Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Nyunt, Gudrun
Committee Members
Mac, Jacqueline; Schoolfield, Marjie
Keywords
adult learner, margin-in-life, nursing education, enrollment
Abstract
ABSTRACT
EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARGIN IN LIFE AND PREFERRED ENROLLMENT STATUS OF ADULT LEARNERS IN NURSING PROGRAMS
Katherine Quintana Hodur, Ed.D.
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
Northern Illinois University, 2025
Gudrun Nyunt, Director
As the nursing shortage in the United States continues, there is an urgent need to graduate more registered nurses. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs within community colleges play an important role in addressing this shortage by offering a more affordable option compared to traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. As more adult learners seek out nursing as a new career, ADN programs must consider whether their structures support this specific group of students. This raises concerns about whether current ADN programs align with the needs of adult learners. To support equity-driven innovative practices, it is important to assess the needs of adult learners who are prospective ADN students. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental survey study was to explore preferred enrollment status of adult learners as related to McClusky’s (1970) Theory of Margin. Data was collected from adult learners who have taken the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test for the purpose of applying to an ADN program at a community college institution that offered full-time and part-time options. A 69-item survey used included questions to verify eligibility, obtain demographic information, confirm preferred enrollment status, and included Stevenson’s (1982) Margin in Life Scale (MILS). This study investigated the relationship of the MILS score and preferred enrollment status of the participants. Associations between preferred enrollment status and various demographic variables were also conducted. The results of this study did not find a statistically significant relationship between MILS scores and preferred enrollment status. The analysis between demographic variables and preferred enrollment status, however, did show significant relationships for age and number of dependents. The findings from this study highlights important implications for practice. Program flexibility, assigned program academic advisors, non-academic student support services, and strategic enrollment strategies were considered. Although MILS scores were not significantly related to preferred enrollment status, this study highlights the importance of exploring how life responsibilities and available resources influence educational choices for adult learners.
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
Hodur, Katherine, "Exploring the Relationship Between Margin in Life and Preferred Enrollment Status of Adult Learners in Nursing Programs" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 98.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/98
