Examining Factors Associated with Attrition, Strategies for Retention Among Undergraduate Nursing Students, and Identified Research Gaps: A Scoping Review.

Background/Objectives: High-quality healthcare delivery relies on a on a sustainable nursing workforce. However, rising attrition rates and declining enrollment in nursing programs pose a significant challenge. A comprehensive synthesis of these factors for student attrition alongside effective rete...

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Published in:Nursing Reports Vol. 15; no. 6; pp. 182 - 215
Main Authors: Sheikoleslami, Rohangez Lida, Princeton, Daisy Michelle, Mihaila Hansen, Linda Iren, Kisa, Sezer, Goyal, Alka Rani
Format: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Published: MDPI Jun2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2025
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      pub: MDPI
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        atl: Examining Factors Associated with Attrition, Strategies for Retention Among Undergraduate Nursing Students, and Identified Research Gaps: A Scoping Review.
      aug:
        au:
          Sheikoleslami, Rohangez Lida
          Princeton, Daisy Michelle
          Mihaila Hansen, Linda Iren
          Kisa, Sezer
          Goyal, Alka Rani
        affil: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
      sug:
        subj:
          Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate
          Students, Nursing, Baccalaureate
          Student Dropouts Psychosocial Factors
          Student Attitudes
          Student Retention
          Program Evaluation
          Human
          Scoping Review
          CINAHL Database
          Medline
          PubMed
          Embase
          Psycinfo
          Young Adult
          Adult
          Male
          Female
          Content Analysis
          Nursing Practice, Evidence-Based
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background/Objectives: High-quality healthcare delivery relies on a on a sustainable nursing workforce. However, rising attrition rates and declining enrollment in nursing programs pose a significant challenge. A comprehensive synthesis of these factors for student attrition alongside effective retention strategies is needed to guide interventions. The aim of this scoping review is to map and synthesize existing evidence on the factors contributing to attrition among bachelor's nursing students and to identify strategies that have been implemented or proposed to improve student retention in undergraduate nursing programs. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) Checklist and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Ovid. This review included peer-reviewed, English-language empirical studies (2010–December 2024) on attrition, dropout, or retention among bachelor-level nursing students, excluding non-nursing, non-bachelor programs, and unpublished studies or studies without primary data. A structured content analysis approach was used to synthesize findings from both qualitative and quantitative studies. Results: After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 19 articles were found eligible for inclusion. Analyses of the included studies revealed four key themes contributing to nursing student attrition: academic factors, institutional and social support, personal factors, and economic challenges. Retention strategies were categorized into two overarching themes: academic and non-academic approaches. Conclusions: Bachelor's nursing programs should adopt retention strategies that enhance institutional and social support to reduce attrition. Strengthening supportive environments alongside curricular reform is key to building a resilient nursing workforce and ensuring quality care.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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