Abstract
This qualitative study aimed to uncover nursing faculty advisors' perceptions of extrinsic factors, intrinsic factors, and mediators influencing four-year baccalaureate students' decisions to voluntarily leave nursing programs. Exploring faculty advisors' perspectives on voluntary attrition is essential to optimize resources and increase the number of nursing graduates. Using a qualitative descriptive design, Rubin and Rubin’s (2012) interviewing methodology was employed to solicit narrative accounts from 12 experienced nursing faculty advisors in four-year baccalaureate nursing programs. Semi-structured interviews revealed four intrinsic themes: preparedness, fear, maturity, and personal crises, and four extrinsic themes: external motivations, interpersonal relationships, program barriers, and life circumstances. Mitigating factors included academic/support services, socialization/belonging, and mentoring. These findings highlight the perspectives of educational professionals with frequent and repeated contact with students considering voluntary attrition and can inform strategies to reduce such attrition.