title: A regional academic partnership for the early identification and retention of at-risk nursing students.
abstract: In a 2006 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board report (Increasing RN Graduates in Texas: A Report to the 79th Legislature), nursing programs in Texas were challenged to increase the number of graduates to deal with the nursing shortage. This article describes the East Texas region's efforts to identify and intervene in the nursing student attrition rates of participating partners nursing programs. The primary purpose of this study was to identify and intervene with students at risk for attrition. Nine nursing programs participated in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online surveys were used to assess variables associated with attrition. Online interventions and an intensive test review protocol were used as intervention methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across the nine nursing programs, 898 students participated in the study. Regression and categorical data analysis revealed that lack of reading comprehension was the best predictor of a student being off track or out of a nursing program (P < .0001). Two other highly predictive variables of attrition were entrance examination composite scores (P = .0271) and a student's grades in anatomy and physiology (P = .005). Grant intervention protocols were effective in reducing the attrition rate (P = .0002) between students who participated during the grant period and those prior to implementation of the grant.
authors.affiliation: DeWitt School of Nursing, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, USA. gwalker@sfasu.edu
authors.forename: Glenda C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klotz
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Gregory K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Missildine
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermanns
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amerson
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buffalo
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cordell
authors.forename: Dayna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seeton
authors.forename: Tami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Putnam
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glymph
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D012307:Risk Factors; D013338:Students, Nursing; D013781:Texas