Influencing factors and barriers to retention among regional and remote undergraduate nursing students in Australia: A systematic review of current research evidence

Review question/Objective: To explore the attrition problems, influencing factors and barriers to retention among regional and remote nursing students who enrolled in the undergraduate programs in Australia. Condition being studied: Student retention concerns an individual’s commitment to an learning goal. Low student retention has been a long-standing issue for nursing programs and it is an important threat to the future nursing workforce. Attrition is measured by the number of students enrolled in the first year who do not complete their study in the following year. With the growth of online programs, the issue of high attrition raises concern for students enrolled in
these programs. Moreover, the social context of students may influence positive motivation and affect their decision to stay in their nursing programs.