From bedside nursing to managerial roles: changing occupational perceptions of nursing students

This longitudinal study examined changes in the occupational perceptions of nursing students studying in a non-traditional undergraduate nursing program. The respondents, 210 first- and second-year nursing students, completed a questionnaire measuring the perceived importance of traditional and non-traditional nursing interventions and values. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. Students studying in a more traditional program comprised the control group. The results show that certain traditional nursing activities and values are perceived as more important by first-year students compared with second-year students in both programs, whereas the perceived importance of non-traditional activities is higher among second-year students. The preference for non-traditional interventions is stronger among students in the non-traditional nursing program. The results are discussed with regard to the gradual effect of nursing education on students' occupational perceptions.