Graduate Project to Explore Factors Affecting Completion of Final Degree Requirements for a Master Degree in Nursing

The purpose of this project was to explore issues that influence Master Degree completion as perceived by graduate nursing students, using focus groups. All eight graduate nursing student participants recently completed structured coursework, but had not submitted a final paper or project. Margaret Newman\u27s Health as an Expanding Consciousness Nursing Theory was applied as the conceptual framework used to process the information obtained. Dialogue between moderator and participants occurred during accompaniment enabling valuable information to be elicited, and participants\u27 personal clarification of concerns; therefore establishing praxis. Issues emerged related to adult learners seeking defined expectations and effective relationships with advisors. Situational issues did not surface. Information gathered will be useful in future curriculum planning and policy development to potentially enhance the Masters in Nursing graduation rate