Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Nursing
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
Chair
Shelley Blackwood
Keywords
margin in life, theory of margin, well-being, adverse childhood experiences, burnout, stress, diverse faculty, nursing faculty shortage, nursing faculty retention
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Hauldren, Kacie Brenda, "The Relationship Between Margin in Life and Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Nurse Faculty: Examining Retention and Diversity" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7739.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7739
Abstract
The purpose of this non-experiential correlational and causal-comparative quantitative study was to determine the overall margin in life (MIL) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) scores among nurse faculty, examining how race and ethnicity vary across this population, and evaluate the relationship between MIL and ACEs among nursing faculty across the United States. Faculty retention remains a significant challenge in nursing, particularly in efforts to strengthen diversity within the profession. Retention depends partly on maintaining an adequate balance between demands and resources. When this balance is disrupted, the risk of burnout increases, negatively affecting well-being and job satisfaction. The study used the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire, Margin in Life Scale, and demographic survey. The surveys were delivered electronically through Qualtrics and distributed via social media. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) examined the demographic differences between power, load, margin, and ACEs scores (N=216). A Pearson’s r correlation was completed to evaluate the relationship between ACEs and MIL scores (N = 216). Results indicated no statistically significant differences in race or ethnicity for power, margin in life, and ACEs scores, nor in ethnicity for load scores. However, statistically significant differences were found in race for load scores, F(3, 212) = 4.43, p = .005. No significant relationship emerged between ACEs and MIL, r(214) = .25, p = .72. Findings suggest the need for future research with more diverse samples and consideration of additional factors that may influence nursing faculty well-being and retention.
