Finessing incivility: The professional socialisation experiences of student nurses' first clinical placement, a grounded theory (original) (raw)

Student nurse socialisation in compassionate practice: A Grounded Theory study

Nurse Education Today, 2012

s u m m a r y a r t i c l e i n f o Compassionate practice is expected of Registered Nurses (RNs) around the world while at the same time remaining a contested concept. Nevertheless, student nurses are expected to enact compassionate practice in order to become RNs. In order for this to happen they require professional socialisation within environments where compassion can flourish. However, there is concern that student nurse socialisation is not enabling compassion to flourish and be maintained upon professional qualification. In order to investigate this further, a Glaserian Grounded Theory study was undertaken using in-depth, digitally recorded interviews with student nurses (n = 19) at a university in the north of England during 2009 and 2010. Interviews were also undertaken with their nurse teachers (n = 5) and data from National Health Service (NHS) patients (n = 72,000) and staff (n = 290,000) surveys were used to build a contextual picture of the student experience. Within the selected findings presented, analysis of the data indicates that students aspire to the professional ideal of compassionate practice although they have concerns about how compassionate practice might fit within the RN role because of constraints on RN practice. Students feel vulnerable to dissonance between professional ideals and practice reality. They experience uncertainty about their future role and about opportunities to engage in compassionate practice. Students manage their vulnerability and uncertainty by balancing between an intention to uphold professional ideals and challenge constraints, and a realisation they might need to adapt their ideals and conform to constraints. This study demonstrates that socialisation in compassionate practice is compromised by dissonance between professional idealism and practice realism. Realignment between the reality of practice and professional ideals, and fostering student resilience, are required if students are to be successfully socialised in compassionate practice and enabled to retain this professional ideal within the demands of 21st century nursing.

An Exploration of the Professional Socialisation of Student Nurses

Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery

Desirable levels of knowledge and skills or appropriate values and beliefs of the nursing profession are not manifested in all students who become professional nurses. The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of professional nurses regarding their role in the professional socialisation of student nurses and the experiences of the students as members of the nursing profession. A qualitative design was applied to collect data from two purposively selected samples, professional nurses and students. Focus-group interviews (two with sample 1 and 5 with sample 2) were conducted. Findings revealed that a lack of exemplary role models, an unfavourable environment and students’ own reasons of career choice influenced the professional socialisation of students. Exemplary role modelling, supportive learning environments, the empowerment of professional nurses and the commitment to professional values of nursing are vital to develop well-socialised professional practitioners.

Vocation, friendship and resilience: a study exploring nursing student and staff views on retention and attrition

The open nursing journal, 2013

There is international concern about retention of student nurses on undergraduate programmes. United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions are monitored on their attrition statistics and can be penalised financially, so they have an incentive to help students remain on their programmes beyond their moral duty to ensure students receive the best possible educational experience. to understand students' and staff concerns about programmes and placements as part of developing our retention strategies. This study reports qualitative data on retention and attrition collected as part of an action research study. One University School of Nursing and Midwifery in the South West of England. Staff, current third year and ex-student nurses from the adult field. Data were collected in focus groups, both face-to face and virtual, and individual telephone interviews. These were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. FOUR THEMES EMERGED: Academic support, Placements and ment...

Professional or student identity and commitment? Comparing the experiences of nursing students with literature on student success

Tertiary Education and Management, 2023

Improving the rates of continuation and completion of nursing students is a priority to ensure there are sufficient qualified staff to deliver national healthcare services. In the literature, which is predominantly informed by research undertaken in traditional HE institutions with students studying conventional academic programmes, the development of a student identity and course commitment are identified as key components of persistence and success. This linear model assumes that student identity formation takes place during the transition into HE-and professional identities develop as graduates progress into the workplace. Qualitative research in the UK and Norway with nursing and midwifery students found that a strong desire to become a healthcare professional is often the starting point for enrolling in HE, rather than the culmination of the course. A strong future-facing professional identity and commitment sustain many students through the process of accessing and 'enduring' their nursing degree programmes that qualify them for practice. But these programmes do little to nurture professional commitment and identity, which could be harnessed to help these students to successfully complete their nursing studies. Recognising the differences between these professionally-oriented, future-facing students, and those studying traditional degree programmes, should inform approaches to improve the continuation and success of nurses. Their learning experience needs to be affirming and nurturing of this emerging professional identity to allow students to overcome academic and professional challenges they experience as they strive to become nurses, and allow them to fully embrace their professional identity.

