Absenteeism and dropout in nursing: Improvement strategies aimed at higher education

Abstract

Absenteeism and dropout in nursing are phenomena that affect the quality and efficiency of health services, as well as the training and satisfaction of students and professionals in the area. Thus, this article undertakes to analyze the causes and consequences of both ills – recurrent during graduation – in addition to proposing ways of improvement aimed at higher education. Therefore, this paper aims to solve these obstacles by fostering the evolution of nursing as a category. To this end, an integrative review of scientific journals – published in the last 10 years – that addressed the topic from different theoretical and methodological perspectives was carried out. The results indicated that both absenteeism and dropout during the nursing course are related to individual, organizational and social factors that interfere with the health, productivity and well-being of the entire academic body. Among these coefficients, the lack of recognition, work overload, stress, low remuneration, dissatisfaction, lack of support and guidance, curricular inadequacy and difficulty in entering the labor market stand out, in detail. It is precisely in this scenario that the current research suggests some strategic proposals for polishing higher education in nursing, such as: the revision and updating of curricula, the adoption of active teaching-learning methodologies, the valorization and training of professors, the promotion of the health of students and employees, the integration between theory and practice,  the articulation between academia and the world of work and, in particular, the expansion of employment and career opportunities. Therefore, the article concludes that these proposals would be able to contribute to the mitigation of the problems diagnosed – and also to the progress of educational excellence in nursing, as well as health care.