Perceptions matter: faculty caring, campus racial climate and academic performance

Predictors of attrition and program dismissal in a nursing major

BACKGROUND

Increasing the representation of nurses and other health professionals from minority populations is one way to address health disparities. The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing admission criteria that predicted first, second, third semester attrition and program dismissal.

METHOD

A retrospective secondary data analysis was conducted on existing student records spanning from 2016 to 2020 in one BSN program from a Hispanic-serving institution to gain an understanding about program attrition and dismissal. A total of n = 349 student records were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Pre-nursing science GPA, pre-nursing college GPA, and reading ability were found significant predictors for attrition and dismissal, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Aptitudes in the sciences and in reading should be emphasized in pre-nursing to enhance student success in nursing. Findings from this study could inform administrators in postsecondary and in secondary education about establishing infrastructures for at-risk students to better prepare the latter for a nursing major.

Instructors’ caring behaviors, burnout, satisfaction, and academic performance of nursing students in online education and the pandemic era

Objective: This study aimed to determine the predictive ability of instructors’ online caring behaviors, online learning burnout, and satisfaction with online learning on nursing students’ academic performance.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study employing the administration of online self-report measures among 606 undergraduate students in one large nursing school in the Philippines. Statistical analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics, Pearson’s r, and linear regression.

Results: The mean scores in the instructors’ online caring behaviors scale, online learning burnout scale, online learning satisfaction scale, and self-reported academic performance were 3.88 ± 0.70, 4.00 ± 0.84, 2.51 ± 0.96, and 3.25 ± 0.79 respectively. Satisfaction (β = 0.216, P = 0.000), burnout (β = 0.-098, P = 0.019), and instructors’ caring behaviors (β = 0.096, P = 0.030) explained 11.7% of the variability in the students’ academic performance.

Conclusions: Instructors’ caring behavior and levels of burnout and satisfaction are linked to students’ academic success in the virtual learning environment. This study calls for nursing instructors to be mindful of signs of burnout, employ proactive measures that promote satisfactory learning, and foster more caring behaviors in this time of global health crisis.

Contribution of perceived faculty caring (FC) and student engagement (SE) to lifelong learning (LLL) of post-secondary remediated (PSR) science students

Literature is unequivocal about the relevance of promoting lifelong learning (LLL) intentions among adult learners. However, what is less certain in remedial education literature is how faculty members play a critical role in motivating the tendencies for LLL among remediated science students, especially in the developing countries. Therefore, this study investigated the contributions of faculty caring and student engagement to remediated science students' perceived LLL tendencies. Correlational research design was used to measure and gauge the level of the relationships amongst the studying variables. A total of 443 continuing education programme students in Nigeria participated in the study. By using AMOS v. 24 and SPSS v. 26 statistical tools for data analyses, we found a high level of student-perceived faculty caring, student engagement components and LLL tendencies. Multilevel regression analyses indicated that the dimensions of students' LLL tendencies (motivation and perseverance) were positively predicted by faculty caring and student engagement dimensions, such as vigour, absorption and dedication. In the final models, the predictor variables could explain some substantive proportions of motivation and perseverance dimensions of LLL tendencies. Our study findings reveal that faculty caring plays a significant role in motivating students' academic engagement and the tendencies for LLL in higher education. Therefore, educational intervention that gears towards improving student academic engagement has a practical implication in enhancing LLL tendencies amongst higher education science students. Hence, the study findings could inspire various educational practitioners to encourage effective academic engagement amongst higher education science students. Directions for further research were suggested.

Nursing Students' Perceptions of Faculty Caring as a Predictor of Students' Caring Behaviors

This cross-sectional, descriptive survey study aimed to examine the relationships among nursing students' perceptions of faculty caring, students' caring behaviors, and their confidence, satisfaction, and empathy in an undergraduate nursing program. The instruments included the Caring Behaviors Inventory-16 Student Version, Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring, and students' confidence, satisfaction, and empathy. There were significant pair-wise relationships among students' perceptions of faculty caring, students' caring behaviors, satisfaction, confidence, and empathy. Students' perceptions of faculty caring were a significant predictor for students' caring behaviors. These findings are significant in future designing and implementing interventions to enhance students' learning experiences.

Anxiety, mental illness, learning disabilities, and learning accommodation use: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nurse educators require a robust understanding of nursing students' attributes to meet their learning needs and support their success.

PURPOSE

This research seeks to understand the proportion of nursing students with self-reported medically diagnosed anxiety, mental illnesses (MI), learning disabilities (LD), and utilized learning accommodations (LA), and determine how these students compared to a normative sample regarding studying and test-taking anxiety.

METHOD

A secondary analysis of quantitative cross-sectional data that included the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS) tool. First-year students were surveyed (4-6 weeks after program start, and students in years 1 through 4 were surveyed at the end of both academic terms.

RESULTS

At program start, 21% were diagnosed with anxiety, 16% with MI, 2% with a LD, and 6% accessed LA. By fourth-year these proportions were 23%, 22%, 8% and 13% respectively. Alarming proportions of respondents exhibited anxiety related to test-taking compared to the ASICS normative sample with large effect sizes (Anxiety h = 0.884; MI h = 0.601; LD: h = 2.094; LA h = 0.725).

