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Published on: February 23, 2024
Navigating Spaces of Belonging: Undergraduate Nursing Students' Experiences in Online Learning Environments
Janet Montague1, Roya Haghiri-Vijeh, Joyce Tsui
1About the Authors Janet Montague, MN, RN, is a nursing professor, School of Community and Health Studies, Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and a PhD candidate at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Roya Haghiri-Vijeh, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Joyce Tsui, MN, RN, is a nursing professor, School of Community and Health Studies, Centennial College, and a PhD candidate, York University. Michelle Connell, MEd, RN, is a nursing professor, School of Community and Health Studies, Centennial College. Caitlin Cosgrove, RN, is a master's in nursing student, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada. The authors acknowledge nursing student research assistant Esther Bodach's contributions to this research. We also thank Dr. Lynda Atack for providing valuable feedback throughout the research process. Financial support for this research was received from Centennial College, Applied Research and Innovation Fund (ARIF). For more information, contact Janet Montague at jmontague@centennialcollege.ca .
Aim:
The aim of the study was to explore undergraduate nursing students' experiences of belonging while studying online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background:
The use of online learning platforms increased drastically during the pandemic. Limited research exists on nursing students' experiences of belonging while studying online.
Method:
An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used for this study. This article reports on phase two, the qualitative component, which employed interpretive description methodology to understand nursing students' experiences.
Results:
Ten semistructured interviews were completed, and four themes were identified: factors contributing to students' sense of belonging online, navigating the online learning environment, creating safe online spaces during times of uncertainty, and students' vision of developing a sense of belonging online.
Conclusion:
Fostering nursing students' sense of belonging is critical to their retention, persistence, and overall academic success when learning online.
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