Empowering Postgraduate Nursing Students: Their Perspective and Challenges Faced during Study Program

Abstract

Aim: The study aims to explore the financial constraints faced by working nurses enrolled in postgraduate nursing studies, emphasizing the importance of higher education in providing safe patient care. Material and Methods: A qualitative case study design was used to explore the challenges faced by working students while enrolled in the postgraduate studies in nursing. A tentative sample of 10 participants was interviewed based on data saturation for the purpose to collect the required information. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with audio-tape recordings. Data was analyzed and themes were developed for its proper description.  Results: The study results showed that education in nursing at postgraduate level is a demanding and exigent task specifically when a student is supposed to carry out these studies with a part or full time employment. Overall, it was found that working students has multiple challenges including financial constraints, time management issues, personal and professional burnout, keeping lack of balance in family and social life activities and inconsistency in the learning outcomes. Further working students explicates that they try to cope up with these challenges by their own efforts however they need administrative and academics level facilitation which they thought; could help out to overcome their problems. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of higher studies for nurses' professional intensification, but employees face challenges in balancing work and postgraduate studies, impacting time management, finances, personal, professional, and social aspects, necessitating the development of effective strategies.