Factors Affecting the Academic Performance of Undergraduate Student Nurses

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The nursing school undergraduates’ performance influences the quality production of graduates. These in turn will be the future leaders and workforce for the country in improving the health care system. Thus it is imperative that the students do achieve good performance standards. Academic achievement or performance is the degree in which a learner, instructor or organization have accomplished their short term or long term learning objectives. Objective: The main purpose of this study was to explore the factors (e.g., student related, school related, home related, teacher related) that may affect the academic performance of Undergraduate Nursing Students (UNSs). Material and Methods: In this descriptive research study, a cross-sectional survey design was used to conduct this research study. Through simple random sampling technique, a sample of 129 Undergraduate Nursing Students was selected from the BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and Post RN BScN (Registered Nurse Bachelor of Science in Nursing) Students of the Lahore School of Nursing, The University of Lahore, Pakistan. A modified version [1] of the research scale was used to collect the relevant data from the research subjects. Result: One hundred and twenty-nine student nurses participated in this research study; the majority of the participants were females 110 (85.3%). Four types of factors such as teacher-related with an overall mean (3.90), school-related (3.88), student-related (3.83), and home-related factors (3.48) were studied to explore their effect on the academic performance of student nurses. It was found that teacher related factors were at the top with overall mean score of 3.90 and family-related factors were at the lowest level with an overall mean score of 3.48. Conclusion: The result shows that identified factors have influence on academic performance of student nurses. Finding can be used by administrators, educators and evaluators in designing and implementing an educational programs geared to developed academic performance among student nurses.