Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Workforce and Organizational Development

Committee Director

Dr. James E. Bartlett, II

Committee Member

Dr. Michelle E. Bartlett

Committee Member

Dr. Carrol L. Warren

Abstract

Persistent nursing workforce shortages across the United States have increased the importance of Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs as primary entry points into the profession. Community colleges prepare a substantial portion of the nursing workforce; however, attrition within ADN programs limits the number of graduates entering practice. Understanding factors associated with academic performance and program completion is essential for strengthening nursing education pathways and supporting workforce development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine early academic and sociodemographic factors associated with successful completion of an ADN program at a suburban community college.

Guided by Becker’s Human Capital Theory and Jeffreys’ Nursing Universal Retention and Success (NURS) model, this study analyzed institutional data from three ADN student cohorts (n=322) enrolled between 2015 and 2019. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic characteristics, prerequisite course performance, cumulative nursing grade point average (GPA), and program completion outcomes. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between sociodemographic factors and cumulative nursing GPA. Hierarchical OLS regression models were used to determine whether prerequisite coursework explained additional variance in program completion after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Logistic regression was also conducted to estimate the likelihood of completing the ADN program using the same set of predictors.

Results indicated that sociodemographic factors explained a modest proportion of iii variance in academic performance and completion outcomes. The baseline demographic model accounted for 8.8% of the variance in cumulative nursing GPA and 4.5% of the variance in program completion. When prerequisite coursework variables were added to hierarchical models, explained variance increased to 11.9% for GPA and 7.4% for program completion. Logistic regression results demonstrated similar patterns.

Overall, the findings suggest that ADN program completion reflects cumulative academic engagement within the nursing curriculum rather than the influence of any single predictor. The results highlight the importance of early academic monitoring and structured institutional support strategies designed to promote persistence and completion while maintaining the access-oriented mission central to community college nursing education.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.25777/gy0b-ep51

ISBN

9798197810151

ORCID

0009-0009-1432-443X

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