Healthcare Managers/Executives/Administrators
OBJECTIVE The primary goal of this research was to describe leadership factors and retention strategies in relation to student retention rates in Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs.
METHODOLOGY Participants were recruited from a population of ADN directors (N = 53) in North Carolina provided on the state Board of Nursing website. Data regarding retention rates were accessed on the state Board of Nursing website. Forty-nine ADN directors completed the Leadership Practices Inventory (Self) and provided demographic data (92% response rate). The typical respondent was middle-aged (51 years), Caucasian (90%), female (96%), with a masters of science in nursing degree (80%), an average of 6.7 years of work experience and 2.2 years as the director.
KEY FINDINGS ADN directors most frequently engaged in Enabling, followed by Encourage and Model, and then Challenge and Inspire. Their scores were "moderate" based upon percentile rankings published by Kouzes and Posner. No significant relationships were found between any of the five leadership practices and student retention rates.