Thesis
The perceptions and experiences of midcareer professionals (aged 45 years and over) who are masters level part-time students participating in health and nursing programmes at a higher education institution in Scotland
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2020
- Thesis identifier
- T15834
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201276374
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- This thesis explores the perceptions and experiences of midcareer (aged 45 years and over) nurses and midwives attending a particular Higher Educational Institute (HEI) in Scotland to participate in part-time Health and Nursing programmes at master's level. Midcareer nurses are the largest group of currently registered nurses (NMC, 2019) and the number of midcareer nurses and midwives participating in master's level study is increasing. Despite this, very few research studies have been conducted looking at their views.;The aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to bring to the fore the perceptions that midcareer nurses have about participating in master's programmes as older students in order to identify actions that can be taken forward to add to debates about the participation of midcareer professionals in higher education. Twelve midcareer nurses were interviewed, in depth, about their experiences.;Utilising Braun and Clarke's (2006, 2013b) framework for thematic analysis an overarching theme, 'Becoming a Confident Contributor' emerged. Participants revealed that they aspired to be 'confident contributors', valued for the knowledge and skills they brought to their teams, making efforts to improve themselves, others and their workplaces. Confident contributors also work towards creating a positive legacy as their careers advanced. Two subthemes 'Seeking recognition as a skilled practitioner' and 'The price of recognition' revealed the personal, social and cultural factors that impacted upon participants experiences. They discussed the factors that contributed to their recognition and boosted their self-esteem. This was not however without personal cost both inside and outside their workplaces. Participants also discussed their supports, the contribution of the HEI and the particular character required to succeed.;Viewing participants' experiences as a struggle for recognition (Honneth, 1994, 1995) provided the richest insight. However, it was not the only theoretical lens that helped to provide an understanding of the participants' involvement with the process of gaining a master's. Incentive theories suggest that midcareer nurses may have more altruistic goals that their younger peers, while Maslow's (1954) and Vaillant's (2002) work on psychosocial development indicate that they also have a desire to be generative both inside and outside their workplace. There was also evidence that participating in M-Level study improved both the social and identity capitals of participants (Bourdieu, 1986; Schuller, 2002).;The study findings indicate how both employers and HEI's could improve the support mechanisms available for such students. It also recommends that more effort be expended on making midcareer part-time students feel part of the University community.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Rivers, Ian
- Costa, Cristina (Lecturer in Lifelong Learning)
- Resource Type
- DOI
- Date Created
- 2020
- Former identifier
- 9912980393502996
关系
项目
| 缩略图 | 标题 | 上传日期 | 公开度 | 行动 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
PDF of thesis T15834 | 2021-07-02 | 公开 | 下载 |