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.
Aqtam et al. (2026) studied this question.