Recently the United States military has begun strategic reductions in force and as a result many veterans are utilizing education benefits to transition from combat to classroom. During this transitional period, veterans entering nursing programs may struggle to transition from the combat experience to the college campus. Barriers to transition can include stigma, difficulty with peer relationships, differences in military and nursing education structure, and personal and financial responsibilities. Regardless of these barriers, this population, which may include highly trained combat medics and corpsmen, may also bring assets gained through military training and experience that can enhance the nursing profession. These strengths include teamwork, perseverance, ability to focus on assignments, global awareness, and increased self-efficacy. Nursing education research is lacking in the area of combat veterans transitioning into nursing programs, prompting the concern that nursing education is not prepared to meet the needs of this unique population. Gaining better understanding of the barriers to transition and strengths gained through combat can aid the nurse educator in better meeting the needs of this unique population of students. Dyar.

Qualitative research offers some unique challenges, including the preparation of research reports suitable for publication. As a result of this challenge, manuscripts detailing qualitative studies may be insufficient and fail to demonstrate a qualitative inquiry's rigor. However, it is often unclear with the first review whether the deficiencies are due to methodological inadequacies or failure to include necessary details during the writing process. Responses to reviewers by some writers related to methodological problems often reveal the lack of methodological rigor. To aid with this challenge of methodological inadequacies and lack of necessary details in research reports, this article offers a survey of qualitative research, including an overview of qualitative methodologies, design considerations, ethical principles, and trustworthiness related to qualitative inquiry.

BackgroundVeterans may provide a recruitment source to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce and increase the percentage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses. This study sought to understand the lived experience of male combat veterans in pre-licensure baccalaureate degree nursing programs.MethodUsing Van Manen’s interpretive phenomenology methodology, a purposive sample of seven male combat veterans in pre-licensure baccalaureate degree nursing programs participated through written lived-experience descriptions (n = 2), photo-elicitation (n = 2), and unstructured interviews (N = 7).FindingsThe essential nature of the phenomenon is focused on the objective and four themes describing the participant’s experiences were identified: tools of the trade, identity, turbulent waters, and fuel.ConclusionDespite the presence of barriers and frustrations, participants applied their identity and used the strengths gained through military service along with supports to focus on their objective of becoming a nurse. Thus, this research has implications for nurse educators.