Paradoxical experiences of nursing students in Canada with the concept-based curriculum

Constant assessment, revision, and reform of nursing curricula are dynamic processes in nursing programs that meet the learning needs, address new health trends, and challenges. Converting to a concept-based curriculum (CBC) is an educational approach that teaches concepts rather than focusing on subject-specific content. After many years of implementing CBC, there is a need to understand the academic lived experiences of nursing students' learning with CBC. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study aimed to uncover the meaning of the experiences of the nursing students at the School of Nursing in Cape Breton University in Canada after nine years of reforming the nursing curriculum to a concept-based one. Giorgi's phenomenological descriptive method was employed to collect and analyze data from five undergraduate students from September 2022 to June 2023, using semi-structured, recorded interviews. This method was employed to gain an understanding of students lived academic experiences with the CBC, enabling researchers to capture the essence and meaning of these phenomena. Researchers utilized reflective journaling throughout data collection and analysis to enhance the study's trustworthiness. This study revealed that nursing students had different learning experiences with the CBC. The major General Structural Description (GSD) that emerged was living in a paradoxical experience. The findings focus on the contradiction in nursing students' learning under a CBC. Many potential challenges were encountered, including transition difficulties, structural issues, and difficulties with learning outcomes; however, students also shared their positive and supportive experiences. In light of both the current literature and the results of this study, further research is recommended to explore practical strategies for optimizing CBC delivery and enhancing its impact on nursing education and practice. Keywords: Academic lived experiences, concept-based curriculum, descriptive phenomenology, Giorgi’s method, nursing students