Analysis
Why nursing students leave: causes and remedies for attrition revealed
The long-awaited RePAIR report recommends changes to funding and placement allocation

The long-awaited RePAIR report recommends changes to funding and placement allocation
Workload, finances and problems with placements rank high among the reasons why nursing students leave university.
5 top reasons for leaving nursing courses
- Finances
- Academic pressures
- Problems with placements
- Personal reasons
- Workload
Source: RePAIR survey
The top ten reasons why students leave their preregistration courses are revealed in Health Education England’s long-awaited Reducing Attrition and Improving Retention (RePAIR) report.
Looking at figures from 16 universities for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years, the RePAIR project found a dropout rate of 33.4%.
The report reveals big differences between the fields of nursing, with the highest dropout rates in learning disability and mental health nursing:
- Learning disability nursing: 39.1%.
- Mental
Want to read more?
Unlock full access to RCNi Plus today
Save over 50% on your first three months:
- Customisable clinical dashboard featuring 200+ topics
- Unlimited online access to all 10 RCNi Journals including Nursing Standard
- RCNi Learning featuring 180+ RCN accredited learning modules
- NMC-compliant RCNi Portfolio to build evidence for revalidation
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
Already registered or subscribed? Log in

This article is not available as part of an institutional subscription. Why is this?
