Project Lead: Carla Ferreira (Associate Professor of Teaching, Nursing (APSC))
Co-Lead: Jennifer Schlissel; Nassim Adhami (Assistant Professor of Teaching, Nursing (APSC))
Project Description
In Canada, there are over 130 entry-to-practice nursing programs, 10% of which are in British Columbia (CASN, 2024). In BC, 5 schools offer an accelerated program which prepares students to become registered nurses in 18-32 months. Many programs require students to have a previous degree, attracting students from engineering, education, and adjacent health professions. Second-career students bring a wealth of professional and personal experience to nursing – such is the case at UBC’s School of Nursing (SoN). While students successfully graduate from the program, we ask how they navigate the transition to and develop an identity in nursing.
Research Questions
- What are the experiences of second-career nursing students who transition from a prior career to nursing?
- What factors influence the success (or struggles) of second-career students as they transition to nursing?
- What are the implications from this research that UBC SoN can implement to improve the experiences of recruitment, retention, and ultimately success of second-career nursing students?