Date of Award
8-4-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Selected Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Nursing
Department
Nursing
School
School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Abstract
Problem: As a prosocial profession, individuals may enter the practice of nursing because of an interest in helping and caring for others. However, over time, nurses may be challenged with experiences of burnout that can impact both their relationship with the profession and patient outcomes.
Background/Significance: A sense of purpose has been associated with positive physical, behavioral, and psychological outcomes. In a professional context, a sense of purpose may provide support for navigating complex work environments. It is currently not known what nurses’ experience of sense of purpose may be in relation to nursing practice and how their sense of purpose may change or evolve throughout a career journey. Understanding how nurses’ sense of purpose may develop, change, and be influenced by nursing practice experiences, environments, and roles over time could provide insights to best cultivate the positive outcomes of a sense of purpose for nurses.
Purpose: The purpose of this research was to understand the process of sense of purpose in nursing and generate a theory of sense of purpose in the context of professional nursing practice. The study provides insight into the experiences that may amplify or diminish purpose in professional nursing and the evolution of sense of purpose throughout a nursing career journey.
Research Question: The primary research question that guided this study was: What is the evolutionary process of an individual’s sense of purpose in nursing practice, and how might it be amplified, diminished, or changed during a professional nursing career?
Method: A grounded theory design was used to explore the process of sense of purpose in nursing practice. A purposive sample of currently employed registered nurses with at least two years of experience was obtained via social media outreach, personal contacts, and snowballing. Data was collected using semi-structured individual interviews. Data was analyzed simultaneously with the ongoing completion of interviews, following constant comparative methodology. Interviews were conducted with new participants until saturation was achieved at 20 participants.
Findings: The categories that emerged to comprise the theory of Sense of Purpose as the Guiding Light in Nursing Practice included Purpose as Guiding Light of ‘Why’, Journey to Nursing Purpose, Purpose Shaping Practice, Shining through Highs and Lows, Dimming the Light, Feeding the Flame, and the Broadening Spectrum of Experience and Impact.
Significance to Nursing: Understanding how nurses develop, experience, and evolve a sense of purpose in nursing practice can provide insight into how the positive outcomes of purpose can be leveraged within nursing. Strategies for amplification of sense of purpose in nursing, including strengthening social and patient care connections, promoting reflection and self-care, and providing opportunities for continued growth and development, can be applied across a career lifecycle. Targeted efforts to reduce the conditions that diminish sense of purpose, including unhealthy work environments, administrative burden, and the emotional toll of care, should be explored.
Related Pillar(s)
Study
Recommended Citation
Casler, Kathleen, "Sense of Purpose as the Guiding Light in Nursing Practice: A Grounded Theory Study" (2026). Theses & Dissertations. 248.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/etd/248
