The lived experiences of diploma nurses who did not pass their professional licensing examination on the first attempt: A qualitative phenomenological study

Abstract Background: Nurse educators in various health training institutions guide and prepare trainee nurses to be well equipped to write the Nursing Licensure Examination. They also draw on research in nursing education to shape their teaching practice. Most studies on nursing education to date have focused solely on predicting factors that may affect the academic performance of trainee nurses, with little to no attention given to the experiences that trainee nurses who are unable to pass their licensing examination encounter. This study presents the voices of trainee nurses who were unsuccessful at their first attempt at the licensing examination, their responses to failure, their perspectives of the factors that contributed to their failure, and the changes they made that led to subsequent success. Methodology: A qualitative research methodology that employed a descriptive phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experience of trainee nurses who were unable to pass their licensing examination on the first attempt. Results: The results revealed common themes related to the psychosocial experiences, perceived causes of failure in the licensing examination, and successful remediation strategies for resitting the examination. The study revealed that shock, sadness, suicidal thoughts, social isolation, and a feeling of retardation are some of the psychosocial experiences that nurses who are unable to pass the licensing examination on first attempt encounter. Regarding the perceived causes of failure, participants acknowledged the role of personal behaviors such as prioritizing recreational activities over study time alongside distracting peer influences. To cope with and overcome failure, candidates relied on comprehensive family support (emotional and financial), encouragement from tutors and friends, spiritual support, and collaborative peer group studies using past examination questions, which ultimately enabled them to pass on their subsequent attempt. Recommendations: The study recommends that health training institutions implement a program for nurses who are unsuccessful in the licensing examination to support their efforts to pass the examination on a subsequent attempt.