Predicting success for nontraditional students in an evening/weekend associate degree in nursing program

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this research was to, (a)&nbsp;identify and describe the nontraditional population of adult learners served in the Evening/Weekend Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program at Mount St. Mary's College, and, (b)&nbsp;to determine which admission criteria and other factors are correlated with both nursing program completion (as measured by exit nursing grade point average) and subsequent first time success on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for nontraditional students in this nontraditional ADN program.</p> <p>Twenty-two predictor variables of demographic characteristics and academic factors were examined as they related to the criterion variables of exit (nursing) grade point average (GPA) and first time success on the NCLEX-RN. A retrospective descriptive correlational research design using archival data was utilized to identify the most significant predictor variables and examine their relationship to the criterion variables.</p> <p>Student records and NCLEX-RN results of 107 nontraditional ADN graduates were examined. Using a regression/correlation analysis, the predictive validity of 22 independent variables as being effective predictors of program completion and first time NCLEX-RN success is studied.</p> <p>Higher exit (nursing) GPA correlated with not having been a probationary admission, higher levels of education prior to admission, a higher admission overall GPA, a higher admission science GPA, fewer years since having taken chemistry, a higher grade in anatomy, a higher grade in physiology, a higher grade in microbiology, a higher math test score, not having had remedial math, a higher NLN Test Score, having successfully passed the NCLEX-RN licensure examination and fewer months between graduating and taking the NCLEX-RN.</p> <p>Eight of the variables studied were significantly related with first time passage of the NCLEX-RN. These variables were not having been admitted to the program on probationary status, higher previous levels of education, higher overall GPA at the time of admission to the program, a higher science GPA at the time of admission to the program, having a higher chemistry grade prior to admission, a higher grade in anatomy, a higher grade in physiology, and a higher National League for Nursing (NLN) Test Score. Conclusions, recommendations and suggestions for further research are also presented.</p>