Northwest Florida State College RN to BSN Nursing Program

Recruitment and Retention of Students
Recruitment activities for the RN to BSN Program comprise a coordinated effort between
the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, Enrollment Services and the RN to BSN faculty
and staff. In addition to presenting an accurate picture of both the college and the program,
recruitment efforts are designed to reach a variety of potential students and organized to
accommodate the special characteristics of the college service district. To that end, numerous
recruitment strategies are pursued, including: 1) participation in regional career fairs and college
nights; 2) presentations at professional organizations and meetings (e.g. Kiwanis, American
Society of Training Directors, etc.; 3) direct mail-outs to registered nurses in the service district;
4) visits to associate degree nursing classes; 5) posters and flyers in area hospitals and clinics;
and 6) on-campus information sessions. Prospective students are asked to complete an interest
form, which includes data on ideal instructional methods, class schedules, career goals, and other
information used to help shape program implementation. All recruitment and information
session materials are available in hard copy or electronically on the BSN website.
Retention
Drawing from experience with the NWFSC associate degree nursing program and the
NWFSC-UWF Cooperative BSN Program, the nursing department has learned that student
retention is influenced by a number of factors, including: academic workload, professional career
and work demands, military service, family issues, natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes), community
involvement, and the student’s overall ability to focus on completing the program. Accordingly,
college advisors and nursing faculty are careful to present a realistic picture of program
expectations from the very first contact with students. In addition, NWFSC research has shown
several strategies can improve retention. Key among them are good enrollment practices and
timely, frequent feedback on coursework. The former is addressed with the option of full-time,
part-time and accelerated program enrollment options, as well as by ongoing academic and
career advisement throughout the student’s time in the program. By requiring a written program
of study for all students, the college provides an academic map that keeps the student on track.
The feedback factor is address by a faculty commitment to providing students with
timely, constructive feedback on course performance, accompanied by intervention methods as
necessary. Students receive feedback from faculty regarding each assignment and their class
progress in general. To facilitate this process, students may view their individual assignment
Northwest Florida State College Self-Study Report for the BSN Program, August 20, 2008 Page 16 of 59