Overcoming the Final Hurdle: Understanding Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Journey to Completing Their Final Year ‘Dissertation’ Project

Abstract

The undergraduate nursing students’ final year project, commonly called a ‘dissertation’ is an important component of the bachelor’s nursing programme. It can take the form of a literature review and proposal for a research or service improvement project. While crucial for developing research competence and evidence-based practice skills in preparation for their future careers, nursing students often find the dissertation process highly stressful. An online qualitative survey comprising open-ended questions was used to elicit nursing students’ rich, reflective accounts of the dissertation process at a university in the Northeast of England (hereafter referred to as the study site) from those who have recently completed their dissertations. The data obtained from 24 pre-registration nursing students who responded to the survey were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that critical relationships and essential support systems were key mediators of the challenges students faced, particularly a lack of readiness for the dissertation module, but they ultimately achieved transformative outcomes of an effective learning experience. Their navigational challenges can inform curriculum design and practices to better support students in their dissertation journey.

1. Introduction

The undergraduate final year project, commonly called a dissertation (hereafter referred to as the dissertation), is a pivotal yet challenging undertaking for bachelor’s nursing students. It has become an integral component of nursing curricula in most European countries. It requires a significant level of independent research, critical reading, thinking and writing, as well as time management (Cardwell et al., 2024). It is an ultimate test of a myriad of evidence-based practices defined as “integrating the best available evidence with the healthcare educator’s expertise and the client’s needs while considering the practice environment” (Roe-Prior, 2022). Preregistration nursing students need to ‘demonstrate the knowledge, skills and ability to think critically when applying evidence’ to become registered nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2018). As final year students, they are expected to demonstrate the required proficiencies in performing clinical tasks with increasing autonomy, complexity, and criticality by justifying, analysing, and synthesising evidence-based practice (QAA, 2024). The research practices integral to the dissertation are aimed at further developing and consolidating students’ critical skills (Gallart et al., 2015). Students are encouraged to select a topic of their choice for which they have a genuine interest relating to their nursing field of practice that has tangible and practical value for patient care and the nursing profession. It is a pivotal and challenging component of nursing education (Johansson & Marit, 2018), shaping students’ research knowledge as an important academic literacy for future professional practice (Jefferies et al., 2018), career roles (Karlsen Dogan et al., 2025), and ultimately their professional identity.

The dissertation is typically a literature review or a service improvement project ranging from 6000 to 10,000 words and can vary across Approved Education Institutes (AEIs) delivering preregistration bachelor nursing programmes in the UK. At the study site, the dissertation is 6000 words, and students may submit either a research proposal or a service improvement project. For nursing students, applying nascent research and critical thinking skills is essential to underpin evidence-based practice (Aguayo-González et al., 2020) amidst the competing time demands (Jaensson et al., 2024) of their programme, which represents a substantial undertaking. Existing literature on undertaking the undergraduate nursing dissertation highlights that although students value the opportunity to study a topic of their choice in depth in relation to their clinical field, which they find stimulating and exciting (Aguayo-González et al., 2020), they often find this experience stressful, characterised by uncertainty and a lack of confidence in critical reading and writing skills (Jefferies et al., 2018) and research methodologies (Henttonen et al., 2021). Despite supervision support, students’ coping strategies can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed by the demands of dissertation work and academic writing anxieties identified as a common barrier for undergraduates due to lack of early preparation in their programme (Kawengian & Subekti, 2024), ultimately contributing to poor academic outcomes (Devonport & Lane, 2006). However, a lack of supervisory support, notably communication barriers with supervisors, can undermine students’ motivation to complete their dissertation (Lin et al., 2024).

A recent scoping review (Karlsen Dogan et al., 2025) examining students’ experiences before, during, and after completing their dissertations identified that few studies have addressed bachelor students’ perspectives on undertaking their dissertations, and none were from the UK. Studies found that the process of dissertation completion is often motivated by personal experiences and can be significant in transferring knowledge regarding research into practice (Fernández-Cano et al., 2021). However, this transformative journey was also reported to involve a spectrum of responses ranging from apprehension and self-doubt to enthusiasm for new learning and positive appreciation for evidence-based practice (Karlsholm et al., 2024).

