A Study on the Adaptation of Older Nursing Students to College Life

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discover the nature and meaning of the experiences of older nursing students as they adapt to college life by phenomenological methods. First, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven subjects who were studying nursing at a college of nursing. Then, the interviews with the subjects, who were in their 40s, were transcribed and analyzed by using the phenomenological methods of Colaizzi. From the data, five new categories were identified. These new categories include: (1) the start of a new change, (2) life with conviction, (3) conflicts, (4) changes in life, and (5) expectations on the future. Through this study, the phenomena involving older students adapting to college life were examined, providing useful insights on what must be improved and on how to develop a proper support program for them.