Date of Degree
2026
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Gudrun Nyunt
Committee Members
Katy Jaekel; Xiaodan Hu
Keywords
Qualitative Study, Interpretivist Study, Nursing Gatekeeper, ADN Instructor, Moral Distress, COVID-19 Shutdown
Abstract
MORAL DISTRESS OF THE PROFESSIONAL ADN GATEKEEPER DURING EARLY COVID-19: AN INTERPRETIVIST QUALITATIVE STUDY
This interpretivist qualitative study examines the experiences of Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) faculty at two-year institutions in Illinois navigating the “Regulatory Pincer,” the intersection of state-mandated lockdowns and rigid licensure requirements, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research illustrates how the sudden transition to online modality and the abrupt dismantling of the traditional “gatekeeper” model forced faculty to navigate high stress environments with negligible preparation. The findings reveal that the necessity of maintaining instructional continuity while stripped of tactile verification tools created a profound state of “moral distress,” as instructors grappled with the ethical implications of ensuring public safety without the face-to-face clinical validation historically required to certify psychomotor competencies.
Analysis of the data led to the following four themes. First, nursing faculty encountered increased responsibilities at home with child and eldercare which created challenges in balancing work and personal responsibilities. Second, nursing faculty voiced concerns about maintaining student engagement in online courses and maintaining rigor considering the pandemic. Third, nursing faculty perceived that they did not receive sufficient institutional and leadership support. Finally, instructors’ experiences during the pandemic led to reflections on and changes to their career trajectories and their approaches to engaging in their work. This study’s findings illuminate the multi-faceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing faculty, revealing a complex narrative of strain, moral conflict, and career reconsideration. The findings stress the importance of preserving the integrity of the nursing educators’ role and preventing the loss of experienced faculty during future systemic disruptions.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Triche, Kimberly, "Moral Distress of the Professional ADN Gatekeeper During Early COVID-19: An Interpretivist Qualitative Study" (2026). Dissertations of Practice. 108.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/108
