AU COVID-19 Research and Scholarship

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Browsing AU COVID-19 Research and Scholarship by Subject "BSN, COVID-19, ethnography, nontraditional student, nursing education"

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    Nontraditional BSN Students’ Academic and Social Experiences in a Public Postsecondary Institution in the Rural Southeastern United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic
    (Augusta University, 2023-12) Mellinger, Brittany Inlow; College of Nursing
    A growing number of nontraditional students are enrolling in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs across the United States. These students are more likely to face multiple challenges while attending nursing school, including financial difficulties, work obligations, and family life responsibilities that place them at higher risk for attrition. It has been challenging for nursing faculty to identify effective strategies for instructing and facilitating degree completion among students whose needs and preferred learning methods differ from the traditional BSN student. Research is needed to explore from a cultural perspective how nontraditional BSN students perceive their education experiences with respect to how academic and social systems, as well as a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, influence program progression. The purpose of this focused ethnographic study was to explore nontraditional BSN students’ experiences with the social and academic systems of a BSN program at a public postsecondary institution in the rural southeastern region of the U.S. and how COVID-19 influenced their education experiences. Seventeen nontraditional BSN graduates participated in the study. Data were collected with two semi-structured interviews, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and education artifacts. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method, resulting in the identification of four themes: (a) desiring instruction and finding it, (b) personal life interferences, (c) building support systems with a great network of people, and (d) navigating COVID-19. Findings indicated that graduates had the best learning experiences from nursing faculty who were cognizant of nontraditional nursing students' personal and academic demands and incorporated teaching methods that helped them successfully navigate the material they were expected to learn. Findings also revealed that graduates’ positive relationships with their classmates contributed to their success and that, although COVID-19 was challenging, it provided graduates with an enhanced learning experience by creating unique learning opportunities. Nurse educators can use the findings of this study to identify strategies for creating more inclusive, supportive learning environments for nontraditional nursing students to foster program completion. More research is needed to further explore the experiences of nontraditional nursing students and the characteristics that unite them as a unique student population group in nursing education.