Loss of subjects in nursing students: economical, psychosocial and family related aspects

Abstract

Introduction: The analysis of subjects predicts academic performance and promotes the implementation of interventions for student improvement. Objective: To evaluate the loss of subjects and the existence of associated factors such as socio-demographic, academic, family, economic and health in nursing students from the Industrial University of Santander during the first year of their career. Methods: Analytic cross-sectional study, perform in students during their first year of study, from academic and psychosocial information collected between 2005 and 2012. A negative binomial regression was performed to identify factors related to the number of subjects not passed. Results: 171 (63.33%) students did not pass a subject and a student lost an average of 1.92 subjects. The greatest loss was found in basic science subjects. As associated factors with the decrease in the number of subjects failed, variables such as work before presenting the state exam for admission to higher education, educational level of the mother and depression were identified; in contrast, higher income, family dysfunction, anxiety and cigarette use were associated with a greater loss of subjects. Conclusion: The subjects of basic science are academic factors that influence the loss of subjects of nursing students; equally familiar aspects as functionality, income, maternal education and psychosocial conditions such as depression, anxiety and cigarette smoking, can affect the success or failure in the subjects.