Learning for Success Through ‘Grow Your Grit’: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Examining Self‐Reflections Among First Year Nursing Students

Background: The global demand for nurses is increasing, yet high attrition rates in nursing programs hinder workforce sustainability. Nursing students face numerous challenges, including employment pressures, stress adaptation difficulties, and dissatisfaction with support and clinical experiences. Grit is crucial in nursing, where dedication and resilience are essential. Despite its importance, limited empirical evidence on interventions to enhance grit among nursing students remains. Within this context, the aim was to understand what impact the ‘Grow Your Grit’ program has on first‐year nursing students’ academic engagement, performance, and retention. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was undertaken. The Grow Your Grit program consisted of four modules on grit characteristics (interest, practice, purpose, and hope) and was implemented among first‐year Bachelor of Nursing students in an Australian university. Qualitative data were gathered throughout the Grow your Grit program, where each module encompassed activities and reflective exercises that encouraged students to create weekly journal entries as they developed grit over the six‐week program undertaken in their first 12‐week semester of the nursing program. All weekly reflective journal entries were analyzed using Thematic Analysis to identify themes. This study adhered to the SRQR guidelines. Results: Among the reflective journal entries of the 69 (79.3%) students who participated, four key themes emerged. These included navigating uncertainty, sparking confidence and motivation, building confidence and growth, and boosting confidence and resilience. Reflections indicated uncertainty and apprehension, but as the program progressed, students reported increased confidence, motivation, and resilience. The structured framework of the program facilitated self‐reflection and goal setting, contributing to students’ personal and academic development. Conclusion: The Grow Your Grit program positively impacted first‐year nursing students by enhancing their grit, confidence, and resilience. The program supports academic success and retention, suggesting its potential to be applied in other programs to foster resilience and retention in nursing and other academic disciplines.