Beyond orientation: Evaluation of student lifecycle activities for first-year Bachelor of Nursing students

Background: The first year experience has been identified as a key indicator of student success in the higher education environment. Co-curricular activities that support the transition and engagement in university life are key to this, hence a number of initiatives are provided for students to engage in. Method: To assess the value of co-curricular activities to support the first year student experience, an evaluation of Orientation and Common Time experience for Bachelor of Nursing students in a metropolitan university was undertaken using Lizzio's Five Senses of Success as a framework. Findings: The evaluation demonstrated that supporting students beyond the Orientation Day can significantly increase participating students' confidence in their senses of resourcefulness, capability and academic culture. Conclusion: The ongoing integration of co-curricular initiatives into undergraduate programs is supported. Summary of relevance: The orientation experience of first-year university students has been well explored, but little has been reported about the efficacy of a dedicated co-curricular program once study has commenced. This is particularly true for undergraduate students studying nursing at university. This paper evaluates the co-curricular activities of the Bachelor of Nursing program at an Australian university to support the transition of undergraduate students and their confidence in engaging in the tertiary environment. (C) 2017 Australian College of Nursing Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd.