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BACKGROUND: Distance nurse education is an essential contribution to sustainable access for nurses in rural and remotes areas. However, distance nurse education requires pedagogical changes, and we need more knowledge to design education programmes that can accommodate students who study off-campus.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how undergraduate nursing students experience a distance education programme.

METHODS: A qualitative explorative design. Students in a distance nurse education programme participated in six focus group interviews from March to September 2022. Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: Students had a generally positive experience of the distance nurse education programme and were especially pleased with its flexibility. The two main themes were students' sense of belonging and social interactions and their participation in learning activities. Students cited face-to-face meetings as an important factor in having a sense of community, involvement, and continuous motivation for their studies. Students found study groups to be useful for learning and progress in the study subjects. Physical teaching sessions at a non-university site facilitated and motivated them to follow live streaming of lectures at home and to collaborate online with the study group between those meetings. Social interaction with the educator and other students in physical teaching sessions was important for discussions of the subject matter and for assistance with technical challenges. A predictable timetable was essential for the students to balance time for their studies with family and work responsibilities.

CONCLUSION: Students in the distance nurse programme preferred a combination of face-to-face meetings and live streaming. Study groups contributed to motivation, understanding of the course content, and a sense of community. It also helped to improve students' collaboration skills. These students have many professional and family obligations, so a predictable course plan was important to them.