SOME FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGE IN PATIENT-CENTEREDNESS OF STUDENT NURSES DURING THE COMMON FOUNDATION PROGRAM IN NURSING

This longitudinal study examines the changes in patient-centredness of a group of student nurses during their Common Foundation Programme in Nursing, and attempts to explore some of the social, psychological an d educational factors which might be associated with such change. The Patient-centredness Multi-choice Questionnaire (PMQX) was administered to a sample of 267 student nurses on commencement and completion of t heir Common Foundation Programme in Nursing, and significant positive as well as negative changes in PMQX scores were found, although the me an scores for the sample were unchanged. A number of factors were foun d to be associated with high levels of patient-centredness on commence ment of the course, including marital status, age, and radicalism. Pos itive change in patient-centredness during the CFP was associated with a variety of variables such as class size, a student-centred climate and a tenderminded attitude. Other factors, such as psychological stab ility and extroversion, were associated with both increase and decreas e in patient-centredness during the CFP.