Understanding the determinants of absenteeism among undergraduate nursing students: Implications for educational management

Introduction: Student absenteeism is a serious concern in educational management. Non-attendance of students compromises their learning and academic performance. This study aimed to measure factors leading to absenteeism among undergraduate nursing students. Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional research design was adopted. Of the 246 nursing students in one public and two private nursing colleges, 176 participated in this study. Approval from Institutional Review Board and permission from the institutional heads were sought. A structured, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was used for data collection. Written informed consent was taken before data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 version. Results: The sample predominantly comprised 89.2% of female nursing students. Almost 50% of the students were using public transport. Hostellers were 44.9% and the rest resided at their homes. Nursing students majorly indicated school factors 2.55 ± 0.59; following home 2.48 ± 0.63, social 2.41 ± 0.64, and their own 2.21 ± 0.51 student factors contributing to absenteeism. Significant school factors included extreme temperature 2.86 ± 0.97, boring lectures 2.63 ± 0.92, excessive homework 2.58 ± 0.01, sudden changes in schedule 2.56 ± 0.86, and negative peer influence 2.51 ± 0.89. Family responsibilities 2.84±0.95, preparing for exams 2.69 ± 0.96, duration of the classes 2.65 ± 0.88, and transportation problems 2.65 ± 0.88 also contributed to absenteeism. Age, type of institute, marital status, transport, and residential place were significantly associated with absenteeism (P<0.05). Conclusion: Most absenteeism factors were inclined toward educators and educational management. Strategies targeting specific factors indicated by students can decrease absenteeism.