Abstract: Objective To investigate the psychological changes experienced by nurses with three years or more of clinical work to pursue a full-time master's degree in nursing, and to provide reference for nursing educators and managers in developing effective intervention measures at different stages of the programs. Methods Purposive sampling was used to select 15 full-time nursing master's students from grade 2021 who were admitted and enrolled in the program. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted at four time points: upon enrollment in the first year, 6 months after enrollment, at the end of the first year, and at the end of the second year. Grounded theory was employed to analyze the data. Results The psychological process of nurses pursuing a master's degree involved four stages: excitement, self-doubt, relief, and acceptance. These stages dynamically evolved over time. Three types of psychological processes were identified: gradual fatigue, continuous relief, and gradual adaptation. Conclusion The psychological process of nurses pursuing a master's degree involves four dynamic stages and three psychological types. It is recommended that educators and managers pay attention to the mental health of nurses during their studies and implement targeted interventions to assist them in better adapting to the life of a master's student.

Key words: full-time, nursing, postgraduate, psychological process, qualitative study