A significant gap exists in the literature regarding the student experience of this academic milestone in the UK (Fernández-Cano et al., 2021). One relevant mixed methods study from the UK examined experiences of final year social science students and supervisors on the dissertation process (Todd et al., 2004). They reported that due to the independent nature of the work (students self-selecting the topic and methods), students felt the dissertation required a higher personal investment and, in particular, time investment than other modules of the same academic weighting. However, the UK evidence is limited, particularly within nursing; therefore, this study aimed to contribute to new insights on students’ experiences of their dissertation journey by eliciting their reflective accounts of their motivations, obstacles, and support needs for its successful completion.

Research Question: How do undergraduate nursing students perceive and navigate their dissertation journey?

Aim

To explore undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of their final year dissertation, examining the challenges, support needs, and transformative outcomes of this academic journey.

Objectives

• To identify the cognitive, practical, and emotional challenges nursing students experience throughout their dissertation journey.
• To examine the role and quality of support systems (supervisory, peer, and institutional) in facilitating dissertation completion.
• To elicit students’ intrinsic motivations and drivers for topic selection and sustained engagement with the dissertation process.
• To identify any perceived gaps in preparatory research skills and curriculum scaffolding that may impact students’ dissertation readiness.

2. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework for Understanding Students’ Dissertation Journey

In this section the theoretical and conceptual frameworks are combined to explain the students’ pertinent experiences of their dissertation journey. This integration produces a combined tool for understanding meaningful connections amongst the different phases of their experiences and their interconnection with the broader context of their academic journey.

2.1. Theoretical Framework

A multi-lens approach was adopted by integrating two pertinent frameworks (liminality and self-determination theory) to capture both the process and the psychosocial experience of students for this undertaking. The primary lens was to map how students experience the liminal space (Turner et al., 1969) of the dissertation by mapping the transitional nature of the dynamic generative phases they underwent through their dissertation journey from knowledge consumers to not yet fully confident knowledge producers. It captured the inherent feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and potential for growth in completing their dissertation.

The supportive lens of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) examined how the motivational and relational drivers were supported or hindered within each phase of their autonomy (ownership of the dissertation work), competence (ability), and relatedness (connection to support structures), influenced their progression through this liminal space.

2.2. Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework was structured around the experiential lens of liminality, which mapped the threshold and transitional phases of students’ dissertation journeys, while self-determination theory provided the compass to understand what helped or hindered their progress. This journey was shaped by institutional contexts and student agency grounded in the formal student module evaluation. The anonymous online survey was designed by considering the synergistic fit of these evaluations with the theoretical frameworks to provide a clear, stage-based narrative structure, which asked students to reflect on their journeys from start to finish. The combination of the two concepts has shaped the anonymous qualitative questionnaire to find out what happened to the students in completing their dissertations and how they have experienced and made sense of their dissertation journeys. The questionnaire was piloted for face validation with a sample of final year students.

3. Materials and Methods

This study adopted a qualitative approach, grounded in the constructivist philosophical premise that knowledge is situated and experientially based (Creswell & Poth, 2017), to explore students’ lived experiences of the entire dissertation journey. It adhered to established best practices for conducting and reporting qualitative survey research (Kelly et al., 2003).

3.1. Design

A qualitative online anonymous survey using open-ended questions to explore nursing students’ experiences of their final year project/dissertation was conducted. The online qualitative survey was deemed the most pragmatic and ethically rigorous way to achieve the study’s aim in balancing the depth and breadth of participation (Braun et al., 2021). It prioritised participants’ anonymity to enable candour by efficiently capturing a breadth of reflective narrative data. It provided a structured yet flexible means to potentially capture more considered and comprehensive accounts of participants’ lived experience of the dissertation journey by allowing them time to reflect deeply on their journey for their responses. The internal validity of the questionnaire was assured by aligning the questions to the specific construct of the conceptual framework about students’ liminal experiences and psychological needs. To illustrate this, an example of the questions used to capture authentic and unfiltered students’ perspectives is provided in

Table 1. Examples of questions of the anonymous questionnaire.

1. Before starting your dissertation, what were your expectations about writing up your dissertation?

2. Did you feel prepared to undertake your final year project? Can you tell us why or why not?

3. What motivated you to choose your dissertation topic?

4. What has been the most challenging aspect of your dissertation so far and why? (e.g., topic selection, literature review, methodology, and time management)

5. Were there moments when you felt overwhelmed or stuck? If so, why, and what helped you overcome these challenges?

6. How did you manage balancing dissertation work with other academic/placement and personal commitments?

7. How would you describe your experience with dissertation supervision? (e.g., frequency of meetings and clarity of guidance)

. For example, question 2 on their preparedness elicited their views on their autonomy, while question 5 captured liminality for moments when they felt overwhelmed.

