The Second Time Around: Previously Degreed Students Return to the Classroom
Abstract
In today's culture it is not unusual for college-educated adults to rethink their career options and decide to enroll in a new field of study. Nursing has increasingly gained popularity among this group of potential students. Many of the prospective students applying to nursing programs hold first degrees in non-nursing disciplines. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experience of second degree students. Their insights and notions may provide a context for faculty when working with these individuals. A qualitative descriptive research design was used to explore the perceptions of second degree nursing students as they began their journey. The qualitative data was thematically analyzed using van Manens' procedural steps for emergent themes. Sharing results of this study may possibly assist other educators with successfully working with second degree students.
Location
Room 1005
Recommended Citation
Bewer, Kathleen and Dattilo, JoEllen, "The Second Time Around: Previously Degreed Students Return to the Classroom" (2013). SoTL Commons Conference. 74.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2013/74
The Second Time Around: Previously Degreed Students Return to the Classroom
Room 1005
In today's culture it is not unusual for college-educated adults to rethink their career options and decide to enroll in a new field of study. Nursing has increasingly gained popularity among this group of potential students. Many of the prospective students applying to nursing programs hold first degrees in non-nursing disciplines. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experience of second degree students. Their insights and notions may provide a context for faculty when working with these individuals. A qualitative descriptive research design was used to explore the perceptions of second degree nursing students as they began their journey. The qualitative data was thematically analyzed using van Manens' procedural steps for emergent themes. Sharing results of this study may possibly assist other educators with successfully working with second degree students.
