Nursing student dropout rates vary significantly by country and institution, but often hover around 17% to 25%, with some reports suggesting even higher figures, driven largely by intense academic demands, financial pressures (like unpaid clinical placements), underestimating the reality of nursing work, and burnout, with a significant portion of those leaving dropping out early in their careers.
In other words, just over 20% of 2022 domestic students deferred or dropped out of higher education in 2023. This is a slight improvement in retention from 2021 students, where 76% of students who didn't complete in 2021, continued their education in 2022.
50% of New Nurses Quit Within 2 Years – Why They're Leaving. Nursing is facing a critical challenge that threatens patient care quality and healthcare system stability: high nurse turnover rates, particularly among those in their first two years of service.
In the same way, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Chemistry, Maternal & Child Health Nursing, or even Psychology could be the hardest nursing classes for certain prospective students. Also, these are the most failed class in nursing school.
Data from AACN's Fall 2023 survey show that enrollment in BSN programs increased by 0.3% or 825 students from 2022 to 2023. This finding is welcome news, as AACN noted a decrease in BSN students last year, the first enrollment drop in more than 20 years (see trend chart below).
Nursing Issue #1: Inadequate Staff
Focusing on value-based and holistic patient-centered care requires a larger, more diverse, and highly educated nursing workforce. But maintaining adequate staffing remains an ongoing issue.
Long-Term Care Nurse
There is a focus on palliative care. As the U.S. population ages, the number of people needing nursing home care is increasing. Because of this, long-term care nursing is one of the top nursing specialties in demand.
To obtain the title of Registered Nurse you must complete either the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). RN students struggle the most with these entire courses because they need so much depth of knowledge.
According to the National League for Nursing (NLN), the average national dropout rate for nursing programs in the United States is 20%-25%; this high attrition rate is considered problematic.
Top 10 Toughest Courses in the World in 2026
The "42% rule" for burnout suggests dedicating roughly 42% of your day (about 10 hours) to rest and recovery activities like sleep, hobbies, exercise, and socializing to prevent mental and physical exhaustion, countering the "always on" culture that leads to burnout. It's a science-backed guideline emphasizing that sustainable success requires balancing intense work with sufficient downtime for your brain and body to recharge, not just a quick nap.
Emergency department nurses tend to experience the highest rates of burnout. A study published in the Psychology, Health, and Medicine Journal noted that ED nurses feel that they have the least control in their job among nurses in different specialties, which may also influence their high burnout rates.
The " nurse syndrome" is often invoked in the field of private relationships, to refer to women (mainly) who tend to invest in intimate relationships with people in pain whom they find themselves taking care of, at the risk of permanently establishing an imbalance in the couple, or even toxic relationships.
Computer science has the highest dropout rate, at 10.7%, compared to other educational sectors.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
📚 The 10 Most Educated Countries in the World (2025) Based on tertiary education attainment among adults (ages 25–64) As of 2025, Canada leads the world in education, with 63% of its adult population holding a post-secondary qualification — the highest among OECD nations.
According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), more than 32,000 student nurses could drop out of their courses by the next parliament and seven in ten are considering quitting due to financial pressures. Statistics like these don't surprise me, instead they reflect me and my colleagues' experiences.
Registered nurses are leaving the profession within the first two years of practice at rates as high as 33%. It has been suggested that nurses leave due to factors such as bullying by coworkers, inadequate educational preparation and/or orientation as a new hire, and more recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nursing school acceptance rates in the U.S. are around 66%, so ensure you have a strong application.
Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse Programs. LPN and LVN programs are the fastest way to enter the nursing field, often taking around 12 months to complete. Admissions requirements usually include a high school diploma or GED, and prerequisites are minimal compared to advanced degrees.
Architecture. Architecture is known as one of the degrees that leads to the highest mental burnout due to its intense studio culture, long working hours, and demanding design expectations. Students often spend nights completing models, drawings, and critiques, which can lead to stress and exhaustion.
Pharmacology: Conquering Medication Challenges
What is the hardest class in nursing? Pharmacology, the study of medications and their effects on patients is often considered one of the hardest classes in nursing.
Top 10 Happiest Nursing Jobs
However, school nursing is also one of the lowest-paid nursing specialties. ZipRecruiter reports that the median annual salary for school nurses in the US is $67,035.