3.2. Data Collection

The online questionnaire used was a Google Form easily accessible to participants. Participants were invited by email and electronic learning platform announcements to reflect on various aspects of their dissertation journey. The questionnaire consisted of an introduction and gave their consent before they could proceed to the open-ended question section.

The purposive sampling had a clear criterion for eligibility to participate in the study to ensure that participants had direct, relevant experience. They were final year nursing students who have completed the dissertation module during the 2024–2025 academic year. Eligible participants were invited to participate in the survey, and recruitment was conducted via the programme site with details and access instructions about the study, such as the participation sheet, which had a link to the survey and was shared via the programme’s learning platform. Twenty-four participants from different nursing programmes completed the survey (see

Table 2. Participant characteristics.

Variable	Category	Number of Participants	%
Nursing Programme	Adult nursing	7	29.2%
	Mental health	10	41.7%
	Children	5	20.8%
	Learning disability	2	8.3%
Gender	Female	21	87.5%
	Male	2	8.3%
	Other	1	4.2%
Age	18–24	10	41.7%
	25–35	8	33.3%
	36–45	4	16.7%
	45	2	8.3%

). The participants were predominantly female, and most of them were in the 18–35 age range, reflecting the typical undergraduate cohort. However, the aim of this study was not to tease out gender or age differences. The fifteen open-ended questions prompted participants to describe their pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal dissertation experiences, including their preparation for the dissertation, intrinsic motivation for their topic, the support accessed, any challenges encountered, evidence-based knowledge gained, and professional outlook upon completion. Sample adequacy was determined by information richness, and a target of 20–40 participants was expected to yield sufficient thematic depth. Data saturation was assessed retrospectively during analysis, with transparent acknowledgement and discussions within the research team when the point of no new emerging themes was reached.

3.3. Analysis

To generate rich, patterned interpretations of participants’ lived experiences, Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019) was used to analyse the qualitative data following the six-phase iterative process. This involved systematically coding patterns of meaning across the dataset to generate interpretative themes, with a focus on significant patterns and nuanced participant experiences. It included data immersion and familiarisation, systematic generation of initial codes, and searching for broader themes by the individual research team members (five researchers) to identify meaningful insights and patterns of meaning. The Lead Author then reviewed potential themes, which were collaboratively discussed with the research team and refined, leading to the development of overarching themes. The research team members then met to define and agree on the final themes and produce the analytic report.

3.4. Ethics

The study was approved by the University’s Research Ethics Committee (UREC Ref: 2025-10275-11512). Prior to accessing the main survey, all participants were presented with a detailed information sheet outlining the study’s aims and procedures. Informed consent was then electronically recorded via a mandatory tick box at the start of the online questionnaire. To ensure anonymity, only limited, non-identifiable demographic information was collected.

4. Results

The analysis of the responses yielded three overarching themes, each comprising two related subthemes, capturing the key dimensions of the students’ dissertation experiences. These themes encompass the multifaceted challenges they encountered, the importance of relational and institutional support, and the transformative outcomes developed from the dissertation journey. The following sections present each theme in detail with representative participants’ quotations.

• Theme 1: The multifaceted challenges of the dissertation journey

This theme encapsulates the complex array of hurdles students encounter, painting a realistic picture of the difficulties in managing academic expectations and personal capacity.

• 1.1 Subtheme: Out of depth: unpreparedness and self-efficacy

Students reported significant obstacles related to the academic and logistical demands of the dissertation process. This ranged from procedural uncertainty, apprehension and self-doubt about their academic skills and abilities, understanding the task and research terminology, as well as navigating the demands for completing a larger project. A critical finding was a perceived lack of foundational preparedness, which they reported to be limited earlier in the programme. Students felt that earlier coursework did not adequately equip them with the necessary research, academic writing, and critical analysis skills required for a project of this magnitude, leading to a steep learning curve.

“I also felt that I wasn’t prepared for how to write a dissertation, and I was scared I was going to do it wrong.”

“We did not have adequate enough teaching on how to write a good dissertation until the start of 3rd year. We knew the basics but not enough to confidently write a high-level dissertation.”

“We had a module in 2nd year in which the assessment required us to understand research methods. Because of this, I had a brief understanding about the differences between and the types of qualitative and quantitative methods.”