CONCLUSION

To support students, we highlight a need for early identification and tailored support, enriched faculty knowledge, faculty introspection and willingness to adapt, and time for relational and individual pedagogy.

Outsiders in Nursing - Voices of Black African Born Nurses & Students in the US: An Integrative Review

Purpose:

The purpose of this integrative review was to describe the experience of being outsiders in nursing as described by Black African Born Nurses and Student Nurses (BABN&SN) in the U.S., give voice to their experiences in U.S. academia and healthcare settings, discuss the implications of the BABN&SN othering on the U.S. healthcare systems, and offer recommendations to address the issues based on the literature.

Methods:

An integrative review approach discussed by Whittemore and Knafl was utilized to review literature from nursing journal published from 2008 to 2019.

Results:

Major findings include collegial/peer isolation and loneliness; racism and discrimination, unwelcoming environment, silencing of voices, personal resilience, and sense of belonging. The results of this review indicate that BABN&SN experience in U.S. nursing contribute to harrowing periods of feeling like ‘an outsider.’

Conclusions:

BABN&SN are integral part of the U.S. nursing workforce and the healthcare system. Academic and work environments that support all nurses and students, despite their perceived differences, are essential to promoting an inclusive environment. Understanding the relational pattern that guides the BABN&SN socialization into nursing is vital to developing targeted support especially when entering the clinical practice environment.

Field courses narrow demographic achievement gaps in ecology and evolutionary biology

Disparities remain in the representation of marginalized students in STEM. Classroom-based experiential learning opportunities can increase student confidence and academic success; however, the effectiveness of extending learning to outdoor settings is unknown. Our objectives were to examine (a) demographic gaps in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) major completion, college graduation, and GPAs for students who did and did not enroll in field courses, (b) whether under-represented demographic groups were less likely to enroll in field courses, and (c) whether under-represented demographic groups were more likely to feel increased competency in science-related tasks (hereafter, self-efficacy) after participating in field courses. We compared the relationships among academic success measures and demographic data (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, first-generation, and gender) for UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students admitted between 2008 and 2019 who participated in field courses (N = 941 students) and who did not (N = 28,215 students). Additionally, we administered longitudinal surveys to evaluate self-efficacy gains during field-based versus classroom-based courses (N = 570 students). We found no differences in the proportion of students matriculating at the university as undecided, proposed EEB, or proposed other majors across demographic groups. However, five years later, under-represented students were significantly less likely to graduate with EEB degrees, indicating retention rather than recruitment drives disparities in representation. This retention gap is partly due to a lower rate of college completion and partly through attrition to other majors. Although under-represented students were less likely to enroll in field courses, field courses were associated with higher self-efficacy gains, higher college graduation rates, higher EEB major retention, and higher GPAs at graduation. All demographic groups experienced significant increases in self-efficacy during field-based but not lecture-based courses. Together, our findings suggest that increasing the number of field courses and actively facilitating access to students from under-represented groups can be a powerful tool for increasing STEM diversity.

The impacts of faculty caring on nursing students' intent to graduate: A systematic literature review

Objectives

To examine the current studies about the impacts of faculty caring on nursing students’ intent to graduate and provide recommendations. The nursing profession continues to face nursing shortages. One of the solutions recognized to alleviate the shortage is increasing the number of students graduating from nursing schools. It lacks a literature review synthesizing the current research about the impacts of faculty caring on nursing students’ intent to graduate and indicate areas for future research.

Methods

This is a systematic literature review. The search of the literature was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Databases searched included MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ProQuest Search. Search terms included ‘attrition,’ ‘dropouts,’ ‘graduation rate,’ ‘faculty,’ ‘instructor,’ ‘professor,’ ‘nursing,’ and ‘caring.’

Results

Ten articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles were conducted in the Associate Degree of Nursing and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. Nursing faculties played a significant role in students’ intent to graduate by building students’ confidence, creating a compassionate learning environment, and promoting students’ competence. Faculties’ caring behaviors, including respecting students, showing empathy, and using caring communication skills, were essential characteristics to affect students’ learning environments.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that students’ perceptions of faculty caring can affect their perceptions of the learning environment and sense of belonging, and therefore, impact their intent to graduate. Students’ perceptions of their instructors’ caring behaviors are instrumental in motivating them to continue learning. The capacity of faculty caring plays a significant role in students’ success.

Exploring the experiences of being an ethnic minority student within undergraduate nurse education: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Students studying in a country where another language is spoken face multiple challenges including their ability to fully integrate with peers and academic pressures in trying to obtain an undergraduate nursing degree. The aim of the study was to explore the lived experiences of students, from varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds, undertaking an undergraduate nursing degree.

METHODS

The study adopted a qualitative design and eight individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were analysed using manifest content analysis according to Graneheim and Lundman.

RESULTS

Students reported feelings of isolation and the lack of opportunities to integrate with native students within academia and practice. The need for personal support was a crucial factor that was independent of gender and students reported challenges related to both language and culture during the programme.

CONCLUSIONS

Suggestions arising from this study includes appropriate support systems within academia and practice. It is imperative that universities and practice settings promote and integrate cultural awareness within academia and practice in meeting the needs of students and providing culturally appropriate nursing care, thereby providing opportunities for all students to become competent and professional practitioners.