Undergraduate nursing student experience

Abstract

The purpose of the present qualitative study was to describe and explicate the experience of being a nursing student. A convenience sample of 12 nursing students from a variety of backgrounds at a public university were interviewed using an interview guide with open-ended questions. Their stories provided an insight into the satisfactions, challenges and stresses faced by students. Four major theme clusters emerged from the data: (i) meeting conflicting demands; (ii) feeling overworked; (iii) feeling unprepared and; (iv) seeking respect and support from one's faculty. These identified themes corroborate the findings of other researchers who have studied the student experience. Student's stories provide insights into the current educational environment, which can assist faculties to understand the impact of their pedagogical approaches. This information is particularly important in light of the current worldwide nursing shortage.