الفهرس 
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Abstract
The demand for postgraduate education has escalated with the increasing lack of immediate employment after first degree, and the high demand for specialized skills by the public and private sectors. Postgraduate education enhances critical analysis of care, clinical judgment, and attendant progression to a new level of autonomous practice. In nursing, it contributes to increase professional behaviors of nurses, with more clinical confidence, and improved self- esteem. Improving postgraduate experience needs effective strategies to overcome the various challenges encountered by students. This would help attract new students and decease attrition.
The aim of this study is investigating challenges faced by postgraduate nursing students and developing strategies for overcoming these challenges through investigating the challenges as reported by postgraduate nursing students at the faculty of nursing during their academic studies, developing strategies to overcome the challenges that will be identified, and assessing the face and content validity for the proposed strategies.
Methodological study was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing, Ain- Shams University. It involved all 236 master and doctorate postgraduate nursing students registered during the academic year 2017/2018 at the last semester of their studies. Additionally, a jury group of nursing administration professors and assistant professors (25) from different Egyptian Universities was included for validation of the proposed strategies.
The data collection tools included a self- administered questionnaire sheet for students consisting of 84 statements soliciting their opinions about student- institution and supervisor- related challenges and the opinionnaire sheet was intended to assess the face and content validity for developed questionnaire and proposed strategies by juries. The tools were validated and pilot- tested. Based on the questionnaire findings, and in the light of pertinent literature, the researcher developed strategies for overcoming the challenges faced by postgraduate students. It was then validated by the jury group and CVI. The fieldwork extended from June 2018 to September 2019.
The main study findings were as following:
The study sample included 236 postgraduate students whose age ranged between 23 and 45 years; with a majority females (70.8%) and married (72.9%).
• Almost all postgraduate students were self-funded (93.6%) and only 10.2% were full time students.
• The main reasons for postgraduate studying were obtain an academic grade (38.1%), followed by job requirement (11.0%) and work abroad (8.1%).
• Overall, 88.6% of the students considered student-related challenges as real challenging, 62.7% considered institution-related challenges as real challenging, and 71.1% considered supervisor -related challenges as a real challenging
• Overall, 78.8 % of the students considered challenges as real challenging.
• Significantly more students in the age group less than 30 years, at master degree level, and self- funded considered total factors as challenging.
• Significant positive correlations were shown among students’ scores of the three types of challenges; the strongest between student-related and supervisor related challenges (r= 0.481).
• In multivariate analysis:
o Age and academic level were negative predictors of student – related challenges score.
o Unmarried state and part time mode of sabbatical leave were positive predictors of the institution – related challenges score.
o Age and academic level were negative predictors of supervisor – related challenges score, while self-funding was a positive predictors.
o Age and academic level were negative predictors of total challenges score, while self-funding was a positive predictors.
In conclusion, the majority of postgraduate nursing students viewed were really challenged, particularly regarding student-related challenges and to a lesser extent supervisor – related challenges. Accordingly, strategies to overcome such challenges were developed and validate by experts’ opinions.
The study recommends discussion of the developed strategies with postgraduate students in the study setting for the purpose of improvement and for ensuring their acceptability. The faculty should conduct an annual survey to identify the challenges faced by the students and address them challenges.
More efforts are needed to improve the research and statistical capabilities of postgraduate students. Seminars and workshops in thesis supervision, research methodology and thesis writing are recommended for both lecturers and students. A standardized procedure for regular assessment of the progress of postgraduate students is needed with constructive feedback. The learning resources and faculty facilities need improvement and continuing updating. Further research is proposed to evaluate the effect of implementation of the developed strategies on postgraduate students’ academic performance, satisfaction, and attrition/ completion issues.