Educating Behind Barriers: A Qualitative Study of Nursing Education Adaptations to Geographic and Systemic Constraints in the West Bank

Aim To explore the lived experiences of nursing educators and students in the West Bank regarding the impact of geographic fragmentation and movement restrictions on nursing education. Design A qualitative descriptive study. Methods In-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 nursing faculty and three focus group discussions with 18 final-year students from three universities. Thematic Analysis was used, with credibility ensured through prolonged engagement, member checking, and peer debriefing. Results Three superordinate themes emerged: (1) The Checkpoint as a Pedagogical Disruptor, where movement restrictions create chronic unpredictability and fragment clinical learning; (2) Pedagogical Sumud, highlighting strategic improvisation using simulation, community-based training, and technology; and (3) The Systemic Bind, describing tension between institutional support and political/resource constraints. Conclusion Findings conceptualize a “crisis-responsive pedagogy” sustained through local ingenuity. Recommendations include: (1) developing standardized protocols for crisis-responsive pedagogy in accreditation standards; (2) allocating dedicated funding for simulation infrastructure in conflict-affected regions; and (3) establishing formal psychological support for educators and students under protracted adversity.