Persisting Through the Doctorate: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study of Academic Resilience Among Nursing Students in Saudi Arabia

Doctoral nursing students face academic, personal, and professional demands that challenge their persistence. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of academic resilience among 11 Saudi doctoral nursing students. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants, and semi-structured online interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Five themes emerged: resilience as adaptation rather than endurance; resilience amid competing roles; relational resources for resilience; institutional influences on resilience; and resilience in cultural and spiritual contexts. These findings highlight the importance of culturally and spiritually responsive doctoral support strategies, including structured supervision, peer support, well-being initiatives, and the integration of Islamic values to strengthen doctoral student persistence.