Navigating Spaces of Belonging

AIM The aim of the study was to explore undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of belonging while studying online during the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND The use of online learning platforms increased drastically during the pandemic. Limited research exists on nursing students’ experiences of belonging while studying online. METHOD An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used for this study. This article reports on phase two, the qualitative component, which employed interpretive description methodology to understand nursing students’ experiences. RESULTS Ten semistructured interviews were completed, and four themes were identified: factors contributing to students’ sense of belonging online, navigating the online learning environment, creating safe online spaces during times of uncertainty, and students’ vision of developing a sense of belonging online. CONCLUSION Fostering nursing students’ sense of belonging is critical to their retention, persistence, and overall academic success when learning online.