STUDENTS EVOLVING BELIEFS ABOUT NURSING - FROM ENTRY TO GRADUATION INA 4-YEAR BACCALAUREATE-PROGRAM

Students become socialised into nursing during an educational programm e through interaction with faculty members, classes and seminars, and by the experience of practicing nursing. In this paper, some results f rom a qualitative study that examined the socialisation of nursing stu dents from one four-year baccalaureate programme are described. The ch anges in the students' attitudes and values are presented, Davis' (197 5) theory of doctrinal conversion is used to examine progress in the p rocess of socialisation. There is evidence that students moved from a lay to a professional image of nursing over the course of their four-y ear programme. While they tended to remain idealistic, element of real ism were evident in the final year as they looked toward their role as a registered nurse and recognised the constraints inherent in the hos pital system.