Student characteristics and subculture trends in interpersonal skills workshops

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of student nurses when learning interpersonal skills and to examine the impact of small group work. A qualitative methodology was used. The sample comprised 50 student nurses who were undertaking the preregistration diploma course. In-depth interviews were employed to collect the data. The findings indicated that many students resisted learning owing to a range of personal characteristics that influenced the learning process. A student typology was constructed which highlighted four types of student characteristics that emerged from the data. Significant characteristics relating to each type of student behaviour are emphasized. This report also combines the student typology with the emergence of three distinct subcultures that frequently both interrupt and enhance learning. In presenting the subcultures the implications for group work are considered in conjunction with study limitations.