Extended Complicated Punishment: Nursing Students' Experiences of a Transition Program

Abstract

Background: A diverse nursing workforce depends on whether higher education is accessible to historically disadvantaged students and whether such students are supported to achieve success. In South Africa, the Extended Curriculum Program (ECP) is a transition degree program created to widen access and success for underrepresented groups, including those aspiring to become nurses. This qualitative study explored the experience of nursing students in an ECP at a South African university. Method: Written reflections were collected from 16 nursing students in the ECP. Results: Four main themes emerged following thematic analysis: ECP selection process, emotional reaction to ECP placement, ECP as another experience, and acceptance and moving forward. Students reported an altered sense of belonging as the result of hostility from peers and faculty, making social and academic integration challenging. Conclusion: Students who gain access to nursing programs and the nursing workforce through transition degree programs may be at risk of low self-efficacy. [ J Nurs Educ . 2022;61(8):477–482.]