High Risk Students In Nursing Education
Who are High risk students
High risk
students are individuals who have limited social supports, resources, or
cognitive abilities that add to their proclivity for poor academic performance
or failure. High-risk students are academically disadvantaged and commonly characterized
by their ethnic minority status, gender, socioeconomic status, levels of
self-esteem, disability status. behavioral dysfunction, or prior academic
performance (Egerton,1968; Jones & Watson, 1990)
Identification of High Risk Students
The
identification and allocation of resources to high-risk nursing students is
central to retention, diversity, and development of future nurses. In the
United States, there is a projected shortage of registered nurses that will be
compounded by a growing cohort of older Americans who will require nursing care
(Janiszewski Goodin, 2003). As a consequence of a shortage in registered
nurses, the proportion of high risk students admitted to schools of nursing is
proportionally on the rise.
For nursing educators, the early identification of
high risk students is critical and necessary to optimize the congruence between
the instructional methods and these students’ learning needs to enhance their
likelihood of academic success. As the numbers of high-risk nursing students
increase, it is important for nurse educators to identify and support these
students to ensure academic success, diversify the nursing workforce, and
address the public health concerns regarding the shortage of registered nurses.
There
are a variety of methods that facilitate the early identification of high risk
students. The evaluation of a student’s risk for academic success usually
entails the analysis of academic and nonacademic variables (Hopkins, 2008)
Academic variables, such as standardized test scores and cumulative high-school
grade point average (GPA), are used as indicators of a student’s likelihood of
academic success (Abrams & Jernigan, 1984; Hopkins, 2008).
Nonacademic
variables, such as quality of the individual’s high school education,
self-efficacy, and levels of anxiety or stress, have also been examined as
indicators of academic success. There are a variety of academic and nonacademic
variables that are associated with the risk of poor academic performance and
failure. Yet, research in this area continues to be focused on academic success
(eg, passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses
[NCLEX-RNL course grades, cumulative GPA), which limits the translation of this
evidence to nursing practice outcomes.
Identification of High Risk Students
There
are three key points in understanding how to identify and support highrisk
nursing students:
(a) Early identification of high risk students requires a
comprehensive evaluation of pre-admission characteristics, and the assessment of
academic and nonacademic variables associated with academic success ( Grossbach
& Kuncel , 2011; Hopkins, 2008).
(b) high-risk students may come from
communities that are economically depressed, and may feel disenfranchised or
stigmatized by others, which result in a lack of confidence, lower academic
motivation, and a heightened propensity for academic failure (Schunk &
Mullen, 2012 : Syed, Azmitia, & Cooper, 2011). Often high risk students
will not seek out the support from faculty but can significantly benefit from
additional educational, social, financial, emotional, and culturally sensitive
support to promote academic success.
(c) effective strategies for high risk
students have focused on self directed activities, congruence between
instructional methods and learning styles, as well as formative feedback in a
supportive climate (Lockie. Van Lanen, & Mc Gannon, 2013; Pizzolato, 2004,
Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, White, & Salovey, 2012) . To date, there are no
prevailing theoretical frameworks or strategies for early identification of
high-risk students in nursing
Dealing With High Risk Students
High risk
students represent a significant challenge to nurse educators. With a projected
estimate of a shortage of registered nurses, nurse educators must recognize
high risk students early in their nursing education and provide evidence based
strategies to enhance their academic success. Nurse educators who wish to
conduct evaluations to identify high-risk students must have a sound
understanding of their student population, as well as the academic and
nonacademic variables that may have influence on their likelihood of academic
success.
Attention to the definition of academic success varies significantly
in nursing education. As highlighted by several studies, academic success and
performance can be measured by an individual’s performance in a fundamental
nursing course, cumulative college GPA, or passing the NCLEX-RN examination.
Strategies that enhance academic success among high-risk students should be
initiated early, personalized, and provide holistic support.
There
is a significant need for longitudinal and interventional research to develop
and test strategies for early identification and practices that fortify
academic success among high-risk students. As nursing education research
advances, examination of social determinants, cognitive processing, learning
styles, experiential learning, coaching, and the use of interactive educational
technologies hold significant promise to improve the learning outcomes of
nursing students who are academically disadvantaged (Ashley & O’Neil ,
1991; Lockie & Burke, 1999).