Factors influencing nursing studentsʹ academic and clinical performance and attrition: An integrative literature review

Summary ted workforce shortages have resulted in government initiatives to increase student numbers in preregistration nursing education. In tandem schools of nursing need to ensure studentsʹ progress and complete. The aim of this review was to identify factors that influence preregistration nursing studentsʹ academic performance, clinical performance and attrition. An integrative review of both quantitative and qualitative literature was conducted using validated appraisal checklists. The review included studies published from 1999 to 2011 in the databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Proquest nursing, Proquest Education (via Proquest 5000), ERIC, Journals@Ovid, PsychINFO and ScienceDirect. Studies were categorised according to their impact on academic progression, clinical progression and attrition. Forty four studies were found; most used quantitative methodologies. The review identified that few studies explored factors that impact on studentsʹ clinical performance. The four categories that potentially impact on nursing studentsʹ academic performance and attrition were: demographic, academic, cognitive and personality/behavioural factors. The challenge for universities committed to studentsʹ success is to develop strategies aimed at addressing these factors that are appropriate to specific contexts and student cohorts.