Today, many nurses are pursuing higher education (HE) while raising children. However, the pursuit of HE and raising children are both highly demanding tasks that may potentially create imbalance in life, if both roles are assumed simultaneously. This compromises the quality and quantity of time a student mother (SM) may spend with her children. On the other hand, the SM's child (ren) who constantly watch their mother studying (instead of spending time with them) may feel deprived of mother's love and attention. Her child (ren) may even feel jaded towards HE, which is the last thing a mother would ever want. Consequently, at times a SM may feel disheartened, guilty, and ashamed for her inability to spend quality time with her child (aren) when they need her the most. Therefore, the pursuit of HE while raising child (ren) may be a highly stressful endeavor, which may leave a SM wondering "whether the pursuit of her own HE is worthwhile or not ."
Clinical question/project purpose:
A SM may question “how does the pursuit of my own education impact the academic success (AS) of my children?’’ There was a paucity of evidence in this context, which provided an opportunity to embark upon this phenomenon of interest “Impact of mother being in school on AS of her child (ren).”
Study Objectives:
- Exploring the impact of mother’s higher education on academic success of her children
- Enhancing the key-stakeholders’ (SMs’ universities, faculties, employers, family and community members) cooperation and support in promoting HE for future SMs
Search of literature/best evidence:
CINAHL, ERIC, ProQuest, and PsycINFO health databases from 2012-2017 were searched using key terms: student mother, higher education, academic success, and academic impact. The search produced 17 peer reviewed articles. There were no randomized controlled studies.
Clinical appraisal of literature/best evidence:
Analysis of available evidence suggested four principal findings: 1) maternal role enhances a woman’s motivation and persistence in HE, 2) mothers disproportionately balance parenthood 3) there is lack of cooperation from key stake holders (universities, employers, members of families and communities) in promoting HE for SMs, 4) quality-time between parents and children is the most important factor for children’s positive behavioral outcomes including AS.
Study Findings:
Data analysis (Chi-Square) revealed that there is a statistically significant (p=.0061) relationship between increased maternal education and college success of her children. However, there is no statistically significant (p= .135) relationship between increased maternal education and academic success of her children from elementary through high school. The qualitative analysis of this study supported the existing evidence. For instance, the major themes that emerged based on the analysis of the study participants' responses reinforced the facts that maternal role enhances a woman’s motivation and persistence in HE and there is a lack of cooperation from key stake holders in promoting HE for SMs.
Integration into practice:
This study findings demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between increased maternal education and enhanced college success of her child (ren). Hence, the pursuit of HE by SMs is quite worthwhile. Hopefully, this will be encouraging for future SMs especially those who often feel disheartened, ashamed, and guilty for not being able to spend enough time with their children due to their own pursuit of HE. In addition, this finding provides an evidence-based rationale for the key-stakeholders to support HE efforts of future SMs.
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