Exploring the Transitions of Student Veterans Who Have Experienced a Traumatic Event While Serving in the Military Then Attended a Nursing Program

Date

2021

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Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the transition of student veterans who have experienced a traumatic event while serving in the military then attended a nursing program. Schlossberg’s Transitional Theory was used as a theoretical framework. The research methodology of phenomenology was utilized for this study. Five student veteran participants completed interviews via Zoom and shared experiences about their transition through nursing school. Data was analyzed using Tesch’s eight steps. The participants’ experiences generated themes of: Transitional Barriers, Transitional Support, Personal Growth, and Driving Forces. Student veterans who experience a traumatic event while in the military are often faced with numerous challenges. Overall, the participants expressed several barriers and obstacles that they encountered while in their nursing program. The participants also expressed different types of support that allowed them to preserver despite the challenges they faced. Based upon the findings of this study, there is a need for more awareness of student veterans and the unique support services they may require while in a nursing program. The results of this study also suggest a need for additional training of nursing faculty and staff concerning student veterans and their unique needs.

Description

Keywords

Nursing, Higher education, Health education, Veterans, Nursing education, Nursing students, Trauma exposure, Student veterans, Student experiances

Citation

Warren, J. (2021). Exploring the transitions of student veterans who have experienced a traumatic event while serving in the military then attended a nursing program. [Doctoral dissertation, Bryan College of Health Sciences].

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