title: Emotional variables, dropout and academic performance in Spanish nursing students.
abstract: The dropout of university studies is a main concern in many countries, also for Health Sciences degrees. The reviews on dropout in all university degrees as well as nursing generally show multidimensional causes with factors related both to institutional and students' characteristics. Regarding the personal variables of students, researchers have focused on financial, family and personality features. Far less attention has been devoted to emotional variables. This study aims to explore whether individual variables of the emotional domain such as perceived emotional intelligence, dispositional optimism/pessimism and depressive rumination are related and/or can predict students' intention to dropout and academic performance. Using a cross-correlational approach, data were obtained from a sample of 144 nursing students. Students with a pessimistic disposition revealed a greater tendency to drop out. The remaining variables correlated significantly with pessimism but had no predictive value on dropout. Our results suggest that students with low levels of emotional clarity and repair and high depressive rumination have pessimistic expectations, so they are more likely to leave studies. No significant results were found in relation to academic performance. We conclude with an identification of strategies to increase retention and academic success.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Balearic Islands, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Guillem Cifre de Colonya, Cra. de Valldemossa Km 7,5, 07122 Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. Electronic address: fatima.roso@uib.es.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roso-Bas
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Balearic Islands, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Guillem Cifre de Colonya, Cra. de Valldemossa Km 7,5, 07122 Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. Electronic address: Antonia.pades@uib.es.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pades Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Balearic Islands, Spain. Electronic address: esther.garcia@uib.es.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Buades
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004522:Educational Status; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067657:Pessimism; D057566:Self Report; D013030:Spain; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Academic performance; Dispositional optimism/pessimism; Emotional intelligence; Rumination; Student dropout