Where did they go? Finding leaks in the nursing education pipeline

Session Abstract: Each year, thousands of freshmen enter college aspiring to become registered nurses (RNs), yet only a fraction ultimately earn a nursing degree. This session presents research conducted by the University System of Georgia (USG) to investigate the academic trajectories of students who initially declare an interest in nursing but do not graduate in the field. Where do they go? Which courses most significantly influence students' progression and admission into nursing programs? What are the academic outcomes for students who are denied entry into nursing programs? Using a longitudinal dataset, researchers identified key courses that influence progression into nursing programs and examined outcomes for students denied admission. Presenters will share their findings, discuss innovative data collection and analysis methods, and offer insights into improving data systems to support more effective evaluation and student success strategies.

Keywords: Nursing pipeline, cohort analysis, binary logistic regression analysis,