Student perception of initial transition into a nursing program: A mixed methods research study

Abstract Background Transition into undergraduate education programs is stressful and impacts students' well-being and academic achievement. Previous research indicates nursing students experience stress, depression, anxiety, and poor lifestyle habits which interfere with learning. However, nursing students' experience of transition into nursing programs has not been well studied. Incongruence exists between this lack of research and the desire to foster student success. Objectives This study analyzed students' experiences of initial transition into a nursing program. Design An embedded mixed method design. Setting A single site of a direct-entry, four year baccalaureate Canadian nursing program. Participants All first year nursing students enrolled in the fall term of 2016. Methods This study combined the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) with a subset of participants participating in qualitative focus groups. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify statistically significant differences in full-scale and subscale scores. Qualitative data was analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. Results Significant differences were seen between those who moved to attend university and those who did not, with those who moved scoring lower on the Academic Adjustment subscale. Focus group thematic analysis highlighted how students experienced initial transition into a baccalaureate nursing program. Identified themes included reframing supports, splitting focus/finding focus, negotiating own expectations, negotiating others' expectations, and forming identity. These findings form the Undergraduate Nursing Initial Transition (UNIT) Framework. Conclusion Significance of this research includes applications in faculty development and program supports to increase student success in the first year of nursing and to provide foundational success for ongoing nursing practice.