First Advisor

Henry, Melissa

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

5-2023

Department

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Nursing, Nursing Student Work

Abstract

The nursing workforce shortage continues to grow. The effects of the shortage are significant, contributing to patient morbidity and mortality. Retaining nursing students is one way the nursing workforce could be increased. Faculty support is one factor that contributes to nursing student success. Faculty do not always provide the support needed for students to be successful; however, the contributing factors to providing adequate support by faculty are unclear. The retention of nursing faculty is also a pertinent contributor to increasing nurses in the workforce. The purpose of this study was to better understand the phenomenon of student support by exploring the experiences of undergraduate faculty in providing support to nursing students. To answer the research question, an interpretative phenomenological analysis study was completed. The interpretive results identified significance in the meaning of student support from the perspectives of seven nursing faculty. Four themes—Inconsistent and Unclear Expectations, Students Need More Support, Personal Impact, Dual Identity—and 11 subthemes representing the understood experiences and meaning of student support from the nursing faculty perspective were found. Faculty did not have clear guidance and expectations when it came to providing support to nursing students. This might relate in part to the dual identities faculty have of being both an instructor and a nurse. Faculty recognized that students needed more support than they were getting or faculty alone could provide. The results of this study indicated that nursing faculty burnout and psychological stress might arise from providing support to students and the perceived gravity of this work. Nursing administration might consider what faculty are experiencing when they provide support, consider identifying additional resources needed by faculty to support nursing students, and consider supplying more clarity for faculty in their role in providing student support. For nursing faculty, this study might help current faculty identify with and find meaning in their own experiences of providing their students with support. Future faculty might consider the findings of this study when applying for a faculty position or trying to understand their nursing faculty role versus their previous clinical nursing role. Keywords: nursing, students, student support, faculty, psychological support, emotional support, functional support, academic support, faculty burnout

Extent

165 pages

Local Identifiers

Brower_unco_0161D_11119.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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