Understanding Resilience Among Generation Z Baccalaureate Nursing Students: A Hermeneutical Phenomenology Study

Abstract

Background: Supporting resilience for nursing student success is critical to future health care. This study explored the meaning and process of resilience among Generation Z traditional baccalaureate nursing students. Method: Using a qualitative hermeneutical phenomenology approach, 13 Generation Z nursing students with the lived experience of resilience were surveyed and interviewed. Results were analyzed interpretively. Results: Themes of resilience among Generation Z nursing students were identified relative to study questions. Identified themes included “Maneuvering the Murky Water” and “This Can Either Ruin Me or I Can Keep Moving With It,” as well as a resilience process within the context of nursing education. Open-response data provided further reflective insights on resilience and recommendations for resilience in nursing education programs. Conclusion: Supporting resilience begins with understanding students' individual and generational perspective. Future nursing education research should include innovative interventions wherein the perspectives of Generation Z students are central to design. [ J Nurs Educ . 2024;63(7):460–469.]