Changes in students' orientations to nursing during nursing education.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Student Development
• Healthcare Professions

Background:

• Nursing education aims to shape students' professional identities.
• Student orientations to nursing are influenced by prior experiences and career expectations.
• A theoretical model categorizes orientations into caring, nursing expertise, and life orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the evolution of nursing students' orientations during their education.
• To analyze changes in caring, nursing expertise, and life orientation aspects.
• To understand the impact of educational experiences on professional identity formation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 19 nursing students.
• Interviews conducted at the beginning and end of nursing education.
• Content analysis of interview data, with categories derived from a theoretical model and quantified for statistical analysis (paired t-test, Wilcoxon test).

Main Results:

• Significant changes were observed in students' orientations to nursing throughout their education.
• Specific shifts were identified in the dimensions of caring, nursing expertise, and life orientation.
• Quantitative analysis confirmed the statistical significance of these observed changes.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education significantly influences the development of students' professional orientations.
• The study provides empirical support for the theoretical model of nursing students' orientation.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for optimizing nursing curricula and supporting student development.