Improving Retention and Graduate Rates in Associate Degree Nursing Programs

Mar 3, 2017 | Trends and Analysis

Associate degree nursing programs (ADNs) are under tremendous pressure to prepare and graduate sufficient quantities of competent nurses to meet the needs of our health care system. Yet many ADN programs confront challenges with student attrition and retention, and also with first-time success on the NCLEX®-RN exam.
The nursing shortage in the U.S. means that associate degree nursing programs (ADNs) are under tremendous pressure to prepare and graduate sufficient quantities of competent nurses to meet the needs of our health care system. Yet many ADN programs confront challenges with student attrition and retention, and also with first-time success on the NCLEX®-RN exam.

These challenges are complex, with multiple causes and far-reaching impacts on students, families, schools, medical facilities, and even society at-large. There are no simple solutions.

At Exam Master, we have been hearing more about these concerns lately from ADN administrators and educators, so we set out to identify several real-world strategies that schools could adopt to help improve student outcomes. We conducted a review of the literature, gathered input from ADN staff and educators, and incorporated insights from our own 20+ years in the field of health sciences education.

The result is five practical strategies, outlined in a white paper available on request with rationale and implementation suggestions for each. ADN program leaders should examine and consider integrating these strategies into their comprehensive student support programs. The five strategies are:

  1. Pre-admission readiness assessments with detailed scoring
  2. One-on-one pre-admission interviewing
  3. Early remediation planning and implementation
  4. Periodic student benchmarking
  5. Customizable test preparation throughout the education experience

Taken holistically, these strategies can help to make a real difference in ADN program outcomes. Exam Master can help programs implement many of these strategies by applying our knowledge and expertise in building customizable assessments and item banks for targeting critical areas within the nursing curriculum.

Get the full version of our white paper: Addressing the ADN Graduation Challenge

Related Topics: NCLEX-RN // Nursing // Nursing Students