Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Nursing
Advisor
Leslie Hussey
Abstract
The need for more doctoral prepared nurses is evident; data indicate that less than 1% of nurses hold doctoral degrees, yet, little is known about student persistence in doctoral nursing programs. Even less is known about doctoral nursing students navigating an online learning environment while balancing parenthood. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by Rovai’s composite persistence model, was to explore the embedded meanings in the experiences of parenting nurses pursuing their doctoral degrees at an online university. Ten female parenting nurses who completed a doctorate within the last 2 years were interviewed and shared the key factors that helped or hindered their ability to persist and the meaning they attached to their individual experiences. Content analysis revealed 4 themes of managing multiple roles, acknowledging the challenging journey, overcoming challenges, and experiencing fulfillment. Future research should include larger, more diverse samples of participants, including the exploration of gender differences on the experiences of parenting nurses pursuing their doctorate. Finding suggest that when students feel supported at an academic, social, and emotional level, and graduates can model lifelong learning to their children and their nursing peers. Understanding the experiences of parenting doctoral nursing students can help universities take a progressive approach to providing resources for this growing student population and better meet their needs, thereby improving the student experience and retention rates in doctoral nursing programs.
Recommended Citation
Feldstein, Jaimee, "Lived Experience of Parenting Nurses Pursuing a Doctorate: A Phenomenological Inquiry" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 9117.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9117
