The Lived Experience of Graduates Who Studied Nursing in the Context of a Nursing Academic-Practice Partnership

Abstract

Aim The purpose of this study was to interpret the lived experiences of graduates who studied nursing within the context of a Nursing Academic-Practice Partnership (NAPP). Background Nursing literature is awash in descriptive case studies and even empirical research on the results of NAPPs. However, there are few studies that have examined student outcomes and fewer still that have rigorously examined the experience of learners. Method A Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology approach was chosen to interpret the lived experience of 10 recent graduates of two different NAPPs. Results Six themes emerged from the data and were confirmed by the study participants. These were: Obligations and Responsibilities, Alliance, Disclosure, Advantage, Emotional Response and Regulation, and Meaning of Clinicals. Conclusion Graduates of the two NAPPs examined in this study confirmed a number of findings from other research. In addition, the themes uncover a variety of concepts that are new or novel to the current body of nursing literature. The findings of this study inform those designing NAPPs on creating partnerships which support and enrich the learning experience.