A study was conducted at Morton College (Illinois) to gain a better understanding of the factors which contribute to academic success in introductory nursing courses, and to investigate the relationship between the following variables: student grades in Fundamentals of Nursing I and II, Anatomy and Physiology I, and Rhetoric I; and their scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Tests and on two in-house mathematics placement examinations. The course grades and test scores of the study sample of 47 first-year nursing students were slightly above average on most of the academic and achievement measures. Correlation and regression analyses suggested that success in introductory nursing courses was related to a student's ability to read, write, and understand fundamental concepts of anatomy and physiology. To a lesser extent, success was also correlated with ability to perform basic mathematical operations. Based on study findings, it was suggested that the college consider the establishment of comprehensive pre-admission assessment programs, review high school transcripts and other records of previous academic work more closely, and implement curricular changes, including remedial education, to insure that students develop needed basic competencies. (EJV)