Nontraditional nursing students: The social influences on retention

Despite the soaring demand for registered nurses (RNs), recruitment and retention of RN students have declined for decades. To explore this problem in relation to nontraditional associate degree RN (ADRN) students, I addressed the following research question: What are the forces that ultimately affect retention of ADRN students? By using a phenomenological study approach, one overarching pattern, the “social influences on retention,” was revealed.