 93.35% in 2024 (NCSBN, 2024). These results demonstrate the potential of mentorship combined with technology to build resilience and critical thinking, offering a scalable solution to address the global nursing shortage by improving licensure success and increasing bedside retention.
Conclusion: Faculty mentorship combined with technological tools reduces student anxiety, improves NCLEX pass rates, and strengthens student resilience. Future research will investigate the potential contribution to longer bedside tenure. The global nursing shortage requires resilient healthcare professionals, and this approach offers a sustainable model for building a prepared, confident nursing workforce.
Notes
References:
Gamble, M. (2024, April 7). The cost of nurse turnover in 24 numbers | 2024. Www.beckershospitalreview.com. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/the-cost-of-nurse-turnover-in-24-numbers-2024.html
Lindquist, M. (2023, January 30). The Cost of Nurse Turnover by the Numbers. Oracle.com; Oracle. https://www.oracle.com/human-capital-management/cost-of-nurse-turnover/
NCSBN. (2024, June 1). NCLEX Pass Rates. NCSBN. https://www.ncsbn.org/exams/exam-statistics-and-publications/nclex-pass-rates.page
NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. (2024). 2024 NSI national health care retention & rn staffing report. https://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf
Opoku, E. N., Khuabi, L.-A. J.-N., & Van Niekerk, L. (2021). Exploring the factors that affect the transition from student to health professional: An integrative review. BMC Medical Education, 21(21). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02978-0
Shaffer, F., & Curtin, L. (2020, August 10). Nurse turnover: Understand it, reduce it. American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nurse-turnover-understand-it-reduce-it/
Smiley, R. A., Ruttinger, C., Oliveira, C. M., Hudson, L. R., Allgeyer, R., Reneau, K. A., Silvestre, J. H., & Alexander, M. (2021). The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 12(1), S1–S96. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(21)00027-2
Sigma Membership
Psi Upsilon
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Mentoring and Coaching, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Virtual Learning, Nursing Students, Burnout, Emerging Technologies, Nursing Education
Recommended Citation
Taylor, Morgan L., "Building Resilient Nursing Students: Faculty Mentorship and Tech Innovation to Prevent Burnout" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 33.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/33
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
Building Resilient Nursing Students: Faculty Mentorship and Tech Innovation to Prevent Burnout
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Purpose Statement: This study examines the transformative impact of combining faculty mentorship with technological innovations to enhance resilience in nursing students and promote long-term success.
Problem: High turnover rates among nurses and NCLEX failure are contributing to a critical shortage in the nursing workforce (Opoku et al., 2021). Many nurses leave bedside roles within 3 to 4 years due to burnout and poor work-life balance (Gamble, 2024). Additionally, 29% of students who took the NCLEX between January 2022 and June 2024 failed, limiting the flow of new nurses into the field (NCSBN, 2024). These challenges intensify staffing shortages in healthcare and pose a risk not only to quality care but to overall client and staff safety (Lindquist, 2023). Strengthening resilience in nursing students through mentorship and technology is essential for improving licensure success and increasing bedside retention.
Method: The study employed a dual approach, combining structured mentorship with an innovative performance analytics dashboard. Starting in February 2022, groups of 20 students participated in a 6-week program. An entrance survey assessed baseline stress and academic preparedness. Faculty mentors provided personalized guidance, while the dashboard tracked performance and identified weak areas for targeted interventions. At the program’s conclusion, an exit survey assessed changes in student anxiety and self-confidence.
Results: Exit surveys revealed a significant reduction in student-reported anxiety. Students noted that personal mentorship and real-time performance tracking helped them feel more prepared, reducing anxiety and improving performance in high-stakes exams. NCLEX pass rates, previously declining, increased from 79.90% in 2022 to 93.35% in 2024 (NCSBN, 2024). These results demonstrate the potential of mentorship combined with technology to build resilience and critical thinking, offering a scalable solution to address the global nursing shortage by improving licensure success and increasing bedside retention.
Conclusion: Faculty mentorship combined with technological tools reduces student anxiety, improves NCLEX pass rates, and strengthens student resilience. Future research will investigate the potential contribution to longer bedside tenure. The global nursing shortage requires resilient healthcare professionals, and this approach offers a sustainable model for building a prepared, confident nursing workforce.
Description
This study explores the impact of combining faculty mentorship with technology in fostering resilience in nursing students. High turnover and NCLEX failure rates have contributed to a critical nursing shortage. The intervention implemented a 6-week program with mentorship and a performance analytics dashboard. Results showed reduced student anxiety and improved NCLEX pass rates. This approach offers a scalable solution to improve licensure success and address global nursing shortages.