Examining Nursing Students' Experiences During COVID-19 Through a Psychosocial Development Lens

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychosocial Development
• Higher Education

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to higher education.
• Residential nursing students faced unique disruptions impacting their personal and academic lives.
• Chickering's seven vectors of psychosocial development provide a framework for analyzing student experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the personal development of freshman and sophomore residential nursing students.
• To understand the implications of pandemic-related challenges on nursing students' psychosocial development.
• To examine student experiences through the lens of Chickering's seven vectors.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing surveys with narrative descriptions.
• Convenience sample of freshman and sophomore residential nursing students.
• Analysis of personal consequences of the pandemic on college students' lives.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: loss of connection, loss of focus, loss of motivation, physical isolation, and emotional isolation.
• Findings indicate significant obstacles to psychosocial and identity development.
• Experiences were analyzed using Chickering's seven vectors of psychosocial development.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic created obstacles affecting nursing students' psychosocial and identity development.
• Faculty and administrators can use these findings to create supportive social interaction opportunities.
• Understanding student experiences is vital for fostering holistic student development in higher education.