Factors associated with registered nurses' academic performance in advanced practice nursing preparatory education: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Aim: To explore factors associated with academic performance in the Master of Nursing programme.

Background: Advanced practice nursing preparatory education generally involves completion of the Master of Nursing programme. While prior clinical experiences and on-the-job training are believed to underpin the preparation for such education, studies have suggested only weak or no associations between nurses' academic success in graduate schools and their clinical experiences.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the nursing department of a university in Singapore. Academic and demographic data were extracted in February 2020 from a shared repository of anonymised teaching and learning data. R was used to select and merge data tables into a usable format for subsequent analysis. Students enrolled between 2010 and 2017 were included for the analysis (n = 246).

Results: Age was statistically significantly associated with overall cumulative academic performance (p < 0.001). Younger students on average academically outperformed older students. Unmarried students were associated with better cumulative academic performance in the Clinical Practicum 2 module (p = 0.018).

Conclusion: Younger students have historically outperformed their older counterparts in the Master of Nursing programme. There is a need to reassess the requirement of five years of clinical experience as an admission criterion for the Master of Nursing programme in Singapore.

Implications for nursing policy: There is a need to re-evaluate the admission criteria to better engage and retain younger nurses interested in advanced nursing practice. Nursing educators and leaders can partner with academics to develop advanced practice-specific education for pre-master nurses with the aptitude and interest in pursuing this track.

Keywords: Advanced practice roles; career development; master's degree; nurse; nurse practitioners; nursing education.