Apprehension and uncertainty were evident in students’ descriptions of their decision-making from the initial stages of the project, where the choice of topic was perceived as a pivotal decision requiring students to ensure the topic area was narrowed down sufficiently, whilst also enabling them to source enough relevant literature.

“I was nervous about completing a big project that was so open in terms of topic areas. I was apprehensive to pick a topic of focus as I was unsure of what would meet the criteria the best. I was expecting it to be a challenge and would require a lot of self-motivation.”

“Picking my topic took time as I was indecisive. I felt overwhelmed when undertaking the literature review as I did not know what was expected of me.”

The overwhelming scale of the task was perceived by many students as a requirement to provide both depth and breadth of knowledge in their topic area. In addition to demonstrating their capability to critique and evaluate the trustworthiness of the evidence sourced and then bringing this together into a logical and structured project.

“I felt overwhelmed by the task load. I also felt that I wasn’t prepared for how to write a dissertation and I was scared I was going to do it wrong.”

Students reported that they managed feelings of being overwhelmed through several coping strategies, including breaking the project into smaller, manageable tasks, time management techniques, and avoidance. Techniques found to be beneficial were often developed in an ad hoc manner and reportedly quite late. While it was perceived as a rewarding experience upon completion, the difficulties in managing time, procrastination, and avoidance at the start of the year often led to increased stress closer to the submission date.

“There were times when I felt overwhelmed, mainly because I didn’t take as structured an approach as I would have liked. I started late last year and ended up doing most of the work within a short time frame, which made things stressful.”

“I made a set goal of the amount of words to complete each day, I introduced this later in my dissertation and I think if I done this form the start it would have helped me a lot.”

“The most challenging aspect so far has been time management and maintaining focus over a long period.”

“It’s a rewarding experience once completed, but trying to remain calm during stressful periods can be difficult.”

• 1.2 Subtheme: The challenges of managing emotional and relational consequences

The dissertation was not just an academic challenge but a significant emotional, psychological and social challenge. As described in some of the quotes in the previous subtheme, many students experienced anxiety, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome at the start of the project. At later points in the process, students experienced feelings of being overwhelmed, stressed, isolated, and a sense of mental exhaustion. Acknowledging that although they tried to achieve academic work-life balance by ensuring time for themselves with family or friends, this was often forsaken for study.

“This was incredibly difficult and for a few months I felt that all I did was do placement, sleep and study, when my daughter was having chemo, I’d be sitting by her while she lay in my bed, studying at my desk for days at a time.”

“I did find it really hard to manage the workload with working in placement 3 days, uni 2 days some weeks and working 1 day only leaving me with one day for uni work, and family life.”

• Theme 2: The essential role of critical relationships

The findings underscore that success is heavily influenced by the quality of relationships and support structures, which were found to be highly variable. Successful navigation relied on personal resilience, determination, and the existence of robust external support systems.

• 2.1 Subtheme: The quality and nature of support

There was a spectrum of supervisory support ranging from exceptional support (characterised by regular, constructive feedback, proactive communication, and pastoral care) to support that contained critical gaps (including infrequent meetings, unavailability, changes to the supervisory team, and vague and unhelpful guidance). This variability led to perceived inequities in the quality of support students received.

“I think the supervision could have been more frequent and flexible. I would have preferred the option to choose a supervisor … From speaking to other students, it was clear that the level of support varied depending on the supervisor.”

“I felt very unsure at points in my dissertation if I was doing this correctly and if my method was correct, however with support from my supervisor I was able to overcome this.”

“My supervisor was brilliant he simplified things he checked my understanding and without his help none of my work would have been possible.”

Academic guidance spanned beyond supervisors and lecturers to academic support teams (e.g., academic writing and librarians’ support) and opportunities for peer learning, which were deemed as highly valuable resources.

“I also asked for support when I needed it—whether that was academic guidance or emotional support—which helped me manage the pressure more effectively.”

“Utilise everyone for help, pick people’s minds and stay in touch with your supervisor often even if only briefly.”

“Peers, librarians, other academics and other qualified practitioners. Peers and academics, as they are studying or teach on the same course as yourself.”

However, not all students reported on using academic support teams, with more frequent comments about supervisory, teaching staff, and peer support. Peer support was used for guidance, clarification, and to enable reflection on how the reasoning is sound, that the work meets expectations, and it is on course for timely completion. Students identified that informal peer support was a vital, self-organised lifeline for sharing strategies and reducing isolation. However, discussion regarding a lack of structured peer support frameworks were missing from their responses. This highlights a clear need for formalised peer mentoring schemes and facilitated forums for students to share their progress and challenges.

