i

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................................................iii
DECLARATION................................................................................................................................................iv
DEDICATION.................................................................................................................................................v
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................7
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................7
Research Design.......................................................................................................................................7
Study Population......................................................................................................................................7
Sample Size...............................................................................................................................................7
Sample Selection......................................................................................................................................7
Sampling Procedure..................................................................................................................................7
Instrument for Data Collection.................................................................................................................8
Validity and Reliability..............................................................................................................................8
Data collection procedure........................................................................................................................8
Data Analysis............................................................................................................................................8
Ethical Consideration................................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSION OF THE FINDINGS......................................10
Discussion of the findings.........................................................................................................................11
Financial factors.......................................................................................................................................12
Work and family commitments...............................................................................................................12
Social life at University.............................................................................................................................13
Inadequate academic support..................................................................................................................13
Unwillingness to repeat after failure.......................................................................................................13
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................15
APPENDIX I: WORK PLAN........................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX II: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE (SAMPLE QUESTIONS)..........................................................18
APPENDIX III: CONSENT FORM...............................................................................................................19

ii
Acknowledgements

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project work entitled “INVESTIGATION ON FACTORS THAT
CONRIBUTE TO STUDENTS ATTRITION RATE AT ROCKVIEW UNIVERSITY CHIPATA,
iii
EASTERN PROVINCE ZAMBIA” submitted to Rockview University, is a record of and original
work done by me under the guidance of Mr. Mwanza, A.
and this project work is submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the
diploma in Registered Nursing. The findings in this report have not been submitted to any
other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma.

Student’s Name: ……………………………………………………..

Student’s Signature:……………………………………………………

Date: ____/____/2022

Supervisor’s Name:……………………………………………………..

Supervisor’s Signature:……………………………………………….

Date: ____/____/2022

DEDICATION
I dedicate this report to mum and dad who has been supportive in all ways.

iv
v
 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Tertiary education has become a standard requirement for upward social mobility in Zambia.
Currently, nearly every field requires some level of higher education in order to advance within the
ranks of employment. This trend will continue as the economic base continues to shift from agrarian
to service oriented.

Background
The university experiences of students have become a vital issue for campuses nationwide due to
the increase in the numbers now dropping out of higher education institutions which include nursing
institutions. Attrition rates among nursing students are a global issue, and a possible factor in
current nursing shortages, Zenobia (2017). Numerous studies have been conducted to determine
why students drop out of nursing programs. The limitations of previous studies have included
overly small sample sizes, being largely descriptive, and not focusing on attrition as an outcome.

A lot of universities cite the importance of addressing student attrition through strategic statements
and policy documents, and spend time and resources on the problem (Beer and Lawson, 2017).
Despite vast expenditures, they have made little impact on student attrition, which continues to
negatively impact reputation and revenue. In most cases it has been found that attrition would be
better conceptualized as a wicked problem, which is one that cannot be strategically addressed
using traditional approaches to problem-solving. Cultural, familial, societal, economic, and regional
influences all play a role in the attrition and completion rates of students on campus which appear to
negatively impact students. The distinctive needs and factors influencing students must be
addressed and incorporated into programmatic and educational support at both public and private
institutions. Presented with general contributing factors, it is of great need to find out the exact
causes of increased attrition rate in higher institutions of learning, among Nursing students of
Rockview University Chipata Campus in particular. By having a better understanding of students,
administrators and faculty members can assist in overcoming the obstacles and feelings of isolation
that often occur during the first few years of study on campus.

Statement of the Research Problem

In the intake the researcher is in, so far 14 students are no longer attending lectures and are reported
to have dropped out. In the past intakes, Rockview University has been observed to have huge
numbers of students not seating for the Nurses and Midwives’ Council of Zambia (NMCZ)

1
examinations with others not proceeding to the next levels. While others drop out completely, some
complete from other schools. The table below shows attrition rate in four intakes. There must be a
number of factors that play critical role in the attrition and completion rates of students on campus
that appear to negatively impact students. All this calls for investigation to find out the cause of the
increased attrition rate at the university. It is for this reason that the researcher intends to investigate
factors contributing to increased attrition rate of students at Rockview University, Chipata Nursing
School.

