LEARNING TO NURSE THROUGH LEGITIMATE PERIPHERAL PARTICIPATION

Learning to nurse is identified as a complex interaction of affective, practical and cognitive factors. The nature and quality of the clinic al learning environment is recognized as being influential in promotin g the integration of them all. Students spend the majority of their ti me in a supernumerary capacity during their clinical placements and ar e dependent upon their mentor to engage them in increasingly sophistic ated professional activities. Such activities should challenge student s' understanding and promote their development of professional knowled ge. In this longitudinal study, seven pre-registration nursing student s were followed throughout the clinical experiences of their nursing d eg ree programme. Questions were concerned with the nature of their ex periences and the factors which influenced their professional developm ent. These were pursued using documentary evidence supplied by the stu dents, observations and regular focused interviews during each placeme nt. Findings demonstrated the importance of a close and facilitative r elationship which consequently enabled students to engage in activitie s contributing to their professional development. Working alongside a knowledgeable and respected practitioner led students to develop an en thusiasm and commitment to their professional development that was unp aralleled. As a result, students were more likely to interact with oth er personnel working in the clinical environment and to become success ful autonomous learners. Promoting their success was the nature of spo nsorship afforded by mentors and the type of practice in which student s were engaged. This has implications for mentorship preparation as we ll as the professional development of existing and future generations of nurses.