“I did ask my peers for guidance and clarification on things if I was unsure...”

“I relied on peers to ensure I was on the same track when writing sections.”

• 2.2 Subtheme: Bridging Gaps in Dissertation Knowledge, Skills, and Support

Students perceived writing the dissertation as distinct from any other written assignment that they had completed. This presented them with several challenges in the dissertation process. These challenges included formulating a feasible research question, focus, and scope of their study, as well as mastering methodological approaches while navigating the demands of completing a larger ‘independent’ project for the first time. Students expressed self-doubt and uncertainty regarding the procedure of completing a dissertation, from selecting a topic and finding and critiquing the evidence already available through to structuring and refining the work.

“The literature review was definitely the most challenging for me as I didn’t realise how time consuming it would be when I started it.”

“I found topic selection difficult, as there were endless options. I also found the literature review difficult as I felt I was unaware of what I needed to do at times. For example, I was unsure of how to include appraisal of literature in this section, with a limited word count.”

“I found it difficult to structure the work clearly and bring all the sections together in a cohesive way. Keeping track of references and staying organised also proved difficult, especially when switching between different tasks or sections.”

To reduce this gap, students proposed clear minimum standards for supervisor contact and feedback. In addition, improved communication about the roles and availability of academic support services and stronger encouragement throughout the course to use academic support and library resources effectively. Students felt that an enhanced curriculum that integrated research methods and dissertation preparation earlier in the programme would have enabled them time to understand the expectations and procedures for completing a dissertation.

“We were given information on the dissertation introducing it, but I feel this could have come earlier.”

“Start higher level research lessons earlier on into the course don’t leave the teaching until last minute.”

“I feel this could be introduced in the induction (year 1) a member from the library team could come and explain the Harvard referencing system and how to use it appropriately and offer some support with how to search resources.”

• Theme 3: Personal transformation and outcomes

Despite the challenges, the dissertation process was overwhelmingly framed as a period of significant professional and personal growth.

• 3.1 Subtheme: Skill development and future impact

Overall, students experienced transformative skill development through the dissertation process, which has cemented their interest in research evidence-based practice. They felt they had evolved from dissertation completers to being future nurses whose practice is evidence-based. This turning point in their dissertation process demystified and changed attitudes toward research, with many students having developed a newfound appreciation for evidence-based practice in their ability to source high-quality evidence literature for their topic area.

“I definitely feel that I would like to carry out more research on the topic I chose and also ensure that my practice is evidence based.”

“I will definitely continue to research the topic that I covered in my dissertation and would love to go into this field of nursing.”

This transformation was evidenced by self-reported, marked improvements in critical thinking and analysis, time management, project management, and independent problem-solving. A key outcome was their confidence and ability to independently source and critically appraise the literature, which reflects a shifting perspective from when they started the dissertation.

“Completing the dissertation has developed several important skills, including problem-solving, critical analysis. time management, which are essential skills for any research project.”

“I feel more confident completing a literate review and methodology as I really struggled and was unsure of this at first.”

“I feel like writing a dissertation is not my strength; however, I’ve been able to manage my time and plan and learned about data, research methodology, abstract, limitations and strengths, ethics and challenges around that.”

For some, the dissertation process was directly influential in shaping and cementing their career choices, sparking an interest in practice areas related to their dissertation topic.

“Yes, definitely I feel even more strongly about advocating about dual diagnosis.”

“I already enjoyed research and want a research lead career alongside working in clinical practice. It has helped me to make this more achievable.”

• 3.2 Subtheme: Internal drivers of success

The drivers of engagement in successfully completing their dissertation were students’ intrinsic motivation, sustained by a combination of personal drivers and professional drivers pertaining to the relevance of their topic to future practice.

“I chose my dissertation topic based on a combination of personal and professional interest. …I also saw its relevance to future practice and felt that researching it could contribute to my development and understanding in a meaningful way.”

“I had aspirations to work in this area of care, also the particular patient group interested me and motivated me to want to understand their behaviours as well as ways we can support the patients.”

This was also epitomised by a sense of moral duty as a powerful motivator to contribute to research to improve patient care, particularly for those whose projects involved service improvement for patients. Exposure to relevant practice experiences during the project reinforced this driver.

“I have a job within the neonatal unit and want to continue my professional development in improving service.”

“I feel even more strongly about advocating for dual diagnosis.”

