Through the eyes of women: cultural insights into living as a battered woman in Hawaii.

This phenomenological study examined the impact of culture on the lived experience of women who were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). The analysis of the data, using the method of Colaizzi, yielded three theme clusters: "living in misery", "enduring terror and sadness", and "no happy ending". They revealed the essential structure of living in a violent situation. The women, from diverse cultural backgrounds, had similar individual responses to violence. Although on a societal level, responses to violence are unique, the results revealed that women's responses were very personal and common across cultures, demonstrating their fundamental humanness. This finding underscores the importance of providing caring, individual support when working with victims of IPV, even though various cultures might perceive IPV differently. An ecological model for understanding the responses to IPV includes both individual and group perspectives related to IPV and the factors that influence the behavior of both women and men.

Undergraduate nursing student experience.

The purpose of the present qualitative study was to describe and explicate the experience of being a nursing student. A convenience sample of 12 nursing students from a variety of backgrounds at a public university were interviewed using an interview guide with open-ended questions. Their stories provided an insight into the satisfactions, challenges and stresses faced by students. Four major theme clusters emerged from the data: (i) meeting conflicting demands; (ii) feeling overworked; (iii) feeling unprepared and; (iv) seeking respect and support from one's faculty. These identified themes corroborate the findings of other researchers who have studied the student experience. Student's stories provide insights into the current educational environment, which can assist faculties to understand the impact of their pedagogical approaches. This information is particularly important in light of the current worldwide nursing shortage.