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Tensions experienced by student nurses in a changed NHS culture
1School of Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting, University of Manchester, Coupland Building 3, Coupland Street, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. ann.b.wakefield@man.ac.uk
Nurse Education Today
|August 14, 2002
Summary
Student nurses often feel undervalued, leading to tensions with healthcare assistants who they perceive as encroaching on their roles. This dynamic highlights interprofessional challenges in surgical nursing education and practice.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Team Dynamics
- Surgical Ward Operations
Background:
- Investigating the experiences of student nurses in surgical settings.
- Understanding the complexities of ward roles and interprofessional relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical development and role management of student nurses.
- To identify operational tensions between student nurses and healthcare assistants.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of four student nurses' clinical progression.
- Qualitative analysis of identified interprofessional tensions and perceptions.
Main Results:
- Student nurses reported feeling undervalued and like 'a spare pair of hands'.
- Tensions arose as students perceived healthcare assistants as encroaching on their roles.
- Healthcare assistants viewed student nurses as inefficient, uncaring, or lacking skills.
Conclusions:
- Significant operational tensions exist between student nurses and healthcare assistants in surgical wards.
- These tensions stem from role ambiguity and perceived threats to professional identity.
- Addressing these dynamics is crucial for effective surgical nursing education and team collaboration.