PERCEIVED BARRIERS IN TIMELY COMPLETION OF THESIS AMONG MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING STUDENTS OF A PUBLIC AND A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY OF PUNJAB

Abstract

Background: Completing research is a necessary part of getting a master's or MPhil degree. Master's students usually take around four years, on average, to complete their degree and graduate, exceeding the typical expectation of two years set by most universities. In Pakistan, it's noticed that a lot of postgraduate students can't finish their degree on time. Many of them manage to complete it, but often they face delays. Unfortunately, some students even have to stop without finishing their degree.
Objectives: To explore perceived barriers to timely completion of thesis among Master of Science in Nursing students of a public and a private university in Punjab.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in a private and a public University in Punjab from May 2024 to January 2025.
Materials and Methods: Semi-structured face-to-face individual interview was used to obtain data from 12 participants who were selected by purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The audio recorded data collected was translated into English and transcribed verbatim. By using the Braun and Clarke method of thematic analysis codes were generated and organized as codes and major Themes.
Results: Eight major themes emerged from the data analysis. The Themes are: Supervisor Mismatch and Delay Allocation, Research Knowledge Gap in Students, Ineffective Research Process Management, Communication Barriers, students’ engagement and responsibility, Time Management Challenges, Financial, Emotional and psychological repercussions and unique themes of Private university. Possible suggestions were also given by the participants.
Discussion: Based on the results, it was recommended that in order for job-holder researchers to complete their research projects on time, they must actively participate in research-related activities and may be granted study leave by their respective departments. Supervisors, on the other hand, might gain updated knowledge and expertise about research and the usage of modern communications tools. Universities may make improvements to the current infrastructure for research and implement strategies to address issues that are delaying it. The study is expected to make supervisees, supervisors, and management more aware of the need to remove or at least reduce the factors that contribute to postgraduate thesis completion delays.