Understanding the Perspectives and Experiences of Nursing Transfer Students in a Private Higher Institution (HEI)

Nursing is a demanding course that some students are not successful at their first attempt resorting to transferring into another institution to achieve the dreams of becoming a nurse. This phenomenon of nursing transfer students is not widely explored. This qualitative research utilized the descriptive phenomenology in exploring the lived experiences of nursing transfer students in a private higher education institution for the third quarter of 2024. Findings of the study revealed four major themes: (a) The beginnings: the triggering factors to enrolling in nursing with subthemes of a personal choice and dream; an inspiration from a family member, a relative and a friend; and the pandemic. (b) The battle: The challenges in nursing with subthemes of language barrier, poor study habits, waking-up early, poor foundation, poor time management; challenges in the first school resulting to failure (pre-test and post-test, grading system, school environment, and teaching styles); Cebuano culture; language barrier; lack of motivation from teachers; and the core for the transfer. (c) A fresh start: Navigating the transfer experience (helping the transition: friendly mates; extraordinary clinical instructors; comfort of students; studying harder; the challenges of the transfer experience (school credentials and distance). (d) the aftermath: A multitude of realizations and beyond (the realization of gaining self-understanding, gaining friends, becoming the best version of self, more responsible, more flexible, motivated, a wide-reader, and more appreciative, and beyond the phenomenon of being a transferee: A professional nurse). Based on the findings implications on practice, policy, education, and research were provided.