Socio-demographic characteristics and opinions of basic and post-basic nursing students in Nigeria

In attempting to describe the socio-demographic characteristics and opinions of Nigerian nurses, a random selection of 293 students was made in three schools offering basic and post-basic programmes. Most of the students were from the lower socio-economic background; they entered nursing to 'help' people, and were enthusiastic about their training and exposure to new experiences. For most basic students, first job expectation was bedside nursing after graduation; it was administrative and/or teaching duties for those in the post-basic programme. The students showed similarities with their counterparts elsewhere.