Unveiling baccalaureate second-degree nursing students’ truths about emotional wellness

• Emotional wellness manages stressors and reduces the risk of professional burnout. • Human connections mitigated stressors during the nursing program. • The EmWell Framework guides faculty in cultivating students’ emotional wellness. Baccalaureate second-degree accelerated nursing (ABSN) students endure stress due to the fast-paced program design. Although personal and curricular stressors change throughout the student’s program, these high levels of stress may lead to burnout. This qualitative descriptive study described the experiences and coping strategies of ABSN students and explored their perceived effectiveness in enhancing emotional wellness (EW). Thematic analysis occurred through a six-step iterative process to evaluate survey responses from a convenience sample of nursing students ( n = 20) enrolled in an ABSN program. Results suggest students could gain personal control and comfort through three themes: (1) I Perceive , (2) I Respond , and (3) I Connect . Themes identified how time, activities, and human connection influenced one’s EW. This study provided the groundwork to develop an interventional study investigating stress and coping and the effects of an EW program, thereby increasing awareness for nurse educators.