Intake Initial Number of Students Students that Left Attrition Rate

January, 2018 143 15 10.5%
July, 2018 148 57 38.5%
January, 2019 250 100 40%
January, 2020 63 14 22%
NOTE: January, 2020 Intake attrition rate is not conclusive as the intake may still record
dropouts by the final examination time
Rockview Students Attrition Rate, collected from Rockview Administration (2022)

The significance of the Study

The results of the conducted study will be significant in that they will help the school management
to retain many students who should have dropped out under current circumstances because it will
reveal the reasons behind the existing attrition rate at the University. The research findings will also
help sponsors and students prepared enough to handle the challenges that have been revealed by the
conducted research.

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of the conducted research was based on investigating causes of sustained attrition rates
among students at Rockview University of Chipata.

Research Objectives
The objective of the study were:
To find out attrition rate among students at Rockview University

To investigate the causes of attrition at Rockview University

To suggest solutions that can reduce attrition rate

2
Research Questions
The following were the questions asked during the study:
What is the student attrition rate among students at Rockview University?

What are the main causes of attrition at Rockview University?

How could attrition rate be reduced at the University?

Limitations
The researcher encountered limitations in finances. He needed funds to make some printouts for
questionnaires. To overcome this limitation, the researcher had to get into debts to source funds to
run the research smoothly. Due to limited time provided, the researcher had a small sample size to
manage the research within the available time. The researcher further adjusted from normal way of
carrying out academic activities to working under a bit more of pressure. This helped in balancing
activities in the little time ahead.

Delimitation
The study was conducted within Rockview University found in Chipata City, located in Old Jim
Compound. It was limited to the students and the lecturers of the said institution especially on some
attrition figures to come up with attrition rate.

Operational definition of the Terms

Attrition: A reduction in numbers, participation levels, and academic achievement of students on
campus, measurement of incompletion/drop-out rates(Pascarella, et, al., 2017).

Academic Completion: Student successfully completes all requirements of their academic program
and are awarded diploma (rutridah, 2018).

3
 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Appropriate literature reviewed the study on the research topic in order to know the already
available information. The review was broad but focused in order to develop a theorize part of the
proposed study.

Student retention and, in particular, corresponding drop-out or attrition rate and graduation rates
have become critical issues, as in most countries around the world. Attrition is the unit of
measurement used to determine the rate of dropout of students who do not return for or during their
first and second-year of college or not even seating for their final examinations. There is difficulty
distinguishing between academic failure and withdrawal due to transfer or a temporary leave.
Lourens, (2020) stated, “It is of the utmost importance to understand the phenomenon of attrition
such that informed efforts can be made to decrease the rate of its occurrence.” Researchers, such as
Kijewski, (2018), believe the Departments of Higher Education should implement policies and
programs throughout the college systems to better track the college student success and attrition
rates. According to Tinto, the largest leaving occurs during the first-year of college and the
beginning of the second-year.

This is not any different from other universities and colleges like the Rockview University. As such,
this reality is also noted in the report of the Lusaka Times (2019) where the University of Zambia
Student Union President, Misheck Kakonde, regretted the decision by the Government in 2017 to
remove meal allowances from students in the two public universities, the University of Zambia and
Copperbelt University. This he said had hurt not only the first year students from poor families but
such a decision will continue hurting generations of students from poor families who depend on
provision of a living allowance during their time studying at our public universities. This meant that
the provision of meal allowances helped the retention of students coming from homes with low
income as well as those who came with their own passion to attain higher education which their
parents have not. Statistically, students from less advantaged economic backgrounds have the
highest levels of attrition that go beyond the first year of study and continue throughout nearly all of
their academic careers. The findings show that family incomeis a strong indicator of post-secondary
education completion. Students from this socioeconomic background are likely to withdraw or fail
from their studies. With parents who do not have higher education background, there are two
possibilities. It is either they have heart for their children’s education but do not have resources to

4
support them that far or they have resources but cannot really appreciate the need to spend on their
children’s education.

Once a sponsor withdraws the financial support on upkeep, the affected students get into illicit
behavior such as drinking following those with financial stance and prostitution. Mwila, et al.,
(2021) in their report made an observation that the scrapping off of meal allowances on first-year
students at the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University had led to increased prostitution
especially among female students. Four female students mentioned that they observed some of their
friends would practically indulgence in prostitution. In this case, such students get to start missing
lectures leading to their failure and exclusion from their programs of study.

