Our NHS Health England final research project 2024, has identified learners at risk of not completing their chosen course in within the Health and Wellbeing Faculty.

Our evidence suggests learners may not engage with their programme of study and do not always take advantage of the support available to them. Further evidence shows that learners who are experiencing difficulties and struggling with their programme are the most at risk of transient levels of stress and low motivation and engagement (Olvera et al, 2019; Lo, 2002). This is due to the perceived pressure of work especially preparing for and completing assessments whilst also developing professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Radcliffe and Lester, 2003). Consequently, learners may leave their programme of study, for a range of reasons unknown to the academic team at the time of withdrawal or may experience unsuccessful assessment leading to fail withdraw decisions at progression and award examination boards.

Methodologies:
Qualitative and Quantitative approach using mixed methods and a pilot study to investigate student empowerment by participating in ‘Maths for Nurses’.
Using and Interpretivist and a Constructivist paradigm and a framework of interpretive phenomenology
1. Focus Groups to explore perceived facilitators and barriers to programme engagement capture notions for pilot design.
2. Pilot Intervention Programme 12-week period quantitative data to be used to analyse attainment, engagement and empowerment.
3. Further process evaluation focus groups will establish what worked well and not so well and the changes to be made.
4. Larger scale invention programme included learners across all year groups – using previous data to measure the efficacy of the intervention programme and evaluate the impact evidence base and levels of empowerment.

Focus Groups, semi-structured interviews:
Priory thematic approach used superordinate and subordinate themes to analyse the stories of professional programme students.

Implications – Future research and practice:
The recommendations of the NHS England research project will require further funding to enable action to be taken to empower learners and reduce the risk of attrition for nurses in the future.

Broadening Student Empowerment:
The pilot ‘Maths for Nurses’ has been evaluated as successful and has empowered learners as a result the intervention classes have become part of the nursing curriculum.
The pilot project has become business as usual and the School hosts a weekly face to face class, and an online class and one to one bespoke learning, giving full reach is across the nursing community.
Learners for the BAME community, mature learners and learners with a disability have increased their self-efficacy, becoming more agentic as a practitioner.

References:
[1] Archer M. (2007) Making Our Way Through the World: Human Reflexivity and Social Mobility Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
[2] Olvera Alvarez HA, Provencio-Vasquez E, Slavich GM, Laurent JGC, Browning M, McKee-Lopez G, Robbins L, Spengler JD. (2019) Stress and Health in Nursing Students: The Nurse Engagement and Wellness Study. Nurs Res. 2 ;68(6):453-463. Doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000383. PMID: 31693551; PMCID: PMC7004871.
[3] Radcliffe, C., and Lester, H. (2003). Perceived stress during undergraduate medical training: a qualitative study. Medical education, 37(1), 32-38.

Keywords: Attrition empowerment sense of self engagement intervention.