Abstract

Objective
Due to insufficient knowledge and skills, effectively promoting health literacy presents a challenge to nurses. Postgraduate master's programs can address these deficits. Research literature indicates the provision of relevant rule-based knowledge and case comprehension. However, in this context, there are no indications of which experiences registered nurses make during a postgraduate program to act in a professional, health-literate manner.

Methods
A qualitative longitudinal study was conducted using a reflexive grounded theory. Registered nurses attending a master's program in public health were interviewed over the course of their studies at three points in time. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and were coded as well as categorized in order to develop a reflexive grounded theory.

Results
The data collection and analysis took three years. Grounded in the data, a theory was developed that systematically represents students' experiences and elucidates how these experiences are foundational for professional practice.

Conclusions
Aligning the lengthy duration of a longitudinal study with the framework of a PhD presented several challenges: (1) Conducting the study would have been impossible without the option of pursuing the PhD on a part-time basis. (2) Over time, maintaining the panel became increasingly demanding and required a delicate touch. (3) Staying familiar with the data throughout the extended period in order to develop a theory required both consistency and creativity. (4) As time passed, perspectives on health literacy evolved, necessitating their consideration in the long-term analysis.