The studies indicate that the level of parental education greatly influences the likelihood of
academic success and degree completion. Students whose parents do not possess a post-secondary
level of education consistently ranked amongst the “lowest high school quintiles “ and experienced
lower levels of academic expectations from family and peers (rutiousi, 2018).

In their study, Kuh& Pike (2017) found that student involvement and participation in campus
activities and organizations impact the overall retention rates of students. The students who do not
take part in campus activities interact less with faculty and key staff members available to them for
academic support and feet isolated from the educational process in many instances. Cushman’s
(2019) research into the experiences of students illustrates the high level of importance that campus
peers and mentors have upon the collegiate experiences of this student population. Her findings
show that the ability to form supportive relationships is vital to the student academic progress and
their consequent completion.

In relations to the finding of Lourens, (2020), many students believe that rising tuition fees is a
major reason for students dropping out of university, especially those who have limited financial
support. South Africa faced numerous protests in 2016 related to proposed increases in fees that
resulted in a renewed focus on student retention as part of the continuing debate about the cost of
attending university.

Many studies have identified predictors and variables associated with attrition rate. For example the
study on variables associated with dropping out of school by Kachembele (2017) in Zambia
categorized the variables associated with school dropout according to the extent to which they can
be influenced to change the situations leading to attrition. He came up with the following
5
categories: Status variables like socioeconomic standing (SES), disability or ability level and family
structure which are difficult and unlikely to change.

6
7
 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction
Research methodology describes the way in which relevant information was gathered to answer the
research question or describe ideas related to the research problem. It focuses on research design,
research setting, study population, sample selection, sample size, data collection tool, validity,
reliability, pre-testing of instruments and ethical considerations.

Research Design
A research design is the overall plan for addressing a research question, including specification for
enhancing the integrity of the study. In this study whose title is, “Investigating causes of increased
attrition rate of students at Rockview University of Chipata.” The study was faculty based study
interviewing students and the faculty staff. The outcome of interest was the causes of sustained
attrition rate at Rockview University.

Study Population
The study population refers to the entire number of units or the whole or the inhabitants. The study
population was students. This is where the study sample was also selected from.

Sample Size
A sample size is a subset of the population selected to participate in a research study. In this case,
the researcher purposely targeted to interview 20 students and the University Staff believing that
they were a reliable group for the study.

Sample Selection
A sample means the selected group of people or elements included in a study. Sampling is the
process of selecting a portion of the population to represent the entire population in the study. In
selecting the respondents a purposive sampling was used. Purposive sampling is where the
researcher purposely targets a group of people believed to be reliable for the study.

Sampling Procedure
Sampling is the selection of a group of people, events, behaviors or other elements with which to
conduct a study. In this case sampling shall be done by means of simple random procedure
sampling methods. Under simple random procedure, individuals were selected at random in the
University.
8
Under purposive sampling method, the researcher purposefully selected a number of students
basically in their second or third year of study because they are by now exposed to the experience of
their mates leaving the University. This helped gather a varied range of data on their knowledge of
the topic to be studied on.

Instrument for Data Collection

Data collection tools are instruments used to gather information needed to address a research
problem. The instruments to use in the study were interview schedule, and focus group discussions

Validity and Reliability

Validity is a measure of truth or accuracy of a claim; it is an important concern throughout the
research process. Validity also refers to the degree to which an instrument measures what it is
intended to measure. In the study, validity was ensured by pre-testing the structured interview
questions in a pilot study done in a different study setting. The pre-test helped the researcher to
make adjustments in the questions in order to collect relevant data in the actual research.

In terms if reliability, this is the consistency of a measurement, or the degree to which an instrument
measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition with the same subjects. In this
study, instrument reliability was ensured by standardizing the data collection instruments.

Data collection procedure

Data collection procedure is the technique used to collect information needed to address a research
question or problem. Data collection technique is described as objective and systematic. Here,
‘objective’ means that the data must not be influenced by anyone who collects it. ‘Systematic’
means that the data must be collected in the same way by anyone who is involved in the collection.
In this study, the researcher collected data through interviews and observations. The only
respondents who were interviewed were those willing to participate in the study.

Data Analysis
Data analysis deals with the interpretation and conclusions that are drawn from the study, reports
how the data was classified scientifically, placing items that have similar attributes together in one
class and orders, manipulated and summarized in order to answer the question under study. The
analysis was done using a data master sheet on which all respondents were tallied. Presentation of
data is done in table and radial diagrams to ensure data is easily analyzed.

