Beyond the Classroom: A Phenomenological Study of Family Dynamics Shaping Academic Journeys of Married Female Student Nurses in Kuwait

Aim: Describe the lived experiences of married female student nurses in the College of Nursing while managing together their families and study. Method: Using a phenomenology approach in-depth interviews were conducted with nine female student nurses who were married. Data were analyzed following Giorgi’s principles of data analysis. Results: The major family factors that affected the learning of married, female student nurses were childcare, supporting children in their studies and home maintenance. They were facing challenges of lack of time to study, lack of family support, and pregnancy. The impacts were role conflicts, poor concentration and more effort to study, lower academic performance, situational crisis, and health impacts. They used both problem focused and emotion focused strategies to manage the challenges faced in their studies. Problem focused strategies included studying at night, using personal learning strategies, and utilizing available family support. Emotion focused strategies included accepting the situation, discussing problems with teachers and persistence. Conclusion: Family factors are a major source of stress affecting the learning of female adult learners. A sympathetic approach of the educators might enhance the psychological well-being of these students.