“I have always been a massive advocate for women’s health and the inequalities that surround it.”

5. Discussion

5.1. Liminal Journey of Dissertation

Figure 1 represents a conceptual visual representation of students’ dissertation ‘vessel-in-passage’ journey navigating a destabilising yet transformative ‘liminal sea’ as autonomous learners. It illustrates the transformational experiences of their emotional turbulence and competing demands to feel secure, from the beginning of the dissertation module to the completion and submission of their dissertation. The ‘vessel in passage’ metaphor positions the student as the vessel with the internal capacity of a container holding knowledge, emotions, and resilience, while the passage represents the voyage undertaken navigating through the challenges to achieve the milestones of transformation and progression to reach their destination. It illustrates that the undertakings of the undergraduate nursing dissertation are a complex, transformative, liminal journey, where successful completion is shaped by a critical interplay of support ecosystems and transformational personal and professional development to overcome inherent multifaceted challenges. It conveys that most of them had a stormy start, capturing the liminality of a range of emotions, such as anxiety, confusion and identity uncertainty, at the start of the dissertation module. They mostly doubted themselves but remained undeterred, steering through the uncertain and anxious turbulent waves to glide on calmer waters towards their destination. They managed to steady the vessel and steer it to less choppy waters through mere perseverance, illustrating their self-determination as they began to take more ownership of their dissertation project. They were finally able to reach calmer waters with the sun emerging, transforming their liminal struggle into completing and submitting their dissertation. As part of this struggle and transformation, it indicates a shift from a passive reception of research knowledge as students to an active embodiment of using evidence-based research as a defining feature of their professional nursing identity.

The transformative outcomes of the dissertation journey reshape the student identity from a relatively structural learner to a novice researcher or service improvement innovator, involving students’ uncertainty, identity disturbance, and emotional vulnerability. Topic choice, selection research methods and methodologies, applications to the proposal, academic writing, and the expectation of an independent researcher seem to be the most common causes of anxiety. In contrast to deficit-based interpretations of student’s anxiety as the indications of a lack of academic capacity or resilience (Ecclestone, 2019), this study offers a more nuanced understanding of these emotional turbulences and considers these experiences to reflect the structural demands of a transitional learning process, in which students are required to demonstrate academic judgement and autonomy while managing the anxiety of uncertainty, time pressure and multiple competing demands. These demands become particularly difficult without early preparation and clear guidance. The findings challenge prevailing assumptions that position dissertation anxiety solely due to an individual’s intellectual capacity deficit but support findings on nursing students’ limited critical reading and critical writing skills for undertaking literature reviews (Padagas & Hajan, 2020). From a liminal development lens, this study argues that emotional distress during the dissertation was part of the student’s inherent learning trajectory in their professional identity formation process. They did not only learn to write during the dissertation process but also wrote to learn (Hunker et al., 2014).

5.2. Multifaceted Challenges Within the Journey

The findings demonstrate how students’ cognitive and emotional responses were intertwined with practical difficulties of managing academic writing and achieving clinical proficiencies, including job applications during the dissertation period. The findings of this study are consistent with Lavoie-Tremblay et al. (2021), who found that final year students face accumulated stressors, but this study further examined how these pressures intensified in the liminal context of undertaking independent research. For instance, balancing clinical placement demands with other academic coursework, personal commitments, and navigating the immersive needs of the dissertation was a constant source of stress. This was compounded by the exhaustive cognitive load of constantly switching between placement days, dissertation work and other module teaching for their split placement schedule. Such multifaceted demands adversely impacted their mental well-being, such as sleep disturbances, excessive worry, and anxiety (Efstathiou et al., 2025). Cruz Araújo et al. (2022) reported that anxiety can significantly affect nursing students’ physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being, which can negatively impact their academic performance.

It is noted that students experienced deep entanglement in the situation and developed strategies at later stages, which often led to a vicious circle of procrastination, avoidance, and a heightened level of anxiety towards the submission deadline (Pravita & Kuswandono, 2022). This pattern suggests that students’ difficulties are not simply attributed to a lack of motivation or commitment but to not being adequately prepared for the high academic, cognitive, emotional, and academic demands of the dissertation, which requires dedicated scaffolding and support (Norton et al., 2013). From the developmental liminal learning context, this study highlights the need for longitudinal curricular scaffolding instead of late-stage academic remedial support. Although this study did not compare differences across programmes, participants emphasised the impact of clinical placement on their dissertation progression and perceived pressure. Given that placement structures may vary across different programmes and AEIs, these differences could influence students’ dissertation experiences. Future research may be useful to explore how the programme structures shape students’ dissertation journey and overall experience.

