The challengers, interactors and mainstreamers: second step education and nursing roles

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Professional Development
• Sociology of Professions

Background:

• Assessing the impact of post-licensure nursing programs on experienced nurses.
• Evaluating the success of "Second Step" programs in fostering professional orientations among nurses trained for technical roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of Second Step programs on professional attitudes and other life areas of nursing students.
• To identify different student typologies and their response to professional development interventions.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data analysis of 236 nursing students across six Second Step programs.
• Factor analysis to differentiate student groups based on professional attitudes, nursing styles, sociopolitical views, and personality characteristics.

Main Results:

• Students entered programs with varied professional attitudes, categorized into 'challengers,' 'interactors,' and 'mainstreamers.'
• All groups reported increased professional involvement, commitment, and competence post-program.
• Challengers and interactors showed significant shifts in sociopolitical views and personality; mainstreamers exhibited greater consistency.

Conclusions:

• Second Step education effectively promotes professional development in nursing.
• The extent of change in broader life areas (sociopolitical, personality) is contingent on individual student receptivity and readiness.
• Nursing education's impact is nuanced, varying across different student profiles.