What is the BSN Student's Perception of Why a Nursing Course was Failed?

Nursing student success is important to students, faculty, institutions of higher education, and the healthcare needs in Texas. Despite recent research showing that cognitive indicators can predict student success, the use of these factors has not significantly decreased the number of courses failed in nursing school. The purpose of this study was to explore the Bachelor of Science (BSN) nursing student perception of why a nursing course was failed. Participants, (N=19), from three universities in Texas were interviewed. Narrative inquiry, specifically storytelling, was used to ascertain the individual students’ perceptions of why a nursing course was failed and to identify any environmental factors that may have contributed to failing. Intrinsic themes contributing to failing were discovered to be: student inability to connect information from prerequisites to current nursing courses; lack of balancing class time, assignments, and life issues; being unprepared to be a nursing student; and a lack of identifying and/or using resources. Extrinsic themes contributing to failing a course were described as: negative faculty impact preventing communication and help-seeking by students; and, environmental factors, specifically personal or family illness/injury occurring during a course. Findings indicated the participants were able to express their perceived reasons for failing. Their perceptions indicate a need for improving the transition from prerequisite courses, especially when students transfer from a community college, to nursing school. Participants also expressed a perception of faculty being unapproachable and/or unwilling to help students be successful. Awareness of negative environmental factors could also assist students to seek help when needed. This study may serve to encourage further inquiry into why nursing students fail and the development of intervention strategies to improve nursing student retention.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nursing (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Owen, Amy McBeth

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ward-Smith, Peggy

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/45668

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/45668