5.3. The Support Ecosystems and Motivation

One key highlight of the study is the critical role of supportive relationships and institutions throughout this liminal dissertation period. Based on Deci and Ryan’s (1985) self-determination theory, this study shows that the social-contextual conditions they feel supported by during the significant challenges of the dissertation process can lead students to be proactive and engaged in their dissertation or be passive and alienated. These conditions can undermine their intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, and responses to the challenges experienced in the dissertation journey. It shows that supervisors’ guidance and academic support have an impact on students’ sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which in turn shape students’ overall experience and outcomes. This study revealed that when students receive consistent support, timely responses, and attuned supervision, they tend to have higher levels of confidence, sustained commitment, and cope more effectively with uncertainty. Conversely, students perceive inequity when they receive varying levels of supervision support, which impacts their academic confidence and well-being, a factor identified as the main cause of students’ dissatisfaction (Scholefield & Cox, 2016). This aligns with Roberts and Seaman’s (2018) argument for the value of dynamic and responsive guidance and feedback on academic tasks such as a dissertation, which encourages students’ reflection and learning processes. Lack of consistency in students’ access to high-quality supervision raises questions about inequity and disparity in support received for such a high-stakes study (Roberts & Seaman, 2018).

In addition to supervision, students also reported values of peer and library support during the dissertation. However, given the autonomous nature of the dissertation, the mechanism of support is contingent on students proactively seeking further library help in addition to what is included in the teaching schedule. While group supervision was utilised, it was not embedded within a structured, formal system of peer support that could have reduced the amplified level of isolation, especially during the dissertation’s high-uncertainty period. Where students share their own experiences and critique their peers’ writing, the building of academic knowledge takes place not only through the process of reflecting on both written and verbal feedback from peers but also through developing their critical reading and writing skills when providing feedback to peers (Kaufhold, 2025). These interactional approaches to peer support could be formalised to alleviate the high level of isolation, especially during the dissertation’s high-uncertainty period.

5.4. Research Identity Transformation

Despite multiple challenges, students still view the dissertation as a profound transformational experience. This study highlights a clear process of research identity transformation among students. At the beginning of their dissertation journey, many participants describe themselves as uncertain and lacking confidence in their research abilities and time management, and perceive themselves as passive knowledge consumers. Through engaging in the dissertation process, many students reported their fear of research was reduced and their understanding of evidence-based practice was enhanced, which is essential for their future career development in acquiring evidence, appraising, applying it, and assessing its outcomes. Some also reported increased interest in engaging with research and even in pursuing research-related roles. This shows a transition from a novice, uncertain learner to a more confident and self-directed practitioner with an evolving researcher identity.

This researcher identification formation is closely related to their intrinsic motivation, interest in the topic, personal values, and career aspirations. This finding is consistent with previous studies on students’ changes in attitude toward research (Toraman et al., 2017; Amoo & Gbadamosi, 2021). Through liminal and motivational perspectives, this study deepened the understanding of this identity transformation. More importantly, this study revealed that the students completed the dissertation not only because of ‘self-regulation’ but also because it was rooted in a sense of meaning, moral commitment, and career aspiration. This finding extends studies on influencing factors linked to building resilience among undergraduate health professions students (Chye et al., 2024) for successful navigation of academic demands. It underscored the dynamic relationship between internal motivation and a supportive educational structure.

5.5. Implications and Recommendations for Nursing Education

A shared sense of being inadequately prepared for the autonomous, high-stakes demands of the dissertation was central to students’ shared experiences. It requires the necessary scaffolding, as the challenges students encountered should be a critical developmental threshold with preparatory research knowledge and skills embedded throughout the curricular programme. For example, students reported difficulties with topic selection, literature review and academic writing in the dissertation, indicating a foundational gap in research skills and independent studies. Introducing research literacy and academic skills progressively from year one, with intentional links to the final year dissertation. In addition, it would be useful to provide scaffolding opportunities for students to engage in small-scale research exercises from the early stages of training to demystify the inquiry process and critical appraisal. Students should also be better prepared to develop self-regulation and resilience in managing the cognitive and emotional burden associated with high-pressure programmes such as pre-registration nursing by integrating resilience-building skills and well-being into the curriculum (Ramluggun & Morning, 2025).