Changing institutional identities of the student nurse

Nurse Education Today, 2012

This paper emphasises the tensions between the ideal of the compliant within care settings and the ideal of the critical thinker within the university setting with reference to student nurse education and identity. Identity is an important part of who we are as people. While modernisation and increased professionalisation of nursing have impacted on staff and patients mostly in a positive way, changes in the management of nursing education in the past 20 years have also heralded a remarkable change in the student identity. Historically informed by association with a particular hospital or health service provider, student nurse identity was shaped by institutional rituals and routine, physically embodied in objects such as uniforms and hospital medals and informed by claims to honesty, virtue and personal integrity (Bradby, 1990). Once part of the structure and fabric of hospital life, nursing students functioned as part of the health care service. As such, their identity was synonymous with that of practicing nurses, whose learning needs were secondary to that of the organisational needs. While this social milieu provided the platform for the formation of institutional pride, belonging and identity, such forms of identity can result in institutional compliance; with the associated risk of ritualistic practice, poor levels of transparent accountability and barriers to whistle blowing should substandard practice arise. Increased student freedom and an emphasis on teaching and learning within the university setting may have benefitted students, patients and the profession, however, the potential impact on student identity is less certain. There is evidence to suggest that students are ill-equipped for their professional identity once qualified and thus require more support for this within universities. This paper explores the tensions between traditional hospital identity and contemporary university identity with reference to student nurse education. The ideal of the compliant versus the ideal of the critical thinker will be debated.

Negotiating socialisation: the journey of novice nurse academics into higher education

Nurse Education Today, 2004

In this paper we seek to explore the socialisation process experienced by novice nurse academics when they make the transition from the health sector into the education sector. We will do this by identifying the theoretical tensions between individual freedom in the context of organisational needs. The ramifications of these tensions will be highlighted and solutions for raising awareness as to how to manage them are discussed. We conclude that a socialisation process that protects individual freedom and promotes self-development is one that carries the greatest benefit for the novice nurse academic and the educational institution.

An exploration of the perceptions of caring held by students entering nursing programmes in the United Kingdom: A longitudinal qualitative study phase 1

Nurse Education in Practice, 2015

In a climate of intense international scrutiny of healthcare and nursing in particular, there is an urgent need to identify, foster and support a caring disposition in student nurses worldwide. Yet relatively little is known about how core nursing values are shaped during education programmes and this warrants further investigation. This longitudinal study commencing in February 2013 examines the impact of an innovative nursing curriculum based on a humanising framework ) and seeks to establish to what extent professional and core values are shaped over the duration of a three year nursing programme. This paper reports on Phase One which explores student nurses' personal values and beliefs around caring and nursing at the start of their programme. Undergraduate pre-registration nursing students from two discrete programmes (Advanced Diploma and BSc (Honours) Nursing with professional registration) were recruited to this study. Utilising individual semi-structured interviews, data collection commenced with February 2013 cohort (n ¼ 12) and was repeated with February 2014 (n ¼ 24) cohort.

Caring values in undergraduate nurse students: A qualitative longtitudinal study

Nurse Education Today

Introduction: Given the emerging evidence internationally of poor care within the healthcare sector, a recent report in the United Kingdom recommended the need for education to produce nurses who are prepared both intellectually and with compassion. Aim: This paper aims to understand the beliefs and values of caring, held by student nurses from entry to completion of their education programme. Methods: Using a prospective qualitative longtitudinal approach, two cohorts of nursing students (February 2013 and 2014) each following a different undergraduate curriculum (the February 2013, based on a philosophy of person-centred care and the February 2014, based on the philosophy of humanisation) were followed throughout their programme leading to Registration. Data were collected from February 2013 to February 2017 using individual interviews at commencement and completion of their programme with focus groups after their first placement and at the end of years one and two. Using purposive sampling, from February 2013, 12 commenced the study and five finished. From February 2014, 24 started, with nine completing. Findings: Data were analysed using thematic analysis with four themes emerging: i) Articulating the terms caring and dignity ii) Recognising the need for individualisation iii) Learning nursing and iv) Personal journey. Conclusion: Reporting on the final phase of this 5-phase study and on the brink of qualifying, both cohorts of students recognised the impact of their different curriculum and their exposure to the same educators who had embraced the humanisation philosophy. They each acknowledged just how they had changed as individuals and how determined they were to influence the quality of care.

‘Don’t rock the boat’: Nursing students’ experiences of conformity and compliance

Nurse Education Today, 2009

Aim: This paper profiles a cross national case study that examined nursing students' experience of belongingness when undertaking clinical placements. The aim of the paper is to present selected findings that focus on the relationship between belongingness, conformity and compliance. Background: Literature from the disciplines of psychology, social science and nursing is presented as a background to the study. Methods: This was a mixed methods case study; in this paper the qualitative phase is described. Eighteen third year nursing students from two universities in Australia and one in the United Kingdom were interviewed and the data thematically analysed. Findings: Three sub themes emerged within the category of conformity and compliance. These included: Don't rock the boat; getting the RNs offside; and speaking up. Students described how and why they adopted or adapted to the teams' and institution's values and norms, rather than challenging them, believing that this would improve their likelihood of acceptance and inclusion by the nursing staff. Conclusion: Further research is required to examine the subtle interplay of factors that influence nursing students' attitudes and behaviours in relation to their need to belong, how conformity and compliance are acculturated in practice, and how students can be empowered to speak out against poor practice to become assertive and confident practitioners.