9
Ethical Consideration
Given the nature of this project, there are certain ethical considerations that need to be taken note
of. In the first instance, all participants were be treated with respect and politeness. A strategy of
‘informed consent’ was adopted, with the aim and methods of the research being made clear to all
participants. The confidentiality and anonymity of individual respondents were assured, and consent
was sought for the interviews to be audio-recorded. The report containing details of the research
findings will be provided to University.

10
 CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSION OF THE FINDINGS

Introduction
The chapter covers the presentation of the field data. Data is presented in table form and charts.
After each presentation, discussion is done to analyze the presented data.

Attrition rate at Rockview University

Each intake at Rockview University records some percentage of attrition. Table 4.1 below tabulates
attrition rate at the University for five intakes from 2018 January intake.

Intake Initial Number of Students Students that Left Attrition Rate

January, 2018 143 15 10.5%
July, 2018 148 57 38.5%
January, 2019 250 100 40%
January, 2020 63 14 22%
January, 2021 65 10 15%
July, 2021 55 10 18%

Table 4.1: Attrition rate at Rockview University (Field data, 2022)

In the table above number of students enrolled for January 2018 intake was 143. Out of the total at
enrollment, 15 students left representing attrition rate of 10.5%. in the July 2018 intake, 148
students were enrolled and 57 left representing attrition rate of 38.5%. In the January 2019 intake
attrition rate was 40% arising from 250 students enrolled with 100 having left. This has represented
a highest rate the school has recorded. In the January 2020 intake, 63 students were enrolled, 14
dropped out representing student attrition rate of 22%. In January 2021, the University enrolled 65
students, out of the number 10 left representing attrition rate of 15%. Lastly but not the least, the
July 2021 intake had an enrollment of 55 students, with time, 10 dropped out leading to attrition
rate of 18%. The contributing factors to dropout rate are given in the figure 4.2 below.

11
 Unwillingness
to repeat after
failure; 4

Work and fam-

ily ; 1

Financial; 8

Social life at the university; 5

Inadequate academic support; 2

Financial Inadequate academic support Social life at the university Work and family
Unwillingness to repeat after failure

Figure 4.2: Factors contributing to attrition rate at Rockview University according to

participants (Field data, 2022)

The pie-chart presented as figure 4.2 is the presentation of factors contributing to sustained attrition
rate at the Rockview University according to number of participants. Financial factor was collected
from 08 participants and inadequate academic support by 02 out of 20 participants interviewed. 05
of the 20 attributed sustained attrition rate to social life at the university, only 01 said attrition rate is
due to pressure from work and family commitments. Unwillingness to repeat after failure was
alluded to by 04 respondents.

Discussion of the findings

This part discusses the causes of the sustained attrition rate among students at Rockview university
of Chipata campus.

12
Financial factors
Based on the research findings, student attrition rate at Rockview University was attributed to
financial challenges. Among the students that attributed attrition to finances, one said,
“One of the major factors that contribute to students drop out is because of financial struggles.
University education is expensive. From tuition fees to textbooks, rent, groceries, and more the
costs really high. When preparing for university, it is easy to only plan for the tuition fees, without
realizing all of the other extra costs of getting a tertiary education. Most sponsors only look at
tuition fees when considering which institution to take their child to. They mostly forget to find out
other costs associated to the study area. Look at our nursing program, sponsors will hear that
tuition fees are affordable but when medical requirements and clinical placement fees are added,
even sponsors get amazed thinking students are cooking up the story just to seek money for leisure.
Sometimes financial factor comes in with the death of the breadwinners in the family. Having
depended on specific family members for sponsorship, their demise means a closed tunnel for some
students.”
This pressure can result in students not being able to cope with the financial pressure of studying,
leading to them dropping out.

Work and family commitments

Correlated to financial issues, students who were already workers somewhere stated that attrition
among mature students is as a result of a conflict between their studies, job, and home
commitments. The common responses from these students were that demands of the job affect their
ability to commit to their studies. Once receives a challenging situation at home many students are
fail to cope. If the student is unable to figure out how to manage the various pressures, it often leads
to them no longer being able to study. Under this factor, respondents interviewed revealed as
follows:

“I once withdrew from studies because I was called back for work. When I got my study leave
approved, in my second year my something happened at work that needed me pause on my studies. I
had to withdraw because I had to be in the office since we were just the two of us in the department
and my colleague could not work at that moment. I know of some course mate who has not
comeback because of work pressure.”