Secondly, the variable and inconsistent supervision support and quality of support received highlighted inequities in academic support. This study revealed that high-quality guidance and consistent accessibility to supervision had significant implications for students’ confidence, motivation, and progression. Conversely, variation in supervision quality potentially prolongs the period of uncertainty and emotional turbulence. This implies that supervision is not only an academic responsibility but also requires policy to ensure relational and equitable practice standards, including a minimum supervision frequency and clarity in feedback to reduce student experience of inequity. Therefore, a multi-tiered strategy is needed to shift the responsibility to navigate inequity from individual students to the institution for a fair and supportive supervision framework. This could include a standardised supervision charter to manage student and supervisor expectations, including a supervision contact log, supervisor training and mentorship from experienced supervisors. Supervisor workshops are currently underway at the study site; however, the aim should be to create a supportive environment for all, which reduces the need for individual efforts.

Additionally, peer support and institutional services (such as dedicated healthcare librarian support and academic writing development) could be formally integrated into the dissertation module, including facilitated developmental spaces (such as dissertation forums and writing groups to encourage curiosity, independence, and active exploration where students can share their experience to normalise dissertation uncertainty and reduce isolation), instead of these additional supports being ad hoc and optional.

Finally, the students’ research identity transformation shows the dissertation has significant potential to enhance student nurses’ researcher identity formation and evidence-based practice. However, such a transformation does not happen automatically; it relies on a supportive environment for autonomy, relatedness, and competency development. Without this, a dissertation may change from an important source of professional development to an unnecessary stressor. In addition, helping students understand emotional uncertainty and self-doubt is part of the identity transitional development rather than a pathological issue. To strengthen students’ intrinsic motivation, they should be encouraged to choose a dissertation topic that aligns with their professional aspirations, personal values, and clinical interests.

5.6. Strengths, Limitations, and Future Research

Unlike the outcome-focused approach, this study allowed us to reveal the complex emotional turbulence throughout this journey, which formed a unique liminal dissertation framework (see Figure 1). This is the first study to examine bachelor’s nursing students’ liminal lived experiences of their dissertation journey in the UK, thereby shifting traditional deficit-based interpretations of students’ anxiety to the identity formative and developmental nature of the learning process. This provides unique, actionable insight for institutions with a similar structure for curriculum development and student support strategies to address potentially pervasive issues experienced across the student body. In addition, given the potential sensitivity of the critical reflection on the dissertation journey, the anonymous and asynchronous questionnaire has enabled a greater frankness from participants than a face-to-face interview would have permitted. The data collection point set immediately after their dissertation submission also allowed for a deeper, more reflective meaning-making of students’ overall experiences.

Although a rich narrative of a wide range of experiences was captured, the online questionnaire precluded the probing and clarification to explore nuanced responses in interviews. This is especially so for exploring any potential specific nursing field challenges. As with self-selecting data collection tools, there is a potential for response bias, as non-responders may have different experiences. Also, this study was based on a single nursing educational institution, which means the findings may not be transferable to other universities. The retrospective reflection did not capture the real-time, which may have potential recall bias, evolving emotional and cognitive burdens of the liminal phases. However, real-time experience could have added to participants’ stress at such a demanding phase of the dissertation process and captured superficial data. Furthermore, the retrospective study based on immediate submission reflections may not accurately reveal the impact on students’ career choices. A future longitudinal study will provide deeper insights into how dissertations have influenced their professional development and evidence-based practice.

Future studies could focus on longitudinal studies to evaluate targeted interventions such as the developmental impact of structured interventions and support, such as early preparation, standardised supervisor training, and post dissertation evaluation on career progression and research identity development beyond graduation. Additionally, it would be useful to explore the supervisor’s experience in supporting students’ dissertations going through the liminal learning process. Furthermore, comparative studies across disciplines and institutions may also provide valuable insights into how structural and relational factors influence students’ dissertation experiences.

6. Conclusions

This study contributes to the limited body of knowledge and provides a platform for further research on the educational transition and challenging academic rites of passage for undergraduate nursing dissertations. It highlights the transition process to professional identity, resilience and academic ability for autonomous learning under significant challenges. It underscores the intricate journey where a constructive process of learning experience is shaped by relational and motivational factors that carry important value for future nursing educational design, supervisory practice, and institutional support. It underlines how the dissertation is a highly sensitive threshold experience that requires institutional attention for purposeful curricular design.