Postgraduate nursing students’ experiences of expressing concerns in supervisory relationships

BackgroundPower imbalances between supervisors and students can hinder graduate students from expressing concerns, potentially affecting academic progress and well-being. This issue may be more pronounced in nursing education due to the hierarchical culture.AimDrawing on boundary work theory, this study explores postgraduate nursing students' experiences of expressing concerns in power-imbalanced supervisory relationships, and examines whether informal peer support serves as an alternative channel when formal supervisory communication is constrained.DesignA descriptive qualitative design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.Participants and research contextBetween November 2025 and January 2026, 18 postgraduate nursing students were recruited from four universities in Sichuan and Chongqing, China.Ethical considerationsEthical approval for this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (Approval Number: 2026-0423-01).ResultsThree main themes were identified: (1) Attempting formal feedback: exploring and defining supervisor-student boundaries; (2) Encountering obstacles in formal feedback: the narrowing and reinforcement of supervisor-student boundaries; (3) Shifting to informal peer support: alternative expressions within constrained boundaries.ConclusionPostgraduate nursing students commonly experience dissatisfaction in supervisory relationships. Within power-imbalanced contexts, their expression of concerns is often constrained and redirected toward informal peer support. The interviews indicate that peer support can provide emotional support and advice, but it does not fully address the underlying issues. Therefore, it is necessary to foster a more open and egalitarian communication climate among supervisors and to improve institutional feedback and communication mechanisms at the school level.