Factors that influence student retention and success in a nursing program are diverse and complex.  The academic rigor of the nursing curriculum and the need to maintain high standards to promote optimal patient safety and quality of care may hinder student success, particularly among those who come from underrepresented groups. Having adequate social support fostered through student-to-student partnerships is associated with higher retention rates among students. The importance of the mentoring process in nursing education for developing strategies to optimize learning, share experiences and reduce anxiety has been associated with enhanced rates of retention and progression. An added dimension is the need for effective socialization and for students to develop an understanding of their evolving professional identity.  A mentoring program can contribute to this socialization.  The need for academic progression and seamless transition from the associate degree to the baccalaureate degree in order to meet the demands of nursing practice in the 21^st century cannot be overemphasized.  In an effort to improve graduation rates of students enrolled in the nursing program at this associate degree nursing program and provide a bridge for transition to the baccalaureate level and ultimately into the role of the profession, faculty saw a need to sustain mentoring strategies across the entire curriculum and tailor each strategy appropriately to the level of student development and need.The integration of a comprehensive mentorship program across the curriculum to include the role of a Student Success Advocate, the use of peer mentors and the implementation of social pedagogy will be discussed.

The nationwide shortage of nurses is predicted to increase over the next five years as the aging nurse force begins to retire at the same time that aging baby boomers demonstrate increased needs for health care and thus nursing care. The education of nurses to meet the work force demands makes it imperative that we examine methods to support retention and progression of nursing students enrolled in our programs. With a current attrition rate of approximately 30% nationwide and near 50% at some programs, the development and evaluation of interventions that foster and promote retention and persistence are necessary measures to mitigate the adverse psychological effects on students as well as the financial costs to students, institutional centers of learning and society. Additionally, measures to support new nurse graduates are needed as they transition to the professional nurse workforce as statistics indicate that turnover rates can be as high as 35 - 60%.

The community college has long been viewed as a doorway of opportunity for nontraditional students including those from immigrant populations, older students and those attempting a second career. This population has resulted in a more diverse pool of nursing applicants who often have lower retention and progression rates. Recent studies demonstrate a relationship between positive psychological outcomes and positive academic performance. Performance is also influenced by perceptions of confidence in ability to persist and perform a task. A number of studies have demonstrated significant findings on the relationships among perceptions of confidence, academic performance and retention of nursing students. Social support has been highly correlated with development of confidence in new nursing graduates.

The creation of a mentoring program in the department of nursing at this community college was an effort to provide a resource for nursing students and new nursing graduates to promote perceptions of confidence as well as provide a social support network to foster retention in a demanding and stressful academic program and profession. Interventions included faculty run workshops for first year nursing students to identify key strategies for successful program completion. Additionally, senior nursing students were recruited and partnered as peer mentors with first year nursing students. Mentor training workshops were created and developed by faculty facilitators, including strategies to address serious problems requiring professional assistance. Senior nursing students were also given an opportunity to dialogue at a forum with former graduates from the program to address questions and concerns about progression to the realities of the professional workplace. As research suggests that social networking is a growing phenomenon and mentoring can occur without face-to-face contact, recent additions to this mentoring program include the development of a Nursing Blog as a resource for new graduates from the program. Data collected demonstrated a significant increase in retention statistics for this program. Qualitative data indicated mentors as well as the mentees felt the value of the experience was positive. This presentation will highlight the outcomes of a research project that employed strategies to promote retention and progression in one Associate Degree Nursing program in an urban setting with a diverse student population. The challenges and rewards of recruiting peer mentors and sustaining an ongoing mentoring assistance program will be discussed.