Selected correlates of academic success in baccalaureate nursing students

Abstract

The purpose of this study~as to examine the relationship between selected cognitive and noncoghitive variables and the baccalatireate nursing student's grade point average (GPA) to determirie which variables correlate with academic success for black· and for white students. The cognitive variables were the Scholastic Aptitude Test. (SAT) scores aqd the GPA on all courses prerequisite to the nursing sequence. The noncognitive variables were social support, self-esteem and expectancy for success. All junior and senior nursing students in a baccalaureat~ nursing program located in the Southeastern U. S. were invited to participate. Data were collected on 72 students using the Norbeck Social Sripport Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Hal~-Fibel Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale, and a demographic data sheet. Entry GPA, SAT scores, and nursing GPA were obtained from the students' records. A multivariate analysis of variance utilized to test three hypotheses concerning the difference between the black· and white student groups on the noncognitive variables showed a statisiically significant difference between the black and white student· groups when the noncognitive variables were con~idered ·as a set~ However, there were no significant differences when the noncognitive variables were considered individually. Six hypotheses were tested using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients to determine relationships between the nonq,o~gnitive variables and nursing ~\t . GPA. There were no significant relationships between the noncognitive variables and nursing GPA in the black student group. There were significant .relationships between selfesteem and nursing GPA (E = .3468), and between expectancy for success and nursing GPA (E = .2259) in the white student group. Stepwise multiple regression was used to·determine the variables accounting for significant portions of the variance in nursing GPA in the total sample (R2 = .4227). Entry GPA was the first variable to eriter into the model followed by mother's education and by self-esteem.