Mapping academic achievement in nursing students: Insights from a latent profile analysis

Aim To identify distinct subgroups based on academic achievement (AA) among nursing students and explore factors associated with each subgroup. Design A cross-sectional survey was carried out between March and April 2025. Methods 1,011 nursing students were recruited via convenience sampling. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to classify nursing students into distinct subgroups according to their AA characteristics. Additionally, multiple logistic regression was employed to investigate factors influencing subgroup membership. Results LPA revealed three distinct subgroups: Holistically proficient type (23.5%), Moderate type (62.4%), and High self-management with low learning cognition and interpersonal facilitation type (14.1%). Factors associated with AA heterogeneity included vigor, professional cognition, professional volition, professional skills, and geographic region of rural, professional affect and only - child status. Conclusions The presence of AA heterogeneity among nursing students implies a need for educators to implement individualized interventions tailored specifically to subgroup attributes. Moreover, educators are encouraged to foster higher learning engagement and bolster professional identity among students to enhance their overall AAs and contribute positively to the expansion of the nursing workforce. Impact Exploring the subgroup of nursing students’ AA, this study identified characteristics in those nursing students with high self-management but low cognitive learning and interpersonal facilitation. Our study provides insights for institutions to tailor educational interventions, enhancing understanding of academic achievement by LPA. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.