13
Social life at University
Other respondents had yet different views on the factors contributing to attrition in the university.
They disclosed that w social life at the university play a role in attrition rate. When students arrive
at university there is a new found freedom. One does not have parents keeping them accountable
anymore, or teachers making one dig a pit once acts against the rules of their school. At university,
everyone is treated like an adult. Since many students are not prepared for this new freedom, and
begin to overindulge in the social aspects of the university experience, some get to misuse fees
meant for tuitions while others gets to start sleeping out absconding lectures. In the end sponsoring
family members give up on those who waste school fees while those who sleep out fail
examinations.

Inadequate academic support

Research findings from a group of final year students revealed that there are some courses which
are never passed as expected by students. A lot of students fail because there is no enough academic
support especially from the instructors. This is observed from pass percentage compared to other
courses. The collected information was that:

“Out of the whole class only five (5) students manage to clear at first attempt, one would wonder if
it just understood by the management that the problem is with students. In courses like these where
very few students pass there is little or no support from instructors. It is through such courses that
students failing the second attempt instead of repeating they just disappear from the University the
next time they are heard of, they are with another university in the same academic year”

However, lack of adequate academic support becomes one of the contributing factors to attrition
among University students.

Unwillingness to repeat after failure

Another factor contributing to attrition among students at Rockview University was found to be
students’ failure to reach pass mark set by the institution. This is what students had to say:

“The management has put 55% as pass mark for students to progress to the next year of study.
Those who fail after reseating they join the junior intake. This has seen a number of students leave
Rockview University. Hearing next about those who leave the university, they say they go to other
universities where they do not repeat but continue from the level they left Rockview University. This
continues even at the stage of mock examinations which are more like promotional exams especially
14
at if one has to seat for the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Zambia (NMCZ) final examination.
Once one fails to reach the mark, such a student is forced to repeat and not seat for the
examination.

This follows a slight hick of pass mark by the institution slight higher than that of the Nursing and
Midwifery Council of Zambia (NMCZ). The justification of the hick being that if a student would
reach 55% at an institution level, failing to attain 50% at final exams becomes impossible. In this
way, the university uses this strategy to prepare its students aim for higher scores.

Yet still, connected to unwillingness to repeat after failure is where sponsors are unwilling to pay
fees for the repeat year. The findings reveal that most students dropout because after failing courses
people helping them with finances tend to back off.

15
 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
The recommendation and conclusion chapter gives what the concerned parties are supposed to do
and summarizes the findings. In this case, this chapter gives recommendations to the students and
the management to prevent attrition rate among students. Besides, the chapter summarizes the
findings of the study.

Conclusion
While some reasons student attrition are acceptable and good, others should be worked on. With
that in mind, here in this report are covered five (5) factors contributing to attrition among students
at Rockview University. The first covered being financial factors followed by work and family
commitments; social life at University; inadequate academic support; and finally unwillingness to
repeat after failure. Having attrition rate of up to 40% in an intake is something that needs to pay
attention to. Concerned parties have to look into the root causes of why students are dropping out.
This however, calls for all the education stakeholders from sponsors, students and the management.
Having an understanding of why students drop out, it can help figure out how to help students not
drop out and promote a good name for the Institution.  

Recommendations
In order to reduce attrition rate at the university based on the findings, the following are the
recommendations:

i. Students should have self discipline. This will help them avoid peer influence
understanding each student has where they come from and the pressure their families go
through to have them attain profession.
ii. The management should consider sponsoring those who face financial challenges in the
process of their studies.
iii. The management should be assessing instructors based on students pass percentage to
ensure adequate academic support is given to the students.
iv. Sponsors should understand that in universities there is failing. In case one fails to clear,
as the management provides chances for students to reseat the failed courses, they too
need to be ready that their financial support need to be flexible in case one fails to clear
within the acceptable opportunities.

16
 REFERENCES
Beer, C and Lawson, C (2017).The problem of student attrition in higher education: An alternative
perspective. https://www.tandfonline.com/author/Lawson%2C+Celeste

Caitlin S. (2018).The Push for Higher Education: College Attrition Rates. https://patimes.org/the-push-for-
higher-education-college-attrition-rates/PA TIMES Online

Cushman, K. (2007). Facing the culture: First-generation students talk about identity, class and
what helps them succeed.Educational Leadership, 36(8), 44-47.

