SWOT ANALYSIS n 357
S
to their success. Faculty who design
retention programs should be sensitive
to students’ generational needs and to
the ongoing collection and analysis of
retention data that will point the way to
improvement.
See also Licensure
Arizona State University. (n.d.). College of nurs-ing exemplary programs for retention. Retrieved October 7, 2006, from http://www.asu.edu/retention/exemplary/pdf/KA_Nursing.pdf
Coughlan, S. (2009). Facebook “cuts student drop-outs.” BBC News. Retrieved September 18, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/education8299050.stm
Noel-Levitz, Inc. (2008). The 2008 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report—Four Year Private Colleges and Universities. Retrieved September 18, 2010, from http://www.noellevitz.com
Gloria F. Donnelly
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strategic management is the process
through which an organization analyzes
the competitive environment to under-
stand organizational strengths, weak-
nesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
On the basis of that understanding, strat-
egies are devised and implemented to
neutralize threats and take advantage of
opportunities. A SWOT analysis involves
evaluation of internal organizational
resources and capabilities and an evalua-
tion of the external environment to iden-
tify market opportunities and competitive
forces. It is helpful in identifying how
internal and external factors might interact
to create a market advantage, or increase
competitive pressures. The analysis will
highlight areas where an organization is
vulnerable, where it is constrained, and
and (3) the number and demographic pro-
fi le of students that drop out of the nurs-
ing program. The demographic profi le can
include faculty-selected variables such as
overall GPA and Scholastic Aptitude Test
on admission; GPA in selected science
courses; and admission status, for exam-
ple, transfer or freshman standing. These
cumulative data can provide a predictive
success model for faculty to use in their
admission process and in improving reten-
tion programs and in improving student
retention and success.
RETENTION AND NCLEX-RN SUCCESS
Success on the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses
(NCLEX-RN) needs to be part of nurs-
ing program retention strategies. It is the
responsibility of every nursing program
to ensure that the graduate is prepared to
attain licensure to practice. The inability
to secure a registered nurse license after
the successful completion of any nursing
program can be devastating to the student
and to the family’s investment in an educa-
tion. There are a variety of strategies that
include periodic testing across the nursing
curriculum as well as a summative, com-
prehensive test with predictive values.
Any testing program selected or designed
by faculty or by a standardized testing ser-
vice should be accompanied by a system-
atic remediation policy and program for
those students who fall below the passing
standard.
SUMMARY
Retention programs in schools of nurs-
ing should be derived not only from the
admission and progression philosophy
and policies of the nursing program but
also from data provided by students on
those factors that contribute most highly
Nursing Leadership_PTR_Alpha S_17-11-11_337-359.indd 357Nursing Leadership_PTR_Alpha S_17-11-11_337-359.indd 357 11/17/2011 3:00:11 PM11/17/2011 3:00:11 PM
Feldman, H. R., Greenberg, M. J., Jaffe-Ruiz, M., McClure, M. L., McBride, A. B., Smith, T. D., & Alexander, G. R. (Eds.). (2011). Nursing leadership : A concise encyclopedia, second edition. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.Created from ashford-ebooks on 2023-01-09 19:45:16.
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