Strive for success: A successful retention program for Associate of Science in Nursing students

The growing shortage of registered nurses across the United States is expected to continue in the future. Nursing students in West Virginia face both financial and educational barriers to academic success. This article describes a successful retention program based on Tinto's Theory of Retention that includes both social and academic integration. The program has been successful in that the attrition rate of first-year nursing students due to academic failure was lowered by 50%. Improving retention and graduation rates of nursing students in West Virginia supports efforts to alleviate the nursing shortage.