Ishitani, T. T. (2006). Studying attrition and degree completion behavior among first-generation
college students in the united states.The Journal of Higher Education, 77(5), 862-884.

Kijewski, M.E. (2012). Contributing Factors to the Attrition Rates of First-Generation College
Students A Review of the Literature.Seattle University.

Lusaka Times (2019). ZANASU to Pursue Abolishment of Student Living

Allowance.https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/02/08/zanasu-to-pursue-abolishment-of-student-
living-allowance/
Lourens, A. (2020). Reporting on student retention – From retrospective to predictive.Reporting on
student retention. https://www.universityworldnews.com/fullsearch.php?
mode=search&writer=A+Lourens

Kuh, G. D., and Pike, G. R., (2005). First- and second-generation college students: A comparison of
their engagement and intellectual development. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(3),276 – 300.
Mwila, K., Lufungulo, E. S., Masaiti, G., Mudenda, S., Kampamba, M., Mufwambi, W., Phiri, M.,
&Hikaambo, C. N. (2021).Abolishment of Students’ Meal Allowances at the University of Zambia:
Exploring the Alternative Sources of Income, Challenges and Opportunities for First-Year Students.
Creative Education, 12, 2733-2751. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2021.1211202
Pascarella, P., Pierson, T., Terenzini, P. T., &Wolniak, G. C. (2004).First-generation college
students: Additional evidence on college experiences and outcomes.The Journal of Higher
Education, 75(3), 249-284.
Radhika, R. (2016). Attrition Among Students
http://www.transitionsinglobaleducation.com/author/admin/

17
 APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: WORK PLAN
The projected work plan from the month of March and August, 2022.
SN TASK DATE PERSONNEL

Preparation and Approval of the research Researcher/the

topic Research
1 Week 1 to 2
Supervisor
2 Finalize research proposal Week 3 to 7 The researcher

3 Seeking permission from the relevant Week 8 The researcher

authorities
5 Printing out of semi-structured Week 7 The researcher
questionnaires and interview schedules

6 Pre-testing the data collection tools Week 8 to 9 The researcher

7 Making adjustments to data collection Week 10 The researcher

tools were necessary

Data collection Week 10 to12 The researcher

8 Data analysis Week 13 to 14 The researcher

9 Report writing Week 15-21 The researcher

10 Submission of the report Week 22 The researcher

11 Distribution of the results Week 23 to 24 The researcher

18
APPENDIX II: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE (SAMPLE QUESTIONS)

Which year of study are you in?

Are you male or female?

What do you know about attrition in the university setup?

What is the student attrition rate among students at Rockview University?

What are the main causes of attrition at Rockview University?

How could attrition rate be reduced at the University?

19
APPENDIX III: CONSENT FORM

Dear Participant,

I am a third year Student Nurse from Rockview School of Nursing in Chipata. I am carrying out a
study on causes of increased attrition rate of students at Rockview University of Chipata.This study
is being conducted in partial fulfillment of the Diploma in Registered Nursing. However, the
information resulting from this study will help in designing appropriate information, education and
communication strategies for better health service delivery to expecting mother especially when it
comes to giving birth from health facilities. There are no direct benefits for the participant. The
study is not sponsored by any organization.
You are among the 20 respondents who will be interviewed. You will be asked personal questions,
some of which may be sensitive and private. Your selection to participate in this study was
randomly selected.

Please be informed that:

1. Participation is on voluntary basis

2. You are free to withdraw at any stage during the interview

3. Your withdrawal will not in any way affect your care

4. All information obtained from you will be kept confidential

Should you have need for further information, questions, comments, complaints or queries, please
do not hesitate to contact the following persons on the cell/addresses below:

The Principal Tutor

Rockview School of Nursing

P.O. Box ………..

Chipata

Cell: +260-……………

I accept participation

20
Signature or thumbprint (Participant) ______________________

Date_______________

Signature of data collector_______________________________

Date_______________

21
APPENDIX IV: BUDGET

SN ITEMS AMOUNT (ZMK)

1 Transport 150

2 Stationary 300

3 Airtime 100

Total 550

22