The Lived Experience of Re-entry Women in Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Education

The critical shortage of nurses has resulted in the recruitment of an increased number of nontraditional students who frequently fill multiple roles in life. Limited research has been conducted with this population enrolled in a college environment designed for traditional students. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience and margin-in-life of re-entry women enrolled in two traditional baccalaureate nursing programs in central Indiana. The theoretical framework for the study was McClusky’s Power Load Margin Theory and the population consisted of ten re-entry nursing students who volunteered for participation. Simultaneous triangulation was employed applying quantitative and qualitative methods at the same time in order to enhance the understanding of the lived experience of the participants. Participants completed Stevenson’s Margin-in-Life Scale and demonstrated an average margin of 0.60492. Systematic phenomenological analysis inspired by the work of Max van Manen (1990) revealed five main themes entitled success, support, transitions, challenges, and relationships. In an attempt to present a visual image of the interaction between the five themes and the margin-in-life, the researcher conceptualized a model entitled the Margin-in-Life Model. Multiple recommendations for further research and for nursing education were identified focusing on the five themes identified.