The effect of a 3-year pre-registration training course on students' self-esteem

Self-esteem is an acquired set of beliefs about the 'self' and is the large st determinant of behaviour. This study was carried out to identify changes in the self-esteem of studen ts in order to assess the major influencing factors during their transition to becoming a nurse and to explore the interpretations and constructions w hich students ascribed to their experiences during this transition. Data were collected by the use of unstructured interviews. Analysis of data was qualitative, using a grounded theory method. Students' self-esteem became fragmented during the transition to becoming a nurse. The findings indicate a need to implement strategies to increase nurses' se lf-esteem.