A Comparative Analysis of the Academic Performance of Nursing Students in Three Selected Nursing Institutions in Sierra Leone
Abstract:
As the number
of trained and qualified nurses continues to increase in clinical settings,
concerns about nursing students’ academic performance, which translates into
their output in patient care, emerge. Sierra Leone has seen high failure rates
among nursing students in state council examinations. This study compares
nursing students' academic performance across public, faith-based, and private
institutions in Sierra Leone. A descriptive cross-sectional research design using
mixed methods was used to evaluate and compare the academic performance of
nursing students at the selected nursing institutions in the council exams
conducted for first-timers in November 2022. Thematic analysis was also used to
explore factors associated with students' performance. In
total, 235 candidates were presented to the State Board Examination in November
2022 by the Institutions under review. 125 students from the Faculty of
Nursing-(COMAHS),61 from Tonkolili District College of Health Sciences (TDCHS),
and 49 from St John of God - University of Makeni (UNIMAK). From the findings,
UNIMAK had a 100% pass rate; COMAHS had a 69.6% pass rate and a 30.4% failure
rate; Tonkolili District College Health Sciences (TDCHS) had an 88.5% pass rate
and 11.5% failure rate. Factors influencing the Academic Performance of
students were large class size, unharmonized Curricula, inappropriate teaching
methods, and poor preparation for state council exams. The study concludes
that exceptional performance is associated with nursing institutions with
smaller class sizes. Factors that affected the students' academic performance
were teacher